EDMONTON — Simon Dyer, deputy executive director at the Pembina Institute, made the following statement in response to today’s boreal conservation announcement:
“We welcome the Government of Alberta legislating the protection of 1.3 million hectares of land in northern Alberta and the creation of the world’s largest boreal forest protected area complex.
“Protecting landscapes from industrial activity is an essential element of responsible oilsands and oil and gas development. In addition, we are encouraged to see the Government of Alberta commit to Indigenous co-management of these landscapes, and look forward to these details being finalized. We congratulate Tallcree First Nation, Syncrude, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the Government of Alberta, and the federal government on their collaborative and solutions-oriented contribution to today’s announcement.
“Other planning processes underway will further protect under-represented ecosystems and habitats for woodland caribou. We look forward to Alberta becoming the first jurisdiction in Canada to achieve the benchmark of 17 per cent of its landscapes as legislatively protected areas as landscape planning is completed in other parts of the province.”
-30-
Quick Facts
- With this announcement, 14.5 per cent of Alberta is now legislatively protected from industrial development
- This is the largest legislated increase in protected areas in Alberta since the establishment of Wood Buffalo National Park in 1922
- Kazan Wildland Provincial Park is the largest provincial park in Alberta’s provincial park system
Contact
Suzy Thompson
Communications Lead, Pembina Institute
587-585-4522
Simon Dyer
Deputy Executive Director, Pembina Institute
587-873-3937