OTTAWA – In the boreal forest, the environment and the economy are linked: all stakeholders have a part in protecting it. Our government is committed to conserving wildlife habitat and protecting species at risk in this vast swath of Canadian forest. Today, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, released the Report on the Progress of the Recovery-Strategy Implementation for the Woodland Caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), Boreal Population in Canada, for the Period 2012 to 2017. The report highlights federal, provincial, and territorial progress in implementing the 2012 recovery strategy. It includes assessments of population and habitat conditions and  identifies where further protection and recovery efforts are required. Overall, the report shows that some progress was made by governments and industry, in the past five years. However, caribou populations continue to decline and habitat disturbance continues to increase.