Helicopter and Snowcat Skiing in Mountain Caribou Habitat

In 2011, the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (FLNR), the Ministry of Environment and 12 heli ski/cat ski operators signed two memoranda of understanding (MOUs) regarding the management of helicopter and snowcat skiing in mountain caribou habitats. The MOUs, being consistent with government’s mountain caribou recovery objectives, include provisions for adapting to caribou encounters, among other things, and reporting this information to FLNR by May 31 each year.

This audit highlights the beneficial aspects of having an industry, with the potential to adversely impact a sensitive wildlife resource, follow agreed upon procedures to manage and minimize wildlife encounters, and to self-report on those encounters.