Management Plan for the Chisana Caribou Herd

Chisana Caribou Herd Working Group

The Chisana caribou herd (CCH) is a small international herd occurring in Yukon and Alaska on the Klutlan Plateau and near the headwaters of the White River. During the 1990s through 2003, the herd experienced a long and steady decline in population. Low recruitment, predation, climate, habitat, and harvest pressure likely all contributed to the decline. From 2003 to 2006, a recovery effort designed to increase recruitment and calf survival was conducted. Pregnant cows were captured and enclosed within a holding pen during the last weeks of gestation and a few weeks following calving. During recovery planning and upon the completion of the program, the need for a management plan was stressed by the recovery team. As a result, a working group was established to develop a management plan for the CCH in 2009. This working group was comprised of members from Government of Yukon, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, White River First Nation, Kluane First Nation, U. S. National Park Service, and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Diverse management mandates and interests for managing Chisana caribou were considered, and as a result the working group jointly produced this management plan with the ultimate goal of supporting a stable or increasing population. The objectives, strategies and tasks described herein are associated with population monitoring, harvest, habitat, predation, research, and public awareness.