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Overview
Alberta’s sub-regional plans are a key component of the province’s approach to supporting caribou recovery while maintaining a working landscape and supporting a broad range of land uses and values including conversation, indigenous traditional use, recreation and economic development.
Woodland caribou are listed as Threatened under both the federal Species at Risk Act and the provincial Wildlife Act. Without effective and immediate action, we risk losing this important and culturally significant species.
Three sub-regional plans have been engaged upon of the 11 sub-regional plans covering 15 caribou ranges in Alberta. From March to June 2025, the Upper Smoky Sub-regional Plan was open for engagement. The feedback is being carefully reviewed and considered to finalize the Upper Smoky Sub-regional plan. The Cold Lake and Bistcho Lake sub-regional plans were the first plans to be approved. Feedback on the regulatory details for each of the Cold Lake Sub-regional Plan and the Bistcho Lake Sub-regional Plan and the associated Lower Athabasca Regional Plan amendments is being carefully reviewed and considered before finalization.
Albertans will have opportunities to share feedback on the sub-regional plans as they are developed and released in support of sub-regional planning areas across the province. These plans are informed by recommendations provided by the Caribou sub-regional task forces.
Key features
The 3 key features of the sub-regional plans are:
- guidance on the placement and duration of footprint from human activities, including roads, oil and gas development, timber harvest, geophysical exploration, surface material extraction, and recreation
- restoration of legacy footprint (for example, seismic lines) no longer contributing to economic activities in the sub-region to create more intact caribou habitat without affecting current industrial activity
- monitoring environmental and socio-economic indicators to improve understanding of whether the plan is achieving its outcomes and what changes may be required during the review period
Active engagements
There are no active sub-regional plan engagements at this time.
Recent engagements
Albertans are invited to provide input on the draft Upper Smoky Sub-Regional Plan and regulations for Alberta.
Albertans shared feedback on regulatory details of the Bistcho Lake Sub-regional Plan and amendments to the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan.
Albertans shared feedback on regulatory details of the Cold Lake Sub-regional Plan and amendments to the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan.