Caribou Conservation Breeding and Augmentation Project in Jasper National Park – Public comments invited from August 8 to September 2, 2022 

August 8, 2022 – Parks Canada must decide whether the proposed project Caribou Conservation Breeding and Augmentation Project, located in Jasper National Park is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects. Parks Canada will be assessing this project using a Detailed Impact Assessment.

To help inform this decision, Parks Canada is issuing this notice of intent to make a determination and inviting comments from the public on the project's potential effects on the environment as the public consultation for this proposal. All comments received will be considered public. For more information on the public nature of your comments, individuals should consult the Privacy Notice on the Registry website.

A copy of the draft Detailed Impact Assessment report is available for download here. To submit comments on the draft Detailed Impact Assessment report, contact:

Jasper National Park
Box 10, Jasper, Alberta T0E 1E0
Telephone: 780-852-6141
Email: caribou@pc.gc.ca 

Comments must be submitted by September 2, 2022.

Project Summary: Parks Canada is proposing a 10 to 20-year caribou conservation breeding and augmentation project (the project) in Jasper National Park (JNP). The intent of the project is to recover caribou in its natural ranges in JNP. Southern mountain caribou is identified by the Government of Canada as a priority species for conservation action, based on their ecological, social and cultural value to Canadians and are listed as Threatened on Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA). Caribou recovery is a priority for Parks Canada in the fulfillment of its mandate to maintain and restore the ecological integrity of JNP, and its commitment to recover species at risk. The project will occur in six (6) main phases, including: 1) Build - Breeding Facility Design, Construction & Operations; 2) Capture - Securing source caribou; 3) Breed - Animal husbandry and care; 4) Release - Augmentation of recipient herds; 5) Adapt - Research, Monitoring, and Adaptive Management; And 6) End - Decommissioning and Restoration.

Scope of Assessment: Valued components assessed in the Detailed Impact Assessment include: Vegetation and soils; Surface and groundwater quality and subsurface drainage; Heritage sites and cultural resources; Brazeau caribou herd; À la Pêche caribou herd; Tonquin caribou herd; Wildlife and predator habitat security; Species at Risk; Indigenous values and connection to caribou; And Wilderness character and visitor experience.

Document Reference Number: 4

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