AR-News: Few caribou in recovery area, but snowmobilers abound

[jim robertson]

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news-story.asp?date=031204&ID=s1498523&cat=section.Animals

Few caribou in recovery area, but snowmobilers abound
Group wants Forest Service to boot sledders, but agency says it's not that 
easy


James Hagengruber
Staff Writer

Snowmobiles have invaded a caribou refuge in North Idaho and the federal 
government is turning a blind eye to the problem, says a local conservation 
group.

During three aerial reconnaissance flights last month, members of the 
Selkirk Conservation Alliance say they photographed "hundreds" of 
snowmobiles, but saw zero caribou in the 14,700-acre winter refuge.

"Snowmobiles are just all over the caribou recovery area," said Mark 
Sprengel, executive director of the Priest Lake-based c
onservation group. "There's no one doing any enforcement or monitoring. The 
Forest Service has just thrown up its hands."

The refuge is just south of the Canadian border and was declared off-limits 
to motorized winter use in 1994. Its old-growth forests provide important 
feeding and shelter areas for endangered woodland caribou.

The Forest Service is aware of the violations, but believe they are the 
result of a small number of snowmobilers, according to a written statement 
from Ranotta McNair, supervisor of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests.

"There are simply too many access points from the Priest Lake, Bonners Ferry 
and Sandpoint areas to cover all the ground," McNair said. "We need the help 
of the public to recognize the importance of respecting the needs of the 
area."

The Forest Service plans to increase patrols in the area, said spokesman 
Dave O'Brien. But enforcement patrols bring their own problems and only add 
to the number of snowmobiles in the area, he said. The region is also prone 
to avalanches, putting the patrolling officers at risk.

"We generally won't go into the closure to enforce it unless we have due 
cause," O'Brien said.

A more lasting solution will come from better signs and more education, 
O'Brien said. The Forest Service has always tried to protect the area, he 
said. When land was originally closed to motorized vehicles, no one 
suspected snowmobiles would be able to navigate the deep powder of the 
region.

"The gains in the snowmobile technology in the last few years have created 
problems for us that we haven't had before," O'Brien said. "We've got to 
direct our attention toward those folks."

About 945,000 acres in North Idaho and British Columbia are considered part 
of the woodland caribou recovery area. Biologists on both sides of the 
border hope that by preserving this land, the region's last herd of caribou 
will have a chance of surviving.

The Stagleap herd is the last caribou herd to inhabit the lower 48 states.

The refuge is about 10 miles long and two miles wide and is the only piece 
of land in Idaho specifically set aside as a silent winter home for the 
animals. Lichens growing in the refuge's old-growth forests provide an 
important source of food during winter. The dense canopy also acts as a 
thermal and snow barrier.

Snowmobiles disturb the caribou and cause them to burn scarce calories, 
Sprengel said. Snowmobile tracks also might provide an easy route for 
predators, such as mountain lions.

"At certain times of the year these animals are really on the knife-edge of 
survival," Sprengel said.

Last year, biologists counted 41 caribou in the herd. Although this year's 
census is not yet finished, recent flyovers of the region are revealing few 
animals, said Forest Service Biologist Tim Layser.

"There's only one down here," Layser said. "The rest are north of the 
border."

Scientists don't know why most of the caribou have headed north. Snowmobiles 
could be one reason, but the research remains vague on the issue, Layser 
said.

"They tend to move at certain times," Layser said. "We don't know why. ... I 
wish there was cleaner science to predict where caribou are going to be."

Sprengel, with the Selkirk Conservation Alliance, believes the government 
should be doing everything possible to ensure caribou have a quiet place to 
roam in winter. If the caribou return, they would probably be scared away.

"What self-respecting caribou in its right mind is going to venture into 
these areas?" Sprengel said.

If the Forest Service doesn't keep snowmobiles out of the area, "it probably 
will devolve down to litigation," Sprengel said.

About 175,000 acres in Bonner and Boundary counties are open to snowmobile 
use, according to the Forest Service.

Tom Crimmins, a Hayden resident and member of the Northwest Access Alliance, 
said the caribou deserve protection, but the forest should not be locked up 
when no animals are present. The Northwest Access Alliance works to ensure 
continued trail access for snowmobiles and off-road vehicles.

"There are no caribou, they've all moved up to Canada," Crimmins said. "Why 
not open it up on a temporary basis?"

The Forest Service plans to discuss the issue at a meeting on March 22 at 
Priest Lake. The meeting will be held at the Inn on Priest Lake, but a time 
has not yet been set.


•James Hagengruber can be reached at (208) 765-7126 or by e-mail at 
jamesh at spokesman.com.


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Compassion, in which all ethics must take root, can only attain its full 
breadth and depth if it embraces all living creatures and does not limit 
itself to humankind.
Dr. Albert Schweitzer, Nobel Peace Prize winner

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