Woodland Caribou Range Planning - How Should Alberta Balance Conservation and Communities?
Official title: Caribou range planning engagement
Why This Matters
Live in northern Alberta? Caribou recovery plans could affect forestry jobs, oil and gas activity, and land access in your area. The government tried to balance wildlife protection with keeping local economies healthy.
What Could Change
The Draft Provincial Woodland Caribou Range Plan sets out strategies to meet federal and provincial caribou population targets. This could mean restrictions on industrial activity in caribou habitat, changes to land use planning, and new conservation measures at the landscape level.
Key Issues
- How can Alberta meet caribou recovery objectives while minimizing impacts on local communities?
- What actions and strategies should be included in the range plan?
- How should social and economic outcomes be balanced with conservation goals?
What Happened
The engagement was completed in 2019. Public information sessions were held in February and March 2018 to gather input on the Draft Provincial Woodland Caribou Range Plan. The engagement proceeded through three phases: early engagement, engagement on the draft plan, and engagement on range-specific details.