Page 9 - Canadian Wilderness spring summer 2017
P. 9
strong public support to encourage, CONSERVATION TO 2020
cajole, and push elected governments AND BEYOND
to translate promises and processes
into action. THE NEED Flowers on the Mountainside.
TO SUPPORT Photo: Barbara Bronson
There is lots of work to do. By the end CONSERVATION
of 2016, only 10.6 per cent of our land IN ALBERTA
and freshwater, and one per cent of New Castle Parks
our ocean was protected, with little could make or break
progress made since 2010. However, other protected
achieving 17 and 10 per cent protection areas in Alberta
by 2020 is possible, and significant
progress can be made by completing After over 40 years of work, the recent legislated protection of the Castle Wildland
existing proposals and commitments. and Provincial Parks is cause for celebration – for water, and for the health and well-
Of course, the 2020 targets are just being of Albertans and all Canadians.
a next step towards what is really
needed, which is protecting at least half The Alberta government is committed to conservation in the province, including reach-
of Canada’s public land, freshwater, ing international targets for protected areas, with the Castle Parks being the first step
and ocean. As we work to achieve the towards this goal. But it hasn’t been easy. Putting conservation first has meant some
2020 targets, we will need to keep our difficult decisions had to be made with respect to high-impact uses including stopping
eyes firmly on this long-term vision. forestry, mining, and new oil and gas leases, as well as the phase-out of off highway
vehicles (OHVs) in the region.
The House of Commons Standing
Committee on Environment and Science has shown these activities are not appropriate for this sensitive region if we
Sustainable Development will help. want to protect headwaters and other important ecological values for the future.
The Committee just released a report These activities also impact the experience of the majority of Albertans who seek out
on protected areas that reinforces many quiet places in our parks to spend time as a family and connect with nature.
of the ideas that CPAWS have put
forward, including a recommendation The decision has created strong backlash from minority motorized recreation groups
that the Government of Canada set more in Alberta, which threatens the Government of Alberta’s social license to exclude
ambitious protection targets, and look these high-impact activities from the new Castle Parks, even though this is what most
beyond 2020 to plan for the larger-scale Albertans want from a world-class park.This backlash could also impact the creation of
conservation needed in the long term. other new protected areas in the province, like the Bighorn Backcountry, and impede
the achievement of 17 per cent protection for Alberta that we have committed to
Indigenous protected areas feature through international agreements.
prominently in the Committee’s report.
Across Canada, Indigenous peoples are Protection of the Bighorn Backcountry has been an ongoing focus of CPAWS North-
working to protect large areas of their ern Alberta for the last three years.The Bighorn is the source of almost 90 per cent of
traditional territories from development Edmonton’s drinking water and contains 5,000 square kilometres of prime grizzly bear,
to safeguard their cultural traditions native fish, mountain goat, and whitebark pine habitat. It is also Alberta’s last intact for-
which are inextricably linked to the est, but is threatened by rampant OHV use and random camping, as well as encroach-
health of the land. If federal, provincial, ing industrial development and forestry.
and territorial governments honour
and support these protected areas CPAWS Southern Alberta has been working hard to support Alberta’s parks creation
through nation-to-nation dialogue, decisions and ensure conservation is the first priority in the management plan for
in the spirit of reconciliation, there the Castle Parks, as well as future parks in Alberta.The final management plan for the
could be enormous progress made Castle Parks will be released this summer. It’ll be important to support conservation in
on both protected areas and towards Alberta to sustain this momentum to establish other iconic areas like the Bighorn.
reconciliation. CPAWS is working with
Indigenous communities across the - Alison Ronson, CPAWS Northern Alberta
country to help achieve these goals. and Anne-Marie Syslak, CPAWS Southern Alberta
This year presents us with an
opportunity to create a new path
forward – a path towards protecting at
least half of our land and ocean in an
interconnected way, to sustain us, and
all the other species with whom we
share this magnificent country, forever.
www.cpaws.org SPRING/SUMMER 2017 • Canadian Wilderness • 9
