Arrow Lakes Caribou Society (ALCS) was formed following two well attended public forums discussing caribou recovery efforts around Nakusp, B.C. in 2019.
ALCS is a non-profit organization headquartered in Nakusp, designed to provide a local voice in land use decision making regarding caribou recovery efforts of the Nakusp caribou herd of the Central Selkirk subpopulation.
ALCS is composed of local groups, organizations, and individuals who use the backcountry and/or are dependent upon access to the backcountry for their livelihood. Membership includes representation from outdoor recreational groups, such as hiking, snowmobiling, and skiing; local industry, such as forestry, tourism and mining; and the local and regional government.
The ALCS Vision is a transparent, cooperative, and collaborative approach to land use decision making, where decisions about local land use are evidence based and result in integrated land use decisions that address caribou recovery while reflecting local values and needs.
Our Mission is to build and maintain a local area organization; to facilitate information sharing and involvement during the development and implementation of caribou recovery efforts and activities; and to advocate for ongoing, transparent, and meaningful community and stakeholder communication, consultations, and involvement in the federal and provincial governments caribou recovery efforts and activities.
In working to achieve the outlined vision and mission, ALCS is guided by the following Principles:
- ALCS will be the local leader in land-use decisions including the caribou recovery effort.
- Government recovery planning and activities must incorporate an inclusive, cooperative, and transparent approach; and strive for caribou recovery without eliminating activities on the land base.
- Recovery actions must be based on scientific, local, and indigenous knowledge with a reasonable likelihood of achieving a self-sustaining population.
- ALCS will reach out to network and collaborate with other groups across the province to gain knowledge, ensure that government(s) are consistent in the approach to implementing recovery strategies, and to ensure that socio-economic impacts of caribou recovery are consistently considered in decision making.
We are reaching out to others groups and individuals who share our Vision, Mission, and Guiding Principles in hopes of diversifying and strengthening ALCS. We look forward to collaborating in the creation of a local, representative voice for caribou recovery efforts in our area and province.
Arrow Lakes Caribou Society 