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Ungulate Winter Ranges
Ungulate winter range management has
been ongoing for over 20 years in some portions of
the province. Formal legal establishment of UWR and
associated objectives began under the Forest Practices
Code and continue, under the Forest and Range
Practices Act (FRPA).
   
An Ungulate Winter Range (UWR) is defined as an area that contains habitat that is necessary to meet the winter habitat requirements of an ungulate species. UWR are based on our current understanding of ungulate habitat requirements in winter, as interpreted by the Ministry of Environment (MOE) regional staff from current scientific and management literature, local knowledge, and other expertise from the region. Sections 9 and 12 of the Government
Actions Regulation of the Forest
and Range Practices Act outline the regulatory authority for establishing UWR.
In August of 2003, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
on the Establishment of Ungulate Winter Ranges and
Related Objectives was developed between MWLAP, the
Ministry of Forests (MOF) and the Ministry of Sustainable
Resource Management (MSRM). The purpose of the Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) is to expedite and facilitate
the orderly confirmation and establishment of ungulate
winter ranges (UWR) and related objectives across the
province, in order to support the Forest Practices
Code and the new Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA).
The MOU clarifies general ministry roles and responsibilities
and outlines procedures and considerations to facilitate
timely delivery of this initiative. It replaces previous
agreements concerning coordination, administrative
processes, and consultation requirements. The MOU identifies
3 types of UWR and objectives. The intent is to facilitate,
through due process, the cooperative development of
objectives to support the FRPA while at the same time
maintaining the foundation of stakeholder support,
where UWR and objectives have been established through
Cabinet-approved strategic land use planning processes.
Photos © Jared Hobbs
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