Feds allocate $24M to recovery of woodland caribou in Jasper

A woodland caribou bull is seen in this undated handout photo. (CPAWS - Mike Bedell)

EDMONTON -

The federal government announced funding on Tuesday to better support the recovery of woodland caribou within the boundaries of Jasper National Park.

“The woodland caribou is an iconic species that is an important part of the natural and cultural history of Canada,” Jonathan Wilkinson, minister of environment and climate change and the minister responsible for Parks Canada, said in a statement.

• Caribou herds in Jasper National Park declining; wilderness group calls for action

Budget 2021 allocated $2.3 billion over five years to Environment and Climate Change Canada, Parks Canada, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

The $24 million comes from the budget's Nature Legacy program, focused on biodiversity conservation.

Parks Canada wildlife specialists have been working on various strategies to help support the species recovery, which include a conservation breeding program.

Now with the additional government funding, Parks Canada said it will move forward on a detailed design for a breeding facility and will finalize consultation with Indigenous partners as early as the fall.

If it’s approved after the impact assessment process, the facility would be built in a nearby caribou habitat, south of the Jasper town site, Parks Canada said.

 The breeding program is part of a broader action plan for Jasper National Park.