Are Wildlife Habitat Areas (WHAs) protected areas?
Wildlife habitat areas are not protected areas. They are designated under the Forest Practices Code as are other land designations such as old growth management areas and ungulate winter ranges. Wildlife habitat areas are managed according to specific management practices, known as general wildlife measures. General wildlife measures may limit forest or range activities entirely or partially. The level of development permitted in the WHA is determined by the impact of the proposed development on the species. For example, a WHA may allow for roads but no timber harvesting whereas another may allow for specific methods of timber harvesting as long as a certain percentage of canopy cover is maintained.
