Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland Park Expansion
Official title: Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland Park engagement
Why This Matters
Love Alberta's wilderness? This expansion protects a massive area of boreal forest from development. It creates one of the largest contiguous protected areas in the province. If you care about conservation or Indigenous land stewardship, this decision shaped the future of northern Alberta's landscape.
What Could Change
The expansion is now complete. The park grew from 161,880 hectares to over 313,000 hectares. Oil sands development is now prohibited in the expanded area. The land is managed under the Provincial Parks Act, meaning stricter protections than regular Crown land.
Key Issues
- Should the wildland park be expanded by 143,805 hectares?
- How should the expanded park be managed and protected?
How to Participate
- This consultation is now closed. Albertans provided feedback through an online survey from February 11 to March 15, 2021. Input was also gathered by phone and through public correspondence.
- Review the Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland Expansion Fact Sheet and the Expansion Map to learn about the final expansion.
What Happened
Albertans provided feedback through an online survey, phone calls, and public correspondence from February 11 to March 15, 2021. Stakeholder meetings were held with government officials, including with Burgess Canadian Resources, who voluntarily surrendered their Crown mineral agreements to support the expansion. Indigenous communities were also consulted. The feedback helped inform decisions, and the expansion was finalized in Winter 2022, adding approximately 152,000 hectares to the park.