Search results for "little smoky"

Alberta gets coal in its stocking for reindeer, er, caribou protection

Have you seen this great news video on Woodland caribou in Alberta?  A reporter from National Geographic spoke with Helene Walsh, a biologist with CPAWS,  about the need to protect the 'bous' Boreal forest habitat.

Alberta is so far down with protecting caribou, but they're going about it a very unsustainable way -- by shooting wolves.  That just isn't a long term solution, says Helene.

You can watch the video at National Geographic's site.

There's no "Rampant industrial development" in "team"

Well, it seemed like a step forward. A few years ago, the Alberta government set up a committee to protect the best remaining Woodland caribou habitat in the province.  Government and industry representatives sat down with groups like CPAWS, and came up with some guidelines to keep industry out of critical habitat, including the Little Smoky area, near Jasper National Park.  in 2006, the province agreed to the group's findings. 

Or maybe not.  In 2008, the group found that over 90 new oil and gas wells had been approved in the area, kilometres of roads built, and new mineral leases approved.  When the group pressed for details, governement reps were tight-lipped.

This is bad news for the Little Smoky caribou herd. There are only about 60-100 caribou left in the herd, and the whole group is at immediate risk of extirpation (local extinction).

More:
Little Smoky Woodland caribou herd (CPAWS Northern Alberta)
Caribou herd could be wiped out, group warns (Edmonton Journal)
Alta government presents green face but oilpatch continues to erode caribou land (Oil Week)