BACKGROUND INFORMATION for the need to establish:

• Buffer Zones around National Parks in Central Rocky Mountains
• National Wolf Management Plan

  1. Our Goal (see also Canadian Wolf Coalition, pdf file)
  2. Importance of Grey Wolves in Canada
  3. Current Situation
  4. Key Points and References

Our Goal

The Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre is appealing to the federal government to create legislature that would establish Buffer Zones to protect wolves around the 7 National Parks in the Canadian Central Rocky Mountains. (Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Kooteny, Glacier, Mount Revelstoke, Waterton).

Studies have shown us that these designated wilderness areas are not big enough to maintain a healthy population of wolves, and are too small to effectively conserve biodiversity (biodiversity measures the number of species in an area, and is often used as an indicator of health). Top predators, such as wolves, are vital in maintaining the balance of a healthy ecosystem.

The Rocky Mountain Corridor is essential in maintaining a healthy gene flow among wolves between Canada and the United States, and is an important stretch of connected wilderness across North America. By expanding protected areas for wolves, the ecological integrity of these National Parks will be maintained.

These 7 Parks are currently reviewing their Park Management Strategies, and accepting input to help shape plan revisions (17).  This provides an excellent opportunity to enlarge protected areas for wolves whose territories extend beyond the boundaries of these parks. A broad legislative tool protecting buffer zones would enable us to properly manage the land use of areas adjacent to protected land.  Incompatible land use has been ranked as the most serious threat to parks and protected areas by most Park jurisdictions across Canada. (14)

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The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Manifesto on Wolf Conservation recognizes the effects economic development has had on the environment, and states that the importance and status of wolves should be taken into account by legislation and in planning for the future of any region.(1)  They also advocate excluding economic development that is detrimental to the wolf and its habitat; the prohibition of hunting, poisons, bounty systems and use of mechanized vehicles; and legislation requiring the registration of each wolf killed. (1)  We need to pass legislation to perpetuate existing populations where they occur, as recommended by the IUCN’s guidelines on wolf conservation. (1) We have a worldwide task of preserving biological diversity (1)

Historically, the Canadian government has often favoured protecting the interests of industries over the needs of wildlife.  One view is that hunting and trapping, as well as industrial practices and resource extraction are needed for the Canadian economy. Wilderness tourism can mean long-term financial benefits for our country.  For example, the wolves reintroduced to the Greater Yellowstone area benefits the U.S. Northern Rockies’ economy to the tune of $35-million tourist dollars annually. (12) By improving our conservation efforts, we can improve our environmental image and protect the long term health of our wilderness, which can attract millions of tourism dollars.

The Canadian Wolf Coalition - Vision and Goals

Sample Letter for writing to politicians - Buffer Zones for Wolves

Importance of Grey Wolves to Canada

The Central Rockies represent a unique ecological region of Canada, and wolves (C. lupus) here have geographically distinct subpopulations, varying from B.C.'s coastal wolves and Eastern Canada's red wolves (C. rufus).  We need to set goals to conserve genetic diversity in large carnivores.

Biologists researching wolves on behalf of Parks Canada have recognized C. lupus as a keystone species, capable of causing a trophic cascade when populations dip below a critical threshold (2).  As wolves’ numbers decline, elk density increases and adversely affects the growth of aspen and willow, with reduced plant biomass resulting in a reduction of active beaver lodges, negatively affecting songbird abundance and diversity (3).  As the number of grey wolves declines in the Central Rockies, a cascade effect is observed in which small mammals, fish, insects, birds, amphibians, ungulates, tree species and vegetation all suffer.(16)

It is time for action, not further studies.  Wolves will ALWAYS be partially dependant upon adjacent provincial lands.  A World Wolf Congress held in 2003 agreed that "co-operation between neighbouring jurisdiction is needed to ensure the survival of wolves in the central Rockies".(8)

As Hummel and Pettigrew state, "Top predators are among the most outstanding achievements of wilderness, evolving over hundreds of centuries to preside at the top of the natural food chain.  Now we challenge Canadians to wake up in time to make sure such outstanding achievements stay with us". (1) "If we're not saving top predators, we're not saving true wilderness.  And if we are not saving true wilderness, we will not save top predators" (1)

Current Situation

The Grey wolf (C. lupus) is an endangered species worldwide.  In Canada, wolves are not protected outside of National Parks.  In the past few decades, human use has intensified both within parks and surrounding these protected areas.  Pressures from industrial, commercial, and recreational activities are compromising the ecological integrity of these "wilderness areas". (13)

As a keystone species(2), wolves maintain balance and diversity within our natural environment.  If we wait to take action, it may be too late to save this ecologically important species, and we will continue to lose biodiversity.  Currently, most protected areas are too small and too isolated to ensure adequate protection of biodiversity and ecological integrity (13)

Source populations of wolves residing in Banff National Park (BNP) have historically come from OUTSIDE the park. (4).  Furthermore, biologists researching wolves in BNP recognize that the mostly alpine and subalpine habitats within the park provide less than optimal conditions for wolves to establish territories.(4).  Wolves that are able to stay within BNP have greater survival rates than wolves outside the boundaries (4).

Jim Pissot, executive director of Defenders of Wildlife, tells us that most packs that summer in protected areas winter at lower elevations in non-protected areas where the elk are. (8).   As of 2004, at least 2 of every 10 adult wolves were dying in BNP each year (11).  This rate is considered to be sustainable, but definitely high for a protected area (11).  The park has stated that "to have wolves inside the park, we need healthy wolf populations and accessible habitat outside the park" (11).  This will not be possible in the future unless we take steps now. 

Kootenay and Yoho Parks both share low ungulate densities as well, causing wolves to require enormous territories to find an adequate prey base.(9, 10). 

The wolf pack in Kootenay requires a territory of almost 3,ooo km2, as only ¼ of the valley bottom is suitable for prey (9).  Wolves collared in KNP travel as far as 250 km outside of Park boundaries.(9).  The last pack residing in Yoho covered an area of about 1,000 km2 (10).  As of 2,000, Yoho National Park recognized that it "did not contain sufficient habitat and prey animals to wholly support a wolf pack", and stated that Yoho wolves would "always be dependent on adjacent provincial lands" (10).  YNP has identified that in order for wolves to be present in the area, the park must work with private landowners, local citizens and recreationists (10), quintessentially, this will require the formation of buffer zones.

In 2002 the Central Rockies Wolf Project indicated that out of 12 packs, 9 needed protection beyond the National Parks if ecological integrity were to be maintained without wolves being introduced from other regions (4).  Researcher Carolyn Callahan of the Central Rockies Wolf Project tells us that "very few wolves that occupy  [the Bow Valley region in BNP]  are actually fully protected by national parks" (6)

A year-round ban on hunting/trapping in the areas surrounding these National Parks will likely reduce the annual mortality rate of wolves and assist in achieving stable populations. For example, over a period of 4 years (winter 1999 – spring 2004), 13 adult wolves died within the boundaries of BNP, which greatly exceeds a sustainable rate of loss (16). 

Banff National Park has already asked the province of Alberta to limit access to motorized vehicles surrounding the Park, requesting a buffer zone be placed around the boundaries in this regard. (7)  BNP has also recognized that wolf numbers reflect the level of human-caused mortality (11).

Although wolves require and adequate prey base, the defining factor in wolf persistence is protection from humans (4).  Human use and access can be directly linked to wolf mortality rates and locations (4).  Where prey abundance is low, human use becomes even more significant to adversely affect wolves.

In 2002 Banff National Park's wildlife biologist Tom Hurd affirmed that in areas with low ungulate populations, such as Yoho and Kootenay, emphasis needs to be placed on reducing human-caused mortality of wolves, and developing co-ordinated inter-jurisdictional objectives. (2)  Indeed, biologists have recommended that human-caused mortality of wolves must be minimized to manage the decline of wolves in the area.(5)  It has even been suggested that population restoration may be required (5).  We can prevent this from being necessary.

WWF tells us "history has shown that, if deliberate efforts are not made to conserve large carnivores, they are doomed." (1)  In the past 100 years, the interactions between humans and parts of the ecosystem have changes significantly, resulting in cumulative effects detrimental to wildlife.  On crown land surrounding the parks, there has been an increase of land use for seismic lines, oil and gas and timber (8).

Canada still has one of the healthiest wolf populations in the world.  On a global basis, this provides us with a unique and imperative conservation opportunity as well as responsibility.   As WWF puts it, "Canada has a chance to do something no other country has done: deliberately to conserve healthy wild populations of different types of wolves on one of the last landscapes still capable of supporting such a conservation goal". (1)  We need a national strategy in order to maintain this situation.

Wolves' numbers have not declined so far as to be lost...yet.  But their numbers will not remain abundant unless we RESOLVE that they will.  We can learn from the majority of the world that has lost this species, and not make the same mistakes. 

"Species that are secure for now must become a priority because we still have a chance to do things differently with them, and thereby maintain some of the last wild, viable populations of these magnificent animals to be found anywhere in the world." (1)

Ask yourselves as Canadians: What has the rest of the world taught us about the fate of wolves?  Are we taking steps to ensure the same thing does not happen to our top predators?  If not, wolves will soon become endangered as we continue to contribute to the causal factors of their decline.

KEY POINTS:

• The wolf population in many areas of Canada, like the Central Rocky Mountains, is among the lowest density of wolves in the world, and yet Canada supposedly has one of the highest populations left in the world
• Our protected areas are not big enough to maintain a healthy population of wolves
• The territory of wolf packs living in National Parks often extends OUTSIDE protected areas
• Human-caused mortality is the biggest threat to long-tern health of wolf populations

References

1. Hummel, M. & Pettigrew, S.1991.  Wild Hunters – Predators In Peril.  Key Porter Books Ltd.  
2. White, C., Hurd, T., Pengelly, I., & Pacas, C. 2002.  Humans, Wolves, Elk, Aspen and Willow (HWEAW) Research Overview.  From Proceedings of Humans, Wolves, Elk, Aspen and Willow, and Now Beetles (HWEAW + B) Science Workshop, Session 1: The Current Situation in the Banff Bow Valley.  Banff, Alberta.
3. Hebblewhite, M., Nietvelt, C., White, C., McKenzie, J. & Hurd, T. 2002.  Wolves As A Keystone Species in Montane Ecosystems of the Canadian Rocky Mountains;  from Proceedings of Humans, Wolves, Elk, Aspen and Willow, and Now Beetles (HWEAW + B) Science Workshop, Session 2:  Into The Future: Predation, Predation Risk, and Low Density Prey Populations.  Banff, Alberta.
4. Regional Perspectives on Ecosystem Indicators and Issues. 2002.  From Proceedings of Humans, Wolves, Elk, Aspen and Willow, and Now Beetles (HWEAW + B) Science Workshop, Evening Session. Banff, Alberta.
5. Dalman, D., Shury, T., & White, C.  2002.  Workshop Synthesis.  From Proceedings of Humans, Wolves, Elk, Aspen and Willow, and Now Beetles (HWEAW + B) Science Workshop.  Banff, Alberta.
6. Ellis, Cathy. Sept. 5, 2002.  Parks Canada Asks Alberta to Help Protect Wolves.  Calgary Herald.  Calgary, Alberta.
7. Syme, I. 2003.  Chief Park Warden for Banff Field Unit, Parks Canada.  Alberta Wildlife Enhancement Society:  www.wildlife-enhancement.ca
8.   Co-operation Called For To Save Wolves. 2003.  Alberta Wildlife Enhancement Society: www.wildlife-enhancement.ca
9. Kootenay National Park of Canada, Natural Wonders and Cultural Treasures. 2008.  Kootenay National Park Website***********
10. Parks Canada – Yoho National Park of Canada – Natural Wonders – Wolf Research and Management. 2006.  www.pc.gc.ca.pn-np/bc/yoho/natcul20_E.asp
11. Parks Canada – Banff National Park of Canada – How Many Wolves are in Banff National Park? Update: Summer 2004. Banff Website&&&&&&&&&&
12. Defenders of Wildlife (defenders.org), 2006 statistics, accessed June 2007
13. Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) Northern Alberta.  2007 Parks Watch Report.
14. Environment Canada, 2006.  Canadian Protected Areas Status Report 2000 – 2005.  Government of Canada, Gatineau, Quebec.
15. Hebblewhite et al., “Human Activity Mediates a Trophic Cascade Caused By Wolves”, Ecology 86 (8), August 2005.
16. Banff National Park of Canada, HJD 7/30/2004
17. Parks Canada Newsletter, Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks of Canada, 2008.

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