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City of Whitehorse Wildlife Sightings Program ( DOC ) |
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| Source: | City of Whitehorse | Date: | May 1, 2006 | |
| City of Whitehorse Wildlife Sightings Program We all love seeing wildlife when we’re out for a hike or driving down a dirt road somewhere. And if we see something special, it’s natural to want to tell someone about it right? That’s part of the thinking behind a simple new “wildlife sightings program” the City of Whitehorse’s Planning Department has started. Ross Burnett is the Habitat Coordinator for the City. He started the program last summer to increase the sense of stewardship amongst City staff while taking advantage of the fact that City workers probably do regularly see wildlife as they are out doing their work. Gradually Ross is trying to expand the program to involve interested and knowledgeable groups such as the Yukon Fish and Game Association. The program is quite simple – each time someone sees a mammal they fill in a small card noting the species, location, date, time of day, and anything of interest about the animal. The information is then marked on a GIS layer overlaying an air photo of the City. To keep the program simple, and to allow non-experts to contribute to it, Ross does not gather information on things like age and sex of the animals. The program is limited to the larger mammals so it does not include squirrels, bunnies or birds. Basically, it includes the furbearers, ungulates, bears, porcupine, etc. Sightings of the common animals such as red fox and coyote are documented as well. The information about what animals are seen where can be used for many purposes – • Adding to existing information about important wildlife areas and travel corridors in the City of Whitehorse; • Helping to identify areas or trails that should be protected; • Identifying locations that are good for wildlife viewing; • Tracking trends in animal numbers; • Making better land planning and land development decisions; • Identifying areas of possible conflicts (for example road crossing areas where speed restrictions should be considered). To date, the program has been quite successful, with almost 50 sightings of various species. Individual people might only see an animal once every few months or less, but with many people involved, working or recreating all over the City, the number of sightings does add up. The most common sightings have been of fox and coyote, but Ross has also documented black bear, mule deer, lynx, otter, beaver, porcupine and weasel. This program is an on-going, year-round project, and Ross has invited YFGA members to contribute to the program by taking a few minutes to fill in a “Wildlife Sighting Record” form each time they see an animal and to forward it to him. Handy pads of the form are available at the YFGA office. Obviously YFGA members can make a valuable contribution to the program since our members are knowledgeable and likely to visit some of the less frequented spots in the city. The program is limited to areas within City of Whitehorse limits. The Whitehorse City limit is basically a tilted rectangle centred on the Yukon River. In the north the limit is the Takhini River bridge on the Mayo Road, and on the Alaska Highway the City boundary is crossed near Echo Lake. In the south, the City boundary crosses the Alaska Highway between Cowley Creek subdivision and the Carcross cut-off. In the west, the boundary goes from Golden Horn Mountain to Mount McIntyre to Haeckel Hill. It crosses the Fish Lake Road about 3½ kilometres past the Copper Haul Road. In the east, the boundary goes from Grey Mountain north-west, paralleling the river. Both Fish Lake and Cantlie Lake are outside City limits. Ross has also prepared a series of “Wildlife Identification Cards” to describe the key distinguishing features between similar animals (white tail deer versus mule deer, for example). The series of 10 cards (describing 21 different species) is also available at the YFGA office. Ross has had his set laminated, and a metal ring through the corner keeps them together while allowing them to be flipped through easily. Both the forms and the identification cards can easily be kept in one’s vehicle or pack. If you would like to contribute to this program, or if you have any questions about it, you can contact Ross at 668-8347; or by fax at 668-8395; or by email at habitat@city.whitehorse.yk.ca. |
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| Designed by: Bruce Ross |