Caribou sub-regional task forces

Overview

In August 2019, the province created caribou sub-regional task forces to advise government on land-use planning at a local scale, including caribou recovery actions. Each Caribou Sub-regional Task Force includes representatives from local municipalities, Indigenous communities and organizations, the energy sector, the forestry sector, trappers, recreational users, environmental non-government organizations, and other local stakeholders and knowledge holders.

Recommendations from these task forces supported the development of sub-regional plans for the respective planning area. Each sub-regional plan that is developed will go out for public, stakeholder, and Indigenous engagement, providing opportunities for all Albertans to shape these plans before they are finalized.

Previous task forces

Task Force recommendations informed sub-regional plans for Cold Lake, Bistcho Lake, and Upper Smoky planning areas.

Click below for maps of sub-regional planning areas:

• Cold Lake sub-regional planning area
• Bistcho Lake sub-regional planning area
• Upper Smoky sub-regional planning area

Task force recommendations for each area were submitted to government in 2020. In 2021, public, stakeholders and Indigenous communities and organizations were engaged on the draft Cold Lake and Bistcho Lake sub-regional plans with the related regulatory details engagement following in 2024.

Engagement on the draft Upper Smoky sub-regional plan and related regulatory details occurred from May to July 2025.

Click below for the recommendation reports:

• Cold Lake Task Force Recommendations Report
• Bistcho Lake Task Force Recommendations Report
• Upper Smoky Task Force Recommendations Report

Click below for the sub-regional plans:

• Cold Lake Sub-regional Plan
• Bistcho Lake Sub-regional Plan
• Upper Smoky Sub-regional Plan
  • Upper Smoky Sub-regional Plan regulatory details (see page 215)

Additional information

• Alberta Woodland Caribou Recovery Plan
• Caribou protection plan
• Caribou range maps
• Species at risk publications and web resources: Mammal species at risk
  See under the Woodland Caribou section of this page for the following document: Status of the Woodland Caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Alberta
• Caribou Sub-regional Task Forces Membership List
• Woodland Caribou Policy for Alberta
• Final Canada – Alberta Conservation Agreement for Woodland Caribou (s.11)
• First report on the implementation of the section 11 agreement for the conservation and recovery of woodland caribou in Alberta

Federal recovery strategies and guiding documents

• Action Plan for the Woodland Caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), Boreal Population, in Canada – Federal Actions
• Path Forward for Completion of Recovery Strategy for the Woodland Caribou, Boreal population (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Canada
• Recovery Strategy for the Woodland Caribou, Southern Mountain population (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Canada
• Report on the Progress of Recovery Strategy Implementation for the Woodland Caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), Boreal population in Canada for the Period 2012 to 2017

News

• Protecting the environment and jobs in Upper Smoky (November 4, 2025)