AWA Welcomes New Northeast Alberta Protected Areas

Alberta Wilderness Association - On May 15 the Alberta government announced they will officially establish the four large northeast wildland parks identified in the 2012 Lower Athabasca regional plan, and create an additional new wildland park. Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) welcomes the addition of these significant northeast lands to Alberta’s protected areas network.

“We are very pleased that these wildland parks are officially established,” said Carolyn Campbell, AWA conservation specialist.

AWA believes the government’s consultation with First Nations on the parks’ cooperative management is an important advancement in regional planning. AWA also congratulates the Tallcree First Nation and the Nature Conservancy of Canada for their key role in the establishment of the new wildland park.

The new parks will provide important protection for Boreal and Canadian Shield natural regions of Alberta. Red Earth, Richardson and Cold Lake caribou populations will benefit from this additional protection.

“We also urge the government to fulfill its 2016 commitment to create two northwest Alberta wildland parks important to caribou,” said Campbell. “The northwest wildland parks do not conflict with existing industry and it’s time to secure them too.”

In addition, AWA believes it is critical for Alberta to fill the remaining gaps in cumulative effects management of Alberta’s oil sands region: caribou range plans, biodiversity frameworks, access plans and industrial 'footprint’ plans are all years overdue.