CPAWS Southern Alberta and Trout Unlimited Canada are hosting a livestream discussion on the threats to native trout in Alberta, and what we can do to promote their recovery.
Submit your trout questions for the experts on Facebook, and tune in to the livestream on June 17 at 1:00 PM. Read more about Native Trout in Alberta
Edmonton – A new bill was proposed by the provincial government on June 11, 2020, which takes aim at removing “red tape” to reduce costs, speed up approvals, and eliminate regulations the government deems unnecessary. The new Red Tape Reduction Implementation Act, 2020, was proposed by the provincial government on June 11, 2020. The omnibus bill includes 14 changes across six ministries that would affect land use activities within our protected parks, oil sands project approvals, and energy efficiency–among other concerning environmental issues. Read more about New Bill 22 proposes changes to series of environmental tools in the name of “red tape reduction”
Edmonton – The following letter was submitted on behalf of a joint group including: Fort Chipewyan Métis Association, Northwest Territory Métis Nation, Smith’s Landing First Nation, the Hamlet of Fort Resolution, Keepers of the Athabasca Watershed Society Organization, Alberta Wilderness Association, CPAWS Northern Alberta, CPAWS Northwest Territories, Ecology North, Alternatives North, and Council of Canadians – Edmonton and Northwest Territories Chapters. The letter to the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change outlines the substantial risks to downstream communities and ecosystems due to the Alberta Energy Regulator’s decision to suspend environmental monitoring for oil & gas projects. The health of Wood Buffalo National Park and the success of its federal Action Plan is undermined by these suspensions. Wood Buffalo National Park is Canada’s largest national park, and continued ecological degradation would be grounds to list as a World Heritage Site “in Danger”.
Download the full letter on the CPAWS website Read more about Groups across Alberta and the Northwest Territories warn the federal government of impacts of monitoring suspensions on Wood Buffalo National Park
Edmonton – The following letter was submitted on behalf of a joint group including the Pembina Institute, Alberta Wilderness Association, Smith’s Landing First Nation, CPAWS Northern Alberta, Mikisew Cree First Nation, Fort Chipewyan Metis Association and the Environmental Law Centre. The letter addresses the unilateral decisions to suspend oil and gas environmental monitoring and reporting and requests immediate reinstatement.
Download the letter from the CPAWS website Read more about Joint letter calls for the immediate reinstatement of environmental monitoring of oil and gas projects in Alberta
From the CPAWS Southern Alberta Facebook page:
Join us on June 10 for a conversation on the importance of Indigenous ways of knowing. Tune in by simply heading to our Facebook Page on June 10 at 11 am. Read more about Q & A: Importance of Indigenous Knowledge for Conservation
Calgary – The Government of Alberta has rescinded A Coal Development Policy for Alberta (1976; the Coal Policy). CPAWS Southern Alberta is concerned about the impacts this will have on Alberta’s treasured mountains and foothills along the eastern slopes of the Rockies. “There are currently no other land use plans or policies that directly replace the environmental zoning and restrictions under the Coal Policy” says Katie Morrison, Conservation Director for CPAWS Southern Alberta. “This leaves sensitive headwaters regions and treasured landscapes that provide habitat for species like grizzly bear, elk, and threatened native trout, at risk to the disturbances that come with surface coal mining and increased exploration.”
Since 1976, the Coal Policy has provided important land use zoning frameworks which have informed management and development of coal mines along the eastern slopes region of Alberta.
The Coal Policy’s Land Classification System prevented coal development on Category 1 lands and restricted development to underground or in-situ mining under Category 2 lands along the eastern slopes. The Coal Policy Category 2 covers 1,458,000 ha of the headwaters areas that provide the majority of drinking water to downstream communities in Alberta and across the prairies. With the removal of the coal policy, open-pit coal mines will now be permitted on these sensitive lands. Read more about Rescinding the Alberta Coal Policy opens headwaters in the eastern slopes of the Rockies to open-pit coal mining
Edmonton – On May 15, 2020 the Government of Alberta announced that they were rescinding A Coal Development Policy for Alberta (Coal Policy) which has provided sweeping environmental protections for coal development since the 1970’s. This has raised concerns about how this will impact Alberta’s treasured mountains and foothills along the eastern slopes of the Rockies. Read more about Alberta Coal Policy scrapped, making open-pit coal mining more accessible than ever along the eastern slopes of the Rockies
Two years ago, at the end of April 2018, when the snow melted in the Rocky Mountains, a forestry road crossing Silvester Creek blew out. Silvester Creek is Critical Habitat for threatened native westslope cutthroat trout. The road then leaked large amounts of sediment into the clean water that the trout rely on to survive. Read more about Critical Trout Habitat Damaged Without Consequence
From the Eventbrite page:
Join CPAWS Southern and Northern Alberta chapters to learn about how parks cuts are impacting Albertans.
As you may know, Alberta Parks announced the removal of 164 parks sites and the closure of 20 sites in early March. CPAWS Northern and Southern Alberta chapters have been pushing for this decision to be reversed, but protecting Alberta’s parks is not possible without you! Read more about Defend Alberta Parks - Virtual Town Hall
