Debate on Yukon wolf control plan extended

The Yukon government has extended the deadline for input on a proposed wolf management plan, after conservationists complained the consultations were held while many were out of town.

Environmentalists pressed for more time to challenge aspects of the plan and submit their own recommendations. The comment period will now be open until the end of the month.

It was originally meant to close last Wednesday, but appeals from Yukoners forced Environment Yukon and the Fish and Wildlife Management Board to reconsider.

"A lot of them were returning from summer vacation and were strapped for time to look at the plan in detail, and give it a thorough look," board member Harvey Jessup said.

Conservationists criticized plan

The Recommended Yukon Wolf Conservation and Management Plan was released on Aug. 2. The purpose of the plan is to ensure healthy populations of caribou and moose.

Roughly 4,500 wolves live in the territory and around 215 are caught or hunted annually, according to the Yukon government.

The last wolf management plan was put in place in 1992. The newly proposed plan would allow for the killing of wolves, particularly in emergency situations.

But the Yukon Conservation Society was critical of the latest wolf management plan, arguing that it is too focused on predator control, and overlooks important conservation matters.