Dr. Darroch Whitaker is an Ecosystem Scientist and says this is the third year for the program whereby 125,000 seedlings were planted in 2023, 300,000 last year and another 300,000 this year. The goal is to plant a total of one million seedlings.
Since 2023, officials with Parks Canada have been trying to restore areas in Gros Morne National Park where forest cover was lost due to historical over-browsing by moose. From August 25th to September 10th, 300,000 seedlings are being planted in remote areas of the park. Dr. Darroch Whitaker is an Ecosystem Scientist and says moose management underway in the park means the public can apply for licenses. He says these are remote areas which means helicopters are flying in tree planters and 6,000 tree seedlings at a time. Whitaker says this is the third year for the program and 125,000 seedlings were planted in 2023, 300,00 last year and another 300,000 this year. The goal is to plant a total of one million seedlings covering 400 hectares of damaged forest.
Whitaker says surveys on planting blocks from 2023 and success of the seedlings range from 80-90 percent. He says the first year is crucial as plants have to establish and grow roots, but there’s been very little damage done to them by animals or insects and they’re growing by more than 40 percent.
In 2011, a moose hunt through the Big Game system was started in Gros Morne and 1000 licenses were first offered which has since dropped to 500. This is basically a maintenance hunt to keep the moose population density they currently have in the park.
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