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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - From moose to caribou to bison, issues and concerns about wildlife in the Deh Cho were raised and aired for two days in Fort Simpson.

More than 30 people representing most of the communities that make up the Dehcho First Nations attended the Deh Cho Regional Wildlife Workshop that was held from Oct. 21 to 22.

A presentation by Wildlife Technician Danny Allaire, front, on this year's ecology camp was part of the Deh Cho Regional Wildlife Workshop. - photo courtesy of Nic Larter

"The key purpose is to facilitate communication," said Nic Larter, a regional biologist for the Deh Cho with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The workshop, which is held every second year, ensures all communities in the Dehcho First Nations know about the wildlife projects happening in the region, said Larter.

"It's so everyone's on the same page," he said.

The focus of the workshops tends to vary depending on what the hot button issue is at the time, said Larter. This year interest varied.

Bison were one species that got a lot of attention.

Representatives from the communities joined in a deep discussion about the Northwest Territories Wood Bison Management Strategy that is being prepared and will soon be released for comments. The strategy will form part of the basis for a manage-ment plan, said Larter.

Participants discussed what should be included in the plan and were asked for input on who should have membership in a committee that's being formed. The strategy will also address the allotment of hunting tags, something that's a topic of interest, said Larter.

The smaller communities including Jean Marie River, Trout Lake, Kakisa and the Hay River Reserve want to have two tags each per year, said Stan Sanguez, who together with Elder Billy Norwegian, represented the Jean Marie River First Nation at the workshop.

"A lot of good concerns came out of it," said Sanguez about the two-day event.

Jean Marie River and Trout Lake were two of the more outspoken communities at the workshop because of their concerns about the effects of seismic development and the Mackenzie Gas Pipeline, he said.

Sanguez said he was pleased to hear about the studies on and collaring of caribou so that more information can be gathered about them. Caribou are sensitive animals and they will be affected by development, he said.

Communities want information about boreal caribou before more development takes place, said Larter. In the region traditional knowledge and scientific data are being blended together to generate a more detailed picture of the species.

"We're learning a lot about boreal caribou which is important," said Larter.

One of the action items from the workshop is a need to locate additional funding sources for the youth ecology camp. One of the major funding sources for the program has ended.

"People really, really like that program," said Larter.

Some delegates asked about extending the camp from two weeks to three because the participants are just getting settled by the time the camp ends, Sanguez said.

"Our kids need to be brought back in the bush and get the feel of the land again," he said.

A longer camp would be nice but it's not practical both because of the costs and the challenge of scheduling it around other events in the region, said Larter.