Special Places 2000 - New parks too little for endangered wildlife
Still less than 2% of Alberta designated in new sites since 1995
From Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS)
December 22, 2000
EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA--While the new provincial parks and natural areas announced today have important ecological value they are too little for Alberta’s endangered wildlife such as Woodland Caribou, according to the Edmonton Chapter of a national conservation group. The government just designated 13 new Special Places sites and additions totalling 4,700 sq. km.. Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) - Edmonton Chapter points out that less than two percent (2%) of the province has been designated in new parks since the province launched Special Places in 1995. Many of the Special Places have continuing industrial activities in them such as oil and gas development.
“After more than five years, Special Places has not yet achieved Premier Klein’s commitment ‘to preserve Alberta’s environmental diversity,’” said Sam Gunsch, spokesperson for the CPAWS Edmonton Chapter. “Endangered wildlife like Alberta’s Woodland Caribou need large protected areas to survive, with no logging or oil and gas industry. Even rural Albertans who proposed large areas for caribou continue to be ignored.”
According to the provincial government’s own Special Places science reports large areas above 4000 square kilometers are needed to protect sensitive and wide-ranging species like the province’s endangered Woodland Caribou. To date, not one Special Places site large enough for long term protection of caribou has been established.
“Special Places was supposed to be judged on ecological criteria, such as how much habitat is protected for Alberta’s most vulnerable wildlife like caribou, not on the provincial government’s political spin,” said Gunsch. “Of course the sites designated so far all have important ecological value. But overall they are too small individually and cumulatively.”
Before Special Places was launched in 1995, just over 9% of the province was designated in parks, mostly national parks which cover 8.3% of the province. The provincial park system was small by comparison. All the new provincial sites designated under Special Places as protected areas would still almost fit within just one national park such as Jasper.
Current Environment Minister Halvar Jonson is expected to announce more new sites between now and the election. Premier Klein as Environment Minister committed Alberta to the program in 1992. Former Environment Minister Ty Lund officially launched the program in 1995. Subsequently, Gary Mar took over the portfolio and attempted to deal with the issue of industrial development in Special Places.
CPAWS and the Federation of Alberta Naturalists were the only two provincial nature conservation groups to join and participate in Special Places. Both withdrew in 1998 because of ongoing industrial development in Special Places sites and the limited amount of land that was being designated. Both have monitored the program and documented the ecological problems with the program. CPAWS and other wilderness groups such as Alberta Wilderness Association have identified candidate protected areas that would meet the needs of wildlife totalling over another 15% of Alberta.
– 30 –
For more information, contact:
Sam Gunsch
Executive Director
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) - Edmonton Chapter
(780) 422-5988
edmcpaws@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca
Web site: http://www.cpaws.org