Alberta Wilderness
Association
Action Alert: February 8, 2005
The remaining 80 individual caribou of the Little Smoky herd are being
threatened by industrial development. Despite the numerous requests made by
Environmental Non-government Organizations (ENGO) groups to Suncor and
ConocoPhillips to re-route their pipeline and defer activity within the home
range of the herd, pipeline construction is well underway, putting these
animals at risk. Your letters of concern are greatly needed to protect the
Little Smoky caribou herd from this industrial development.
Background
Suncor and ConocoPhillips are constructing a 101km long gas pipeline
through the home range of the Little Smoky caribou herd in the Foothills west
of Hinton, Alberta. Woodland caribou are now listed as "threatened" under
both the Federal Species at Risk Act and the Provincial Alberta Wildlife Act.
Specifically, the Little Smoky herd has been ranked as "Immediate Risk Of
Extirpation" by the 2004 Alberta Government's Woodland Caribou Recovery Plan
(Recovery Plan).
Alberta ENGOs have been meeting with company representatives over the past
year demanding that the pipeline be re-routed outside the caribou range or at
least for a deferral of activity until recommendations from the Recovery Plan
have been approved and implemented. Among these recommendations is the need
for the establishment of range teams and range plans to guide recovery
actions for individual caribou ranges.
Although the area within and surrounding the Little Smoky range has
experienced a high degree of industrial activity and fragmentation, Suncor's
pipeline would traverse the only relatively intact habitat remaining in the
Little Smoky range. As compensation, Suncor has committed more than $1
million dollars to restore approximately 400km of existing seismic lines in
the range. These efforts however fail to account for the new disturbance they
will be exerting on the landscape. Any industrial development and
infrastructure increase will likely negatively impact the viability of the
herd and its required habitat. The continuation of this project shows the
company's unwillingness to do what is best for these extremely sensitive and
endangered animals.
Completion of the pipeline project is expected by the end of April
2005.
Action
Your letters of opposition to Suncor's pipeline through the range of the
Little Smoky caribou herd are urgently needed. Please send your letters of
concern to:
Honourable David Coutts
Minister of SRD
#420 Legislature Building
10800-97 Ave.
Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6
Fax: (780) 415-4818
Gord Lambert
Vice President Sustainable Development
Suncor Energy Inc.
P.O. Box 38 112-4th Avenue S.W.
Calgary, AB T2P 2V5
Stephen Kaufman
Director, Business Development.
Suncor Energy Inc
P.O. Box 38 112-4th Ave. S.W.
Calgary, AB T2P 2V5
Please forward copies of your letters to Alberta Wilderness Association
([email protected]).
For more information, please contact
Lara Smandych, AWA, at 403-283-2025 or visit www.AlbertaWilderness.ca