Summer is all but done and fall is just around the corner. Sadly, so too is the latest moose cull in the CB Highlands National Park.
Generalities about the process and results of the previous two moose culls have been shared with the public by Parks Canada, but not many details. For that reason, for the past two years I have emailed CB Highlands National Park management with specific questions about the results of the culls. Some issues I was interested in were data collection, helicopter use, survey results, breakdown of the number of moose killed, cost of the harvest, etc. In each case, I received an email attachment of the CBHNP North Mountain Moose Harvest Summary, for the 2015 and the 2016 moose culls.
Still from Parks Canada video, “Bring Back the Boreal“)
The summary document prepared following each moose cull provided answers to some of my questions. However, it also raised some concerns, especially when the information in the summary documents is compared with information in the approved Hyperabundant Moose Management Plan for North Mountain.
A very short summary of that plan can be found on the CBHNP webpage, but it is generalized, sanitized and incomplete when compared with the actual document.
In a recent email, Mr. Derek Quann, project coordinator, provided me with the 2016 summary document and indicated that “as was the case last year, we do make the document available to members of the public upon request.” This is something which most people are probably not aware of and so, with that in mind, I decided to share the information.
If members of the public want to know more about the results of the moose culls than what has been shared in the media, they may find it helpful to request copies of the CBHNP North Mountain Moose Harvest Summary for the 2015 and the 2016 culls. The documents are not lengthy, but they do provide some details, both interesting and disturbing.
My email requests for the summary documents were addressed to CBHNP Field Unit Superintendent Blair Pardy.
Rose Courage
Sydney
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