‘It sounds like the industries’ profits trump public land interests’
A new 20-year agreement between the provincial government and Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries further threatens Alberta’s dwindling woodland caribou population warn conservationists.
The Forest Management Agreement finalized in mid-July covers a 58000-square-kilometres tract of land in northern Alberta overlapping oilsands in the Athabasca region and encroaching on eight woodland caribou herds.
A clause in the agreement states wildlife in the area can be maintained “provided the company’s right to establish grow harvest and remove timber is not significantly impaired.”
Carolyn Campbell a conservation specialist at the Alberta Wilderness Association calls this provision “outrageous.”
“It sounds like the industries’ profits trump public land interests or the government’s responsibility to manage wildlife” says Campbell who also questions the timing of the deal.
In July a federal court judged ordered federal Minister of Environment Peter Kent to release the government’s Woodland Caribou Recovery Strategy by September 1.
In 2009 the Alberta government estimated the boreal woodland caribou population to be 2300 — down from 2700 in 2005.
“Scientists feel that in the Athabasca area which is where we’re talking about that unless there’s an assertive restoration of habitat woodland caribou will be gone within two to four decades” says Campbell.
