This release was issued under a previous government.
A public survey launched today is asking Albertans to help shape the first draft of provincewide caribou range plans. The federal government issued a recovery strategy in 2012 requiring Alberta to have a plan to manage critical caribou habitat by October 2017.
“It’s crucial that all Albertans have a say in the future of the woodland caribou. Our focus is on protecting local economies and jobs while recovering this important species. We must find practical solutions to this complex environmental problem.”
Results from the 45-day survey will inform draft range plans released this fall, when a second opportunity for public feedback will be available.
Throughout the process, the province will engage with industry, municipalities and Indigenous communities. The survey website will remain an up-to-date source of information about caribou range planning in Alberta.
The province previously released a draft plan for the Little Smoky and A La Peche caribou ranges in June 2016.
The new range planning will focus on the four remaining caribou planning areas across northern Alberta:
- northwest Alberta
- northeast Alberta
- Narraway and Redrock-Prairie Creek
- Nipisi and Slave Lake