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The GNWT says its best management practices intended to mitigate the effect of roads on barren-ground caribou herds are ready for public feedback.
In a Tuesday news release, the territory said the best management practices were developed with support from WSP Canada Inc using traditional knowledge, western science, a review of 60 studies and reports, and input from 30 subject matter experts from northern Canada, Alaska and Scandinavia.
“Together, these perspectives provide practical guidance for lessening the impact of road developments on barren-ground caribou, while continuing to support community access and responsible development across the North,” the GNWT stated.
The best management practices were first announced during a May public briefing to MLAs on caribou harvest monitoring along the Tibbitt to Contwoyto winter road.
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They include recommendations for mitigation measures during the planning, construction, operation and closure of a road. Where the best management practices cannot be fully implemented, the document says developers are expected to propose alternate mitigation measures.
While they do not replace legislation or the regulatory authorization process, the best management practices “could contribute to efficiency in the project assessment and regulatory process for a project,” the document said.
The GNWT said the best management practices would apply to public and private roads, including all-season and winter roads.
“Roads are essential for community access and economic development in the North. How the roads are planned, built, operated and closed can make a difference for caribou movement, habitat and long-term survival,” the GNWT said.
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Barren-ground caribou were officially listed as threatened under the Species at Risk (NWT) Act in 2018.
The GNWT said they are a keystone species for the territory, meaning they play an integral role in people’s cultural identity and in the ecosystem, which “risks collapse” without them.
Habitat loss, fragmentation from industrial development and increased predation and hunting pressures are threatening the caribou population, the GNWT said. The Bathurst caribou herd has been the most impacted, with its population dropping from 470,000 in 1986, to just 3,609 in 2025.
There are many agreements and plans between the GNWT and Indigenous governments to protect the caribou herds and increase their population.
The public is invited to provide feedback on the best management practices through the GNWT’s website until July 15.
