Carcross Tagish First Nation wants help from White Pass to remove telegraph wire
At current cleanup rate, it could take 5 years to remove all the wire from the bush, says First Nation
Carcross Tagish First Nation wants White Pass and Yukon Route to step up its efforts to remove old telegraph wire along its railway, after a moose who got tangled in the wire had to be euthanized on Friday.
Natalie Leclerc, natural resources manager, says the moose's death saddened the First Nation and bumped up the priority of the cleanup project.
"We are hoping to strike up a partnership and get further commitment from White Pass to help clean this wire out."
A dog musher called conservation officers Friday evening after spotting a distressed bull moose caught in wire adjacent to the White Pass and Yukon Route railway, about three kilometres from the South Klondike Highway. The exhausted moose was put down by a conservation officer.
Leclerc says the First Nation currently has two contract employees removing wire from the bush, but says it needs more funding to continue the work past October. The project is currently funded by the Carcross Tagish Renewable Resource Council, an advisory group made up of appointees from the First Nation and Yukon Government.
Removal is 'lengthy and labour intensive'
Leclerc says the First Nation has approached White Pass about removing the wire.
"While they are in support of Carcross Tagish First Nation and the Carcross Tagish Renewable Resources Council on this initiative, they haven't really taken the initiative on themselves."
In an email to CBC, White Pass said it is actively working with the First Nation and the Renewable Resources Council to clean up downed telegraph wire.
"Our maintenance of way crew collects and removes wire when it is discovered," wrote Jaime Bricker, director of contracts and land management.
"We regret this very unfortunate incident on Friday.This instance reinforces the urgency of clean up moving forward."
Leclerc says it's a "lengthy and labour intensive" process to remove the wire, especially because some of it is buried and has to be dug up. She didn't know how much wire has been removed but says it could take another five summers to clean up.
The section of railway where the moose became entangled is not on the active rail line.