The Government of Alberta is holding public information sessions to ensure more Albertans can provide feedback on the proposal for Bighorn Country.
In the spirit of Kananaskis Country, the Government of Alberta is proposing a mix of parks and public lands in the Bighorn region that would preserve natural landscapes while supporting a wide range of world-class tourism and recreation opportunities.
Albertans are invited to review the proposal and provide feedback by Thursday, Jan. 31. The government has already received more than 2,000 online submissions and held several stakeholder meetings. A telephone town hall will be held in the coming weeks.
In addition to an online survey, the province will host a series of public information sessions. These sessions will provide an additional opportunity for Albertans to ask questions and learn about the proposal.
Albertans can also continue to provide feedback online by visiting talkaep.alberta.ca.
SESSION DATES AND LOCATIONS
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Wednesday, December 12, 2018 6:00 to 9:00 PM |
Rocky Mountain House Lou Soppit Community Centre, Shunda Room 5404 48 Street |
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Monday, December 17, 2018 4:00 to 9:00 PM |
Rocky Mountain House Lou Soppit Community Centre, Shunda Room 5404 48 Street |
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Tuesday, January 15, 2019 6:30 to 7:30 PM |
Drayton Valley, Sundre and surrounding area Telephone Town Hall |
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Wednesday, January 16, 2019 6:30 to 7:30 PM |
Red Deer and surrounding area Telephone Town Hall |
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Thursday, January 24, 2019 6:30 to 7:30 PM |
Edmonton Telephone Town Hall |
To participate in a telephone town hall, dial 1-877-229-8493 and enter code 115500#. Participants can also listen and ask questions online at vekeo.com/youralberta.
QUICK FACTS
- Bighorn Country includes public lands from the boundary of Banff National Park eastward towards Drayton Valley. It includes Clearwater County, most of Brazeau County and the current Bighorn Backcountry management area.
- The Bighorn region is recognized for its scenic beauty and natural diversity. It includes scenic mountains and foothills, rare plants and key habitat for numerous species at risk such as grizzly bear, wolverine, harlequin duck, Athabasca rainbow trout and bull trout.
- The headwaters of the North Saskatchewan River and Red Deer River are located within Bighorn Country, providing clean drinking water to more than one million Albertans.
- Sharing this busy landscape is a wide variety of recreation and tourism activities. Hunting and fishing are popular, as well as camping, hiking, off-highway vehicle use, horseback riding, ice climbing and cross-country skiing.
- The Bighorn Country proposal includes new, expanded or amended parks, protected areas and public land use zones. This system of public lands is intended to provide a range of opportunities that suits the settings and demands of the region.
- The proposal means no significant change to recreation activities, but offers $40 million in new investment to improve services and infrastructure such as campsites, parking lots, trails and staging areas.
- The proposal supports continued practice of traditional uses and the exercise of treaty rights by Indigenous Peoples.