First Nations Push for Emergency Order to Save Canada's Endangered Southern Mountain Caribou

The First Nations communities in British Columbia are calling for an emergency order to protect the southern mountain caribou, an iconic species facing imminent extinction due to habitat loss and industrial activity. The Syilx Okanagan Nation and the Xatśūll First Nation have filed a petition under Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA) to compel federal intervention in preserving the remaining caribou herds in their traditional territories.

Southern mountain caribou, a subspecies of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), are found in the mountainous regions of Western Canada, including British Columbia and Alberta. Three herds remain in Syilx-Okanagan territory: Columbia North (185 individuals), Central Selkirk (27), and Frisby-Boulder (8), which is considered too small to survive. A fourth herd, Columbia South, was declared extirpated in 2023. Across their range, logging and industrial development have decimated their mature forest habitat, pushing 15 of 40 herds to extinction or functional extirpation in the past 20 years. British Columbia alone has lost 11 herds, with numbers dropping from nearly 10,000 in 1991 to just over 4,700 in 2023.

In June, the Syilx Okanagan Nation filed a petition under Section 80 of SARA, requesting an emergency order to protect critical caribou habitat. The Xatśūll First Nation joined the effort in July. An emergency order would allow the federal government to restrict forestry, road-building, and other industrial activities in areas under provincial jurisdiction where species face imminent extinction. Only two such orders have been issued since SARA’s enactment in 2003.

Chief Dan Wilson of the Okanagan Indian Band emphasized the cultural and ecological significance of caribou, stating, “Under our Syilx Okanagan law, everything is sacred to us. We believe that Mother Earth is alive, and the caribou reflect our responsibility to preserve creation for future generations.” The petition argues that British Columbia has failed to meet commitments made in a 2011 agreement under Section 11 of SARA, which was itself a response to a previous emergency petition. Chief Wilson described the province’s response as “piecemeal” and called for a unified recovery approach.

Logging remains the primary driver of caribou decline, as it fragments their mature forest habitat, attracting prey species like moose and deer, which in turn draw predators such as wolves and cougars. Douglas Heard, an adjunct professor at the University of Northern British Columbia and caribou biologist, described the decline as a “slow, continuous” process that is more concerning than sudden crashes. Rob Serrouya, co-director of the Wildlife Science Centre, noted that recovery requires both long-term habitat protection and interim predator management, neither of which has been effectively implemented.

Despite commitments to protect old-growth forests, such as the 2020 Old Growth Strategic Review and the 2025 report by the Old Growth Technical Advisory Panel (TAP), logging continues in critical caribou habitat. A 2025 report found that logging was four times more likely in at-risk old-growth forests recommended for deferral. A 2026 study revealed that the pace of logging within southern mountain caribou critical habitat has remained unchanged, with an additional 954 square kilometers logged since 2020.

British Columbia’s Ministry of Forests maintains that its forestry practices are guided by scientific advice to mitigate impacts on caribou. However, Serrouya countered that partial logging or thinning does not suffice, stating, “It really is just about the gross amount of alteration that’s going on out there.”

To prevent further herd collapses, the province has implemented predator control measures since 2014, including aerial wolf culls and cougar hunts. In the 2024-2025 winter, 351 wolves and six cougars were killed, with 15 wolves relocated, at a cost of over $1.5 million CAD. These measures, combined with maternal penning projects, have shown mixed results in stabilizing some herds.

The federal government’s 2014 recovery strategy for southern mountain caribou included partial mapping of critical habitat, but 909 square kilometers of this habitat were logged between 2014 and 2020. While some progress has been made, such as the 2024 expansion of Klinse-Za/Twin Sisters Park, ongoing logging continues to threaten core caribou habitat.

Ecologists and Indigenous leaders stress that without immediate, coordinated action to halt habitat destruction and implement predator management, the southern mountain caribou faces an uncertain future.

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