Conservation
Alberta’s Coal Policy Reinstated
Today’s announcement demonstrates that grassroots voices can make a real difference in ensuring that Alberta’s special places remain protected.
This is s a welcome reprieve for future development in the Eastern Slopes. We urge concerned citizens to continue to press for a full stop on exploration and development activities until public consultation is completed and appropriate protections are in place.
Read MoreCoal at What Cost? Alberta’s Endangered Whitebark Pine Under Threat From Benga’s Proposed Coal Mine
Kelsey Fleming reviews the implications of the Benga coal mine on Alberta’s endangered whitebark pine.
Read MoreRed Deer River Naturalists requests public consultations on proposed coal developments
The Red Deer River Naturalists Society has requested that the government reopen the public consultation processes for the North Saskatchewan River Regional Plan and enable the public to comment on the cumulative effects of coal development.
Read MoreProvince Pushes the Pause Button on Coal Development
Energy Minister Sonya Savage has announced that the province will cancel 11 recently issued coal leases and pause future lease sales in the Eastern Slopes.
Unfortunately, a pause is not the same as a stop.
Read MoreSociety of Grasslands Naturalists Raises Concerns About Land-Use Decisions in the Eastern Slopes
The Society of Grassland Naturalists has raised concerns about land-use decisions in the Eastern Slopes. They urge the premier to adopt an integrated approach to planning that involves public consultations.
Read MoreWhy Are Common Loon Chicks Becoming Less Common?
BY KRISTIN BIANCHINI
Measuring loon productivity is also an excellent indicator of lake health. As top predators, loons are sensitive to damage at lower levels of the food chain. For example, processes that decrease the number of fish in a lake can cause food shortages, especially for young loons. Being a top predator also makes loons more vulnerable to pollutants, like acid rain and mercury.
Read MoreA Fisheye View of Cumulative Effects in Alberta’s Southern East Slopes
BY SARAH MILLIGAN
The southern East Slopes region is both busy and ecologically significant. However, no landscape can provide an inexhaustible supply of benefits to humans. And in the southern East Slopes region, there are growing indications that a tipping point has been reached.
Read MoreAlberta Parks to Remain Protected
BY RICHARD SCHNEIDER
Break out the champagne, it’s time to celebrate! Minister Nixon has rescinded the government’s plan to delist 164 parks from Alberta’s park system. He could hardly have done otherwise.
Defend Our Parks
Can Smartphones Kill Trout?
BY MICHAEL SULLIVAN
Unlike birders, we fish lovers can seldom go to a lake or river and simply “see” a fish. To see one, we usually need to catch it. The question is: can occasional losses from catch-and-release fishing be safely ignored or are they a cause for concern?
It turns out that this question is harder to answer than one might expect.
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