Protecting Alberta's Ronald Lake and Wabasca Wood Bison Herds
Official title: Bison Conservation Agreement engagement
Why This Matters
Wood bison are an iconic Canadian species, and these herds face a real threat of disease wiping them out. If you care about wildlife conservation or live in northern Alberta where these herds roam, this affects the future of a species that's been here for thousands of years.
What Could Change
Wood bison are now listed as threatened under Alberta's Wildlife Act. A formal recovery plan is being developed with specific actions to protect wild populations. The federal-provincial conservation agreement is still being negotiated, which could bring coordinated disease management and habitat protection measures.
Key Issues
- How to prevent disease transmission from Wood Buffalo National Park bison to other herds
- How to minimize habitat loss and degradation for these herds
- What additional approaches could improve population numbers
How to Participate
- This consultation is now closed. Feedback was collected through an online survey from June 25 to August 24, 2021.
- Review the Canada-Alberta Draft Conservation Agreement fact sheet and the Draft Conservation Agreement to understand what was proposed.
- For ongoing engagement, see the wood bison recovery plan engagement.
What Happened
Feedback from the consultation informed additional negotiations between Alberta and Canada on the Section 11 agreement. While the agreement has not yet been finalized, wood bison have been listed as threatened under Alberta's Wildlife Act. Alberta has begun developing a wood bison recovery plan with specific actions to protect wild populations.