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Overview

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is inviting Northerners to share their feedback on the draft Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Mitigating the Effects of Roads on Barren-ground Caribou.

Barren-ground caribou are a cultural and ecological keystone species in the Northwest Territories (NWT) and are currently listed as Threatened under the Species at Risk (NWT) Act. Habitat loss and fragmentation from industrial development, particularly from roads, and increased predation/hunting pressures have been identified as the biggest threat to barren-ground caribou, both from an Indigenous knowledge and western science perspective. However, roads are essential for community access and economic development in the North. How those roads are planned, built, operated, and closed can make a real difference for caribou movement, habitat, and long-term survival.

Have Your Say

These draft BMPs bring together Traditional knowledge, science, and lessons learned from research and monitoring to provide practical guidance for mitigating the impacts of road developments on barren-ground caribou—while continuing to support community access and responsible development across the North.

Your feedback will help shape the final BMPs and ensure they reflect northern values, realities, and priorities.

To submit your feedback effectively, review the draft BMPs, and then complete the anonymous survey.

Feedback deadline: July 15, 2026.

Next Steps

Feedback received through this engagement will be reviewed by the GNWT Department of Environment and Climate Change and used to refine the draft Best Management Practices for Mitigating the Effects of Roads on Barren-ground Caribou. Input will help ensure the final BMPs are practical, effective, and reflect northern priorities.

Following the review of comments, the GNWT will finalize the BMPs and share the results of this engagement. The finalized BMPs will be used to guide future road planning, development, and operation in barren-ground caribou ranges, and used to support regulatory and decision-making processes across the NWT.

For more information, please contact the GNWT Department of Environment and Climate Change at: ECC_Communications@gov.nt.ca