Liberty Multimedia press release: February 7, 2018
Communities in northern Alberta are continuing to unite over fears for their future.
Government of Alberta’s incoming caribou range management plans are proposing to convert 1.6 million hectares of the region’s land base into protected parks, part of a broader federal plan under the Species At-Risk Act to reach a 65 per cent undisturbed habitat to recover the species.
The province’s range plans follow a report written in June 2016 by independent mediator Eric Denhoff, Setting Alberta on the Path to Caribou Recovery, who falsely claimed that the region’s stakeholders were consulted prior to the plan being drafted. Denhoff has since been appointed Deputy Minister of Climate Change.
The Northwest Species at-Risk Committee (NWSAR) – a group made up of six northwestern Alberta municipalities including Mackenzie County, County of Northern Lights County of Clear Hills and the towns of High Level, Rainbow Lake and Manning – have stated that the plan could cripple municipal budgets, sterilize the region’s resources and be devastating to not only its economy, but also future generations.
The NSWAR region also encompasses five First Nations communities and one Metis Settlement, is made up of approximately 30,000 people and already home to 52,000 sq/km of parks, or 31% of the NWSAR region, not including the proposed 1.6 million hectares. Among these are Wood Buffalo National Park – Canada’s largest national park – as well as Caribou Wildland Park, Alberta’s largest provincial park.
QUOTES
“The province may see creating more parkland in northwest Alberta as an easy solution to achieve their goal of 17% parks, however we believe their plans are not focused on saving the caribou. Our Committee knows there are better solutions that would balance caribou protection with our area’s future prosperity – and in fact better protect the caribou.”
“If the province follows through on their plans to permanently protect 1.6 million hectares of land for the caribou, this would sterilize our resources – devastating not only our region’s economy – but also hurting Alberta for generations to come.”
“Our municipalities also stand to lose significant revenue – damaging our ability to provide all the necessary public services to our residents.”
➢ Mackenzie County has estimated a 14.98% reduction;
➢ County of Northern Lights estimates an 18.74% reduction; and
➢ Clear Hills County a 25.32% reduction.
- Lisa Wardley: Chair Northwest Species At-Risk Committee, Deputy Reeve Mackenzie County
“It’ll affect our infrastructure, grocery stores, schools, hospitals, and there’s absolutely no basis for doing it. As far as I can tell and from the science that we’ve been given, they have absolutely no reason to think that the caribou in this region need recovery. All the science we’ve seen has a lot of holes in it, which shows that most of our caribou populations are on the rise. They don’t really have a caribou population problem here. We’re the species at risk right now.”
- Lyle Duperron: Local 1080 Alberta Trappers Association President
“What I’d tell people is don’t start thinking that because you don’t see caribou and that you’re not familiar with the animal, that the first time you hear of a recovery plan that, ‘uh oh, we’ve got a problem with caribou.’ Maybe you need to talk to the local people, not only scientists but the local people who see caribou in their travels when they’re out working and everything else. You can’t always take reports at face value, you have to dig into it a little bit.”
- Owen Sabiston, 37-year retired Alberta Fish and Wildlife Officer and Trapper
For more information, please contact:
Matt Marcone: Journalist and Owner of Liberty Multimedia; 780-247-1625
Lisa Wardley: lisa@mackenziecounty.com 780-841-5799
Lyle Duperron: 780-927-4088
*We will have ongoing coverage in the coming weeks ahead of the province’s final consultation on High Level on March 6, 2018. Please contact us if you are interested in follow-up stories.