CONTACT:    SCOTT SMITH: (1-406 522 9333 x116; ssmith@wcs.org)
STEPHEN SAUTNER: (1-718 220 3682; ssautner@wcs.org 
JUSTINA RAY (1-416-850-9038 EXT. 22; jray@wcs.org) 

Grizzly bears, wolverines, mountain goats and bull trout

among the “highly” vulnerable

TORONTO (March 6, 2013) A new report from Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCS Canada) ranks the vulnerabilities of six iconic species—bull trout, westslope cutthroat trout, grizzly bears, wolverines, mountain goats, and bighorn sheep—to current and future impacts of climate change and road use in the Southern Canadian Rockies. The report maps out safe passages and safe havens that will promote resiliency of species to changing conditions.

Nestled between Glacier National Park in Montana and Banff National Park in Canada, the Southern Canadian Rockies (SCR) has been overshadowed by these towering icons of mountain splendour. Yet this southern section also contains spectacular landscapes and supports one of the most diverse communities of carnivores and hoofed mammals in North America. The SCR is a stronghold for these 6 fish and wildlife species that have been vanquished in much of their historic range further south. 

In the report entitled Safe Havens, Safe Passages for Vulnerable Fish and Wildlife: Critical Landscapes in the Southern Canadian Rockies British Columbia and Montana, WCS Conservation Scientist John Weaver notes that vulnerable  species will need 'room to roam' to adapt to climate change. Complicating those climate-related transitions are major highways and an expansive network of forest roads that have fragmented the SRC landscape. 

“Providing 'safe havens' of secure and diverse habitats and 'safe passages' across the highways are climate-smart strategies”, says Weaver. 

Generating a profile of vulnerability for each species based on its ecology and behaviour, Weaver concluded that 5 of the 6 were ‘highly vulnerable’ for different reasons. For example, warmer winter temperatures will shrink the mountain snowpack and reduce suitable habitat for the rare wolverine, which is superbly adapted to snowy environments. Less run-off of melting snow from the mountains will reduce stream flow and hotter summer temperatures will increase stream temperatures. This will diminish habitat for westslope cutthroat trout, a native fish adapted well to cold waters. A century of introducing non-native rainbow trout throughout the West, however, has resulted in widespread hybridization of the native trout. As streams become warmer in the future, this will allow rainbow trout to advance and further restrict the range of genetically-intact native trout. In addition, several of these species are vulnerable to multiple negative effects of roads and highways and do not have much resilience to human-caused mortality. 

The WCS scientist assessed 16,978 square kilometres (6632 square miles) of SCR land for conservation value based upon the needs of the vulnerable species and impending changes. Weaver recommends a portfolio of conservation lands including a ‘Southern Canadian Rockies Wildlife Management Area’ that would conserve 66% of key habitats on 54% of its land base. The trans-border Flathead River basin adjacent to Waterton Lakes-Glacier National International Peace Parks also merits very strong conservation consideration, says Weaver, due to its remarkable biological diversity. He endorses a new National or Provincial Park on the B.C. side and Wilderness areas on the Montana side.

Weaver goes on to identify safe havens not only important to wildlife today but that also provide a range of elevations and diverse topography for animals to relocate to in the future. To facilitate movement options for wildlife, the report maps 9 suitable crossing locations along busy Highway 3 in British Columbia and 16 mountain passes that provide important wildlife connectivity across the Continental Divide between Alberta and British Columbia.

 “This report is meant to inform discussions and decisions about land and resource management in the Southern Canadian Rockies of British Columbia and Montana,” said Weaver. “These spectacular landscapes provide some of the best remaining strongholds for a suite of vulnerable fish and wildlife species. Protecting designated lands for conservation will help ensure that this rich diversity of fish and wildlife will be enjoyed by generations yet to follow.”

To see a complete copy on John Weaver’s report, please go to www.wcscanada.org or www.wcsnorthamerica.org.

For further information on this story, or to talk with study authors, please contact Scott Smith at 718-220-3698 or email ssmith@wcs.org.