Alberta environment minister defends caribou plan

Alberta's environment minister is defending the province's draft caribou protection plan against criticism thatitputs industrial development ahead of protectingcaribou habitat.

In a statement provided to CBC News, Shannon Phillips said "inaction" by the previous Conservative regime forced the NDP government to move quickly to come up with its own solution.

"Protecting this iconic species is not only the right thing to do, it's mandated by the federal government," Phillips said.

"Unfortunately, the previous provincial government did little to solve this problem and their inaction put Alberta in a position where range plans would have been imposed on us by Ottawa.

"Our government got right to work by hiring a mediator to work with forestry, energy, Indigenous, environmental and municipal stakeholders to help us establish a made-in-Alberta a solution that protects both the caribou and jobs in the area."

Alberta'sprotection strategystates the province will extend its permanent protection boundaries by 1.8 million hectares, totalling 4.9 million hectares province-wide. This will include increased protection of the Chinchaga, Bischto, Yates, and Caribou Mountains herds.

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Recommendations in a May report by mediator Eric Denhoff wereaccepted by the government, which said in early June it would use the report to complete the first draft range plan for the Little Smoky and A La Peche caribou ranges.

Denhoff'sreport recommended"major changes and new innovations" toenhance herd survival while limiting forestry and energy activity in the two ranges.

The government plans to have the energy sector pay to restore morethan 10,000 kilometres of legacy seismic lines within five years. It alsoplans to ensure herd survival by surrounding 100 kmof caribou habitat with a specialfence that will prevent predators from entering.

And "management" of wolf populations will continue, the government says.Denhoffhad recommended awolf cull in the Little Smoky and A La Peche ranges continue until caribou populations remain stable without that kind of intervention.

In a news release this week, 12 groups, including Humane Society International/Canada and Animal Alliance, said the government is continuing to industrialize key caribou habitatwhile only maintaining the current populations by killing wolves that prey on them.

"Killing wolves and fencing caribou in predator-free areas are not solutions that will resolve the main factor impacting on caribou persistence," scientist GilbertProulxsaid in the release. "However, these approaches are significantly impacting biodiversity and the welfare of wildlife communities."

Both thefederalandAlberta governments have been criticized in the past by environmental groups for similar strategies.

Stan Boutin, a biology professor at the University of Alberta, supportsthe government's caribou protection plan. Before the plan was made public, the provincial government consultedBoutinabout it as an independent expert.

"Many view the level of (industrial) activity is still much too high on a number of these ranges," Boutin said, though he added the plan included "very aggressive" restoration measures.

Controversial predator control

More criticism stems from the predator control and industry-related activity in caribou habitat. Studies suggest there has been little change in caribou population despite extensive measures taken to preserve the population.

But Boutin said predator control is crucial in caribou survival.

"It may seem like it's not good enough," he said. "(But) if you don't do the predator control, we would not have a Little Smoky caribou herd at all right now."

And though Boutin is notcompletely satisfied with the plan going forward, it's his hope the government takes the next step to reduce industry activity on natural habitat.

"I'm not satisfied in the sense that we always need to do more," he said. "But it's an enormousstep forward."

The Alberta governmenthas a survey regarding the A La Peche and Little Smoky caribou ranges open to the public until Aug. 5.