Alberta action will help protect threatened species

EDMONTON — Simon Dyer, Alberta Director for the Pembina Institute made the following comments in response to the Government of Alberta’s announcement on woodland caribou habitat conservation in northern Alberta.

"After decades of inaction, the Government of Alberta’s decision to protect 1.8 million hectares of forest — an area almost 3 times the size of Banff National Park — for woodland caribou is a nationally significant contribution to the protection of this threatened species.

“Alberta’s announcement that it will require industry to restore over 10,000 kilometres of historic seismic cutlines is an innovative and necessary step to start dealing with fragmentation of forests created by the oil and gas sector.

“We look forward to the Government of Alberta moving decisively to develop range plans for the remaining caribou ranges in northeastern Alberta."

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