Risks Mount For Threatened Caribou As Government Stalls On Recovery Plan

News Release: May 9, 2005

Eight months after the Alberta Woodland Caribou Recovery Plan was submitted to the Minister of Sustainable Resource Development, Alberta's threatened caribou herds continue to wait for a decision on their fate.

"Each day that the Minister sits on this recovery plan, is a day that industry destroys more wilderness and our dwindling caribou herds lose more of their critical habitat," says Lara Smandych, AWA Conservation Biologist. "Action is required immediately in order to ensure these populations can persist over the long term."

The Recovery Plan was released to Minister Coutts in October 2004. The Plan identifies 3 of the 18 caribou herds in the province as" at immediate risk of extirpation." Included among the proposed recommendations of the plan are the creation of range teams and range plans to assess the needs of the caribou herds, and the placement of a moratorium on new industrial activities within the ranges of herds in immediate risk of extirpation.

But while the plan sits on the Minister's desk, companies like Suncor continue to be granted approval to bulldoze through the heart of the most sensitive ranges for these critically imperiled herds.

Although the plan has been criticized for not doing enough to protect woodland caribou, the government must take responsibility and appropriate action for protecting Alberta's remaining caribou and their habitat.

"The AWA is most concerned that Alberta's caribou are threatened by further delays or indecision by the Minister of Sustainable Resource Development. I trust that Mr. Coutts realizes the importance of protecting these caribou," says Cliff Wallis, past president of AWA. "At a minimum we expect him to accept the recommendations, but wish that he would improve upon them and begin implementation immediately!"

In addition to the plan, AWA continues to press the government to develop stronger regulations to guide existing industrial activity within caribou ranges, while urging industry players to improve their practices and in some cases defer their activities in support of Alberta's endangered species.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Lara Smandych, AWA, 403. 283.2025
or visit www.AlbertaWilderness.ca
Cliff Wallis, AWA, 403. 271.1408

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WILDLIFE KILLED TO MAKE WAY FOR ENERGY EXTRACTION

NEWS RELEASE JAN 17 2006

WOLVES AND CARIBOU SUFFER IN ALBERTA'S LITTLE SMOKY

The Government of Alberta and the energy industry's stated commitment to wildlife conservation and rescuing woodland caribou has suffered another fatal blow. During January and February, the provincial government will be conducting a sale of oil and gas land leases in and adjacent to the habitat of the Little Smoky Woodland Caribou herd. A desperate but misguided attempt to save the caribou by shooting wolves is also underway by Alberta Fish and Wildlife. This is being done despite having been advised by members of the Alberta Caribou Committee (ACC) that the culling of wolves to protect caribou cannot be done without significant areas being off limits to industrial activities like oil and gas and forestry operations. Killing predators is a last-resort option where caribou populations are in a crisis situation.

"There is no point in killing wolves to save caribou if habitat necessary for caribou survival is being wiped out at the same time" says Cliff Wallis, an ACC member and Past-President of the Alberta Wilderness Association. Wallis added "Caribou need secure habitat in which populations can be restored. Alberta and the resource industries are ensuring that both wolves and caribou will die to make way for resource extraction. They have absolutely zero credibility on wildlife conservation."

"The government, by its actions to shoot wolves, is acknowledging that the Little Smoky Woodland Caribou herd's population is in a deep crisis. Instead of deferring industrial activity in key caribou habitat as recommended by the Alberta Woodland Caribou Recovery Plan, it is paving the way for increased resource extraction activity and habitat loss." says David Samson, AWA Conservation Specialist. "They are whistling past the graveyard and taking the laziest and most ineffectual route to caribou conservation." "The government has stated that it wants to do what is necessary to keep woodland caribou in Alberta," says Helene Walsh with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society in Edmonton.

"The reality is that they have not made a single significant commitment to caribou habitat protection. The proposed energy land sale and wolf kill are outrageous evidence of energy industry and Alberta government complicity in the destruction of the Little Smoky's wildlife." The Minister of Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Hon. David Coutts, who is responsible for protecting Woodland Caribou, believes there is no crisis.

The minister stated recently in the legislature, "We're promoting industry best practices more widely so that companies can operate on all caribou ranges."

This is alarming when considering the prospects for caribou recovery, not only for the Little Smoky herd, but for other threatened herds in Alberta. "Albertans will be incensed by this betrayal of the public trust," says Glen Semenchuk, Executive Director of the Federation of Alberta Naturalists and another ACC member. "The provincial government continues to state its commitment to wildlife conservation, but actively encourages increased oil and gas development and the destruction of key caribou habitat while eliminating wolves. It is sad news for wildlife enthusiasts but confirms the governments earlier position that stated they were loath to protect land for wildlife."

For more information, please contact:

David Samson, Alberta Wilderness Association, (403) 283-2025

Glen Semenchuk, Federation of Alberta Naturalists, (780) 427 8124

Cliff Wallis, Alberta Wilderness Association, (403) 271-1408

Helene Walsh, CPAWS Edmonton, (780) 922-0908