I’m pleased to see the CVN’s coverage last week of the Haines Huts board’s willingness to consider relocating their permitted hut and commend the board for the consideration. However, the simplification of the issue needs clarification. “Goat habitat” is a broad characterization of varying degrees of habitat importance; in this case, the permitted hut is located in what may be the most sensitive habitat in the area being considered. Large groups of up to 52 nannies and kids consistently use the area in spring and summer as goats emerge from the nutritional stress associated with winter, suggesting the area’s importance. The British Columbia Mountain Goat Society documented in a May 5 newsletter that in B.C. “…on a good year, 50% of mountain goat kids may die of starvation or hypothermia, and 100% of the kids in a herd may perish in a bad year.” The possibility of concentrated use associated with the permitted hut at this site could displace goats from this important location and potentially compromise the fitness and sustainability of the population. It’s prudent to consider an alternate site that accommodates all users in the absence of hut-impact data.
With our community’s thoughtful approach to activity, the sustainability of this population will be a valuable asset enjoyed by recreationalists and photographers, and maintain its status as a youth hunt area.
This is the first hut of many that Haines Huts intends to develop. I hope we employ the cautionary principle in all future assessments.
Kip Kermoian