Testing approaches to restore habitat for caribou

This project will test the feasibility of using silvicultural methods to restore legacy disturbance features (e.g., roads, seismic lines, and abandoned pipelines, well sites) that exist within areas designated for the conservation of habitat for caribou—i.e., Ungulate Winter Ranges (UWRs) and Wildflife Habitat Areas (WHAs). Silviculture that has been used elsewhere for similar restoration projects include planting appropriate conifer species, slash roll back, mounding, sight-line blockages, falling of adjacent trees across rights of way, blocking ATV access, and the spreading of coarse woody debris. If the methods are judged to be feasible (i.e., permitted, efficient, effective, nonconflicting, and/or protected), then protocols for use could be established and the methods extrapolated to other designated areas throughout the Williston Basin.