VICTORIA - Political pressure helped convince the B.C. government to save threatened mountain caribou herds, Agriculture Minister Pat Bell said Tuesday.

Concerns about the survival of the unique species came from a wide cross-section of people inside and outside Canada, which convinced the government to reach out to environmental, business and recreational groups, he said.

Bell said the government is protecting 2.2 million hectares of forest land across British Columbia in an attempt to bring the caribou herds back to pre-1995 levels of 2,500 animals.

But some predators -- wolves and cougars -- will be killed in the government's effort to build up caribou herds, he said.

Previously, the government suggested it was preparing to allow some herds die out rather than offer them habitat protected from human encroachment.

"I got something in the order of 15,000 e-mails into my direct e-mail box over the last couple of years from people who had concerns about the management of mountain caribou,'' Bell said following the government's announcement at the B.C. legislature.

The government couldn't help but notice that concerns about the survival of the mountain caribou were coming from far and wide, he said.

"A lot of it (came) from the international community,'' said Bell. "So, there's no question that the world was watching British Columbia when it came to mountain caribou, and I think we've got that right compromise today.''

Critics of previous government plans to allow the caribou herds to become extinct were on the government's stage Tuesday applauding the new recovery plan.

"I never thought I'd be standing here,'' said Candace Batycki, a spokeswoman for ForestEthics.

ForestEthics had been campaigning for habitat ranges for mountain caribou, complete with protections that include moratoriums on development and restricting access to wilderness areas.

The environmental organization said the B.C. government risked an international black eye if it abandoned an animal species and sentences it to extinction.

The government's new plan calls for the protection of 2.2 million hectares of mountain caribou range from logging and road building. Recreation activities in the designated caribou areas will be managed to ensure the habitat lands of the herds are protected, the government said.

"I feel that this actually is really good news for mountain caribou,'' Batycki said. "I actually have a lot of faith in the people who were on the stage with me that we can move forward together and make this a reality.''

The agreement shows it is possible to protect an animal species while still serving economic interests, said John Allan, B.C. Council of Forest Industries president.

Spokesmen for snowmobile and helicopter skiing organizations said they will continue to work towards helping the mountain caribou herds recover.

There are currently about 1,900 mountain caribou in 12 herds.

They live in Interior forests that spread from the Kootenays in southeastern British Columbia to north of Mackenzie in the northeast.

Mountain caribou are globally unique to the province because they are the world's southernmost population and the only remaining population that lives in rugged, mountainous terrain. In winter, they feed on lichen that grows on the trees of the mountain forests.

An earlier government science study found that mountain caribou are scattered in about a dozen areas of the province. Six of the areas have herds with 75 or more animals and five areas have less than 37 animals each.

The largest herd in the province has 717 caribou and is in the Hart Ranges area northeast of Prince George. The smallest herd had two caribou and is located near Golden, in the southeast.

Bell said the government will cull some predators to help the caribou rebuild their herds, but he doesn't forecast a massive hunt.

"The cull process is not something we will be promoting and advertising broadly,'' he said. "When we have an individual animal that we need to go in and take, we will.''

"You might see in any given year three or four or five individual animals that have to be removed.''

Bell said the cull of one wolf resulted in a herd of 28 caribou expanding to 44 animals within two years.

New Democrat Michael Sather said he doesn' think the government will be able to cull predators one at a time successfully.

Sather, a former wildlife biologist, said wolves are pack animals and they will not stop hunting caribou because one of their pack members was the victim of a cull.

One environmental group said it will monitor the government to ensure it lives up to the plan.

"It's a huge conservation victory,'' said Rob Duncan, a Sierra Club of Canada spokesman. "The caveat is going to be that there needs to be implementation and we will be watching diligently to make sure than that happens.''

New Democrat environment critic Shane Simpson said protecting caribou habitat was the right move to save the species.