Moose population threatens health of Cape Breton Highlands National Park forest
November 04, 2014SYDNEY — A moose harvest will be one of several techniques tested over the next four years in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park as part of efforts to restore the health of its forests. Matthew Smith, park ecologist with the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, said an overabundance of moose has been problem for some time in the park, with the animals browsing and eating away at seedlings and young trees. It's led to dramatic changes in the park's boreal forests, which are home to a wide range of animals, including species at risk like Bicknell's thrush, lynx and the American marten. "Forest cover is really important and from our satellite imagery we've seen that 11 per cent of the park is now grasslands, and that grassland wasn't there before. The park had a very small percentage of grasslands," he said. Read the article on Cape Breton Post »
Review Will Find if Bicknell's Thrush Needs Protection
August 14, 2012The Bicknell’s thrush, a songbird whose migration range stretches from the Caribbean to Canada, may need federal protection as a threatened or endangered species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today. The announcement follows an initial review of a petition seeking to protect it under the Endangered Species Act. The Service based the decision, known as a 90-day finding, on scientific information about the Bicknell’s thrush provided in a 2010 petition from the Center for Biological Diversity and in the Service’s files. Read more at USFWS »
