The report, Keeping Woodland Caribou in the Boreal Forest, is authored by 23 biologists and other researchers from Canada and the U.S. It was released when Canadian and American environmentalists appealed to Canadian Premiers and Prime Minister Stephen Harper to take action on a political level to prevent extinction of the woodland caribou..

"Their concern is legitimate," said Canadian Environment Minister Peter Kent adding, "in some places the numbers [of woodland caribou] have diminished to the point where regional or sub-regional recovery plans may require fairly drastic protective action."

Caribou were first listed under the Canadian Species At Risk Act (SARA) in 2003.

Woodland Caribou were legally protected as threatened under Manitoba's Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2006.

"For caribou to survive and prosper, it will be critical for Manitoba to incorporate state of the art scientific analysis into management planning efforts in the remainder of the boreal forest, particularly in the region of the Tolko Forest Management Agreement," said the Canadian Boreal Initiative (CBI) and Pew Environment Group in a letter to Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger.

"What we need is collaboration between federal, provincial, territorial and aboriginal governments and support from industry and conservation organizations," said Larry Innes, executive director of the CBI.