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Moose Investment Categories

Last updated on June 18, 2020

Investment categories and priorities are defined to align with the recommendations made in the document A Strategy to Help Restore Moose Populations in British Columbia (July 2016) which incorporates the input from First Nations, stakeholders and the public on improving moose numbers.

Ministry staff, partners and various government and non-government organizations are continuing research, undertaking surveys, and assessing moose health to better understand all the factors involved in determining the abundance and distribution of moose. This informs and helps to implement appropriate management actions to sustain and enhance populations. 

Below details each investment category, including the definition, goals, example actions and example performance measures.

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Policy, Planning and Objectives

Definition:

Develop clear policy that recognizes the importance of moose to British Columbians.  This includes the contribution of moose to biological diversity, sustenance, and economic benefits.  To date the Provincial Framework for Moose Management and Provincial Moose Harvest Procedure have been developed to support consistent management of moose in BC.

Goals:

  • Measurable objectives are identified
  • Effective coordination across regions, agencies and partnerships
  • Consistent consideration of moose value by decision makers

Example Actions:

  • Developing policy or guidance that supports sound population and habitat management
  • Developing regional or sub-regional moose management plans
  • Setting population or habitat objectives in plans and procedures

Example Performance Measures:

  • Number of new or renewed management plans
  • Number of new objectives established
  • Percent of Annual Report targets met
 

Research

Definition:

Any activity with systematic design including hypotheses or management questions, study design, data interpretation and reporting with management recommendations applicable to regional or provincial level moose management.

Goals:

  • Factors affecting moose management are identified and understood
  • Effective communication of research recommendations to policy and decision makers

Example Actions:

  • Assessing and determining factors affecting survival and mortality
  • Assessing animal health
  • Linking landscape conditions at multiple scales to population productivity
  • Determining factors affecting nutritional quality of landscapes
  • Determining habitat recovery rates and effects on moose populations

Example Performance Measures:

  • Number of management recommendations made
  • Number of publications
  • Number of management questions answered
  • Number of outreach documents
 

Data and information (Inventory and Harvest)

Definition:

Data and information gathered from inventories and harvest surveys which is continually evaluated and incorporated into management recommendations.   

Goals:

  • Trusted, reliable population and harvest data used to inform management

Example Actions:

  • Population estimate surveys
  • Hunter harvest surveys
  • Health monitoring
  • Cumulative Effects Assessments
  • Habitat assessment and modeling (Capability/Suitability)
  • Citizen science
  • Current information made publicly available

Example Performance Measures:

  • Number of Stratified Random Block surveys completed to inform sustainable harvest limits
  • Number of Management Units with completed Cumulative Effects Assessments to inform land use decision makers
  • Number of health samples analyzed to inform management recommendations
  • Number of Moose tick reports
  • Number of Moose app reports
 

Access Management

Definition:

A coordinated approach that considers all types of access including pre-existing legacy roads, roads presently used for industrial purposes, and future development. Methods of management may cover maximum road density allowances, design and construction standards, regulatory restrictions (e.g., under the Wildlife Act), physical closures such as gates or bridge removal and deactivation or road rehabilitation.  

Goals:

  • Minimize risk of illegal harvest
  • Maintain habitat refuges by reducing ease of travel for hunters and predators

Example Actions:

  • Local access planning specific to moose management
  • Creating road and trail access barriers
  • Developing and installing signage for education or closure
  • High priority road and trail rehabilitation
  • Regulatory road closures

Example Performance Measures:

  • Number of moose specific access plans
  • Kilometres of access roads removed or reduced as a measure of the amount of moose habitat without roads
  • Number of access points signed
  • Length of roads deactivated
 

Population Management (Predator/Prey Relationships)

Definition:

Population management follows guidance in the Provincial Framework for Moose Management which provides 6 management levers of which 2 are available to wildlife managers in the short term: hunting regulations and access management. Actions aimed at improving our understanding of predator/prey dynamics and other inter-specific relationships applicable to improving moose management are prioritized.  

Goals:

  • Proactive and transparent moose harvest management strategies
  • Declining populations are recovered or stabilized
  • Population objectives are linked to habitat capability assessments and habitat management actions

Example Actions:

  • Enhancing most severely depleted populations
  • Understanding predator and prey dynamics and other inter-specific relationships
  • Linking moose harvest management strategies to multiple population level triggers

Example Performance Measures:

  • Number of populations with stable or increasing population trends
  • Number of collaborative moose harvest strategies with First Nations
 

Habitat conservation, restoration, and enhancement

Definition:

Sound habitat management will fully utilize the legal tools it has to conserve, restore and enhance habitat to benefit moose populations. Opportunities for habitat management could be localized to small high-value habitats in some parts of the province (e.g., a particular wetland or wintering area), or larger scale and more strategic (e.g., prescribed fire for habitat enhancement at a larger scale).  

Goals:

  • Ensure sufficient habitat quantity and quality to achieve population goals
  • Effectively mitigate development impacts on moose habitat
  • Increase rate of habitat recruitment

Example Actions:

  • Alternative silviculture or agricultural pilot projects
  • Targeted restoration of browse or cover
  • Understanding wildfire effects and/or ecosystem restoration

Example Performance Measures:

  • Number of assessments
  • Hectare treated to achieve moose habitat enhancement objectives
  • Hectares treated to restore moose habitat
  • Hectares established under regulation as moose Ungulate Winter Range, Specified Area or Wildlife Management Area
 

Management Partnerships with First Nations

Definition:

First Nations communities may internally manage their moose harvest. It is important that First Nations take an active role in any effort to increase the moose population.  In order for collaborative management to succeed some harmonization of controls may be needed.  Approaches will vary according to local circumstances or based on joint stewardship or collaboration agreements. 

Goals:

  • Traditional knowledge is effectively incorporated into planning and management
  • First Nations Food, Social and Ceremonial needs are effectively considered in harvest decisions

Example Actions:

  • Conducting community harvest surveys; developing harvest management information
  • Communications, extension, and outreach (traditional knowledge, inventory, science)
  • Developing and/or implementing joint stewardship plans

Example Performance Measures:

  • Number of community harvest surveys
  • Number of partnerships
  • Number of joint plans or projects
  • Number of decisions incorporating traditional knowledge
 

Public and Stakeholder Engagement

Definition:

To effectively enhance moose populations, governments and user groups can lead by focusing on a common purpose.  Stakeholders have traditionally played an important role in shaping provincial policy and there needs to be collaboration among all interested groups to develop and implement actions to enhance moose populations. 

Goals:

  • Trust and confidence in moose management
  • Partner activities are coordinated and effective in achieving shared goals

Example Actions:

  • Documenting local knowledge
  • Ensuring and/or improving stakeholder involvement
  • Communicating information to public
  • Improving methods for public dissemination of science-based data
  • Creating citizen science opportunities (e.g., moose tracker app)
  • Established stewardship advisory committees with First Nation and stakeholder participation

Example Performance Measures:

  • Number of forums or processes
  • Number of citizen science projects
  • Number of publications targeted at stakeholders or public
  • Public and stakeholder satisfaction survey