Bob Weber
Steam billows from the Sheerness coal fired generating station near Hanna, Alta., Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016. Early results from a provincial survey on coal mining in the Rocky Mountains show major concerns about expanding the industry. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh May 18, 2021 - 2:57 PM
EDMONTON - Early results from a provincial survey on coal mining in the Rocky Mountains show Albertans have major concerns about expanding the industry. More than 90 per cent of respondents felt there are areas of the province that are not appropriate for coal exploration and development, say the survey results released late Monday.
Albertans told the government that those off-limits areas could include not only the Rockies and the foothills, but wildlife corridors, areas near water bodies, recreational areas and those near residential developments or farms.
Peter Shokeir | editor@fitzhugh.ca
An independent expert panel is supporting the use of captive breeding to rebuild woodland caribou populations in Jasper National Park.
Although no final decisions have been made, Parks Canada hopes to start releasing animals to the wild in about five years.
“We’re at a point now where we’ve just received positive feedback from the expert panel that we put together to assess this from a scientific perspective,” said Dave Argument, conservation manager for Jasper National Park.
Over the last few decades, caribou numbers have grown smaller with the Maligne herd disappearing and only a handful remaining in the Tonquin and Brazeau herds.
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Spoiler alert: this column doesn’t think much of the $90 Kananaskis Conservation Pass that Environment and Parks Minister Jason Nixon is introducing. But the minister was right in one key respect. His department should be “about managing demand and supporting environmental sustainability.” The conservation pass, unfortunately, is likely to disappoint on both counts.
Managing demand is where the pass should see some success. Based on the Washington state experience, the minister’s $90 annual vehicle fee should reduce the number of cars travelling to K-Country. In 2011, Washington introduced much more modest vehicle fees (annual: $30; daily: $10). State-wide, this pass reduced visits to parks by an average of seven million visits per year.
Author of the article: Canadian Press
Publishing date: May 10, 2021 • 5 days ago • 3 minute read • A woodland caribou picture taken in Jasper National Park. A last-ditch attempt to save some of Canada’s vanishing caribou herds is a step closer after a scientific review panel’s approval of a plan to permanently pen some animals in Jasper and breed them to repopulate other herds. Photo by Alberta Wilderness Association
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A last-ditch attempt to save some of Canada’s vanishing caribou herds is a step closer after a scientific review panel’s approval of a plan to permanently pen some animals in Jasper National Park and breed them to repopulate other herds.
In recent weeks, Alberta s government has moved to add user fees to some of its protected areas, citing the conservation needs from increased visitors seeking…