An Environment Canada report says that despite much talk on preserving caribou habitat, little progress has been made to close gaps in the protection of the threatened species.

The agency says not much has changed since a coast-to-coast survey in April.

“Despite the progress being made, the gaps in protection, as described in the first progress report, remain,” says the report issued Friday.

“Additional efforts, including those noted in this report, are needed to reverse the loss of critical habitat and declines in boreal caribou populations.”

The department is required under the Species At Risk Act to assess provincial and territorial efforts to assist the recovery of caribou populations.

In April, Environment Canada found significant problems. In every province, agencies that issue permits for forestry or energy development aren’t required to conform to the federal Species At Risk Act.

That earlier report also noted that little conservation is taking place on the ground. Measures in almost every case are still being planned or drafted.

That situation continues. The new report lists dozens of ongoing negotiations, draft plans and provincial promises to restore caribou populations to sustainable levels, but there are few fully implemented protected areas.

Barry Robinson, a lawyer with the group Ecojustice, pointed out that Friday’s report was itself almost two months overdue. So are many of the protection measures that should be in place by now, he said.

“We still don’t have any range plans in Alberta, which were to have been done by October 2017.”

Many governments, including Alberta, have announced ambitious plans for new protected areas. But almost all remain in draft form or remain unimplemented, he said.

“The big gaps are still there.”

A federal spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

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