Alberta Wilderness Association

Coal Mining in Alberta's Eastern Slopes and Beyond

Take Action on Coal  |  Information & Resources  |  Updates & News 

Updated March 15, 2022

Latest Update: Government announces expanded coal restrictions, releases Coal Policy Committee reports

On March 4, 2022, the Government of Alberta announced restrictions on coal development in the Eastern Slopes of the Rockies. The restrictions on new development will be in place until directions on coal activities are incorporated into updated regional land-use plans.

The Goverment also released the final reports of the Coal Policy Committee. Concerns with the environmental impacts of coal mining ranked among the most important issues to Albertans.

Environmental groups welcomed the restrictions on new development, but concerns remained over the impacts of existing coal mining activities and the 4 advanced projects that were allowed to continue the regulatory process.

  Read More

Issue Brief: Irrigation Expansion Project in Southern Alberta

The single largest irrigation expansion in Alberta’s history is underway. By converting canals into pipelines and constructing new reservoirs, the $815 million project aims to boost irrigated land in the province without using more water. But the massive infrastructure project started without public consultation and an assessment of the cumulative impacts and effects on the health of the river ecosystem  Read More

Cervid Harvesting Preserves: Very Distasteful Jam

Alberta Wilderness Association strongly opposes the proposal to legalize elk hunt farms – fenced facilities where captive elk are shot by so-called “hunters.” The Alberta Elk Commission has lobbied the Alberta government on hunt farms – what they call “cervid harvesting preserves” – since at least May 2020.

“These hunt farms are unethical and contrary to the concept of fair chase,” says Devon Earl, Conservation Specialist at AWA. “Many hunters and non-hunters alike are appalled by the idea of shooting animals that are effectively penned with little to no ability to escape.” Read More

Government Map Confirms Plans to Log Old-Growth Forests Near Grande Cache, Increasing Risks to Threatened Caribou

A newly released Government of Alberta map confirms long-term plans for substantial logging within at-risk caribou ranges in west-central Alberta (see Figure 1). Of particular concern, the map confirms plans for an imminent harvest on both sides of Moon Creek — an area currently valued for its intact old-growth forests, which support threatened caribou and endangered Athabasca rainbow trout. Read More

Forest Management in Alberta: Sustainable or Suspect?

On Saturday, July 17, the Government of Alberta announced a new Forest Management Agreement (FMA) with Crowsnest Forest Products Ltd. (affiliated with Spray Lakes Sawmills) in the forest management unit C5 west of Lethbridge. This agreement leads Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) to continue to question Alberta Forestry’s commitment to sustainability given the ongoing timber-centric management of forests. Read More

Castle Parks Need Protection from Motorized Off-Highway Vehicles

In the coming weeks, the Alberta government is expected to decide whether to honour the phase-out of motorized recreation in southern Alberta’s Castle Parks per the Castle Management Plan or to backslide and make changes to allow this damaging form of recreation to continue. Based on the high ecological impacts, and Albertans’ strong support for a complete phase-out, Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) and the Castle-Crown Wilderness Coalition urge the Alberta government to remove off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation trails in the Castle. Read More

Grassy Mountain Coal Project Decision May Sound the Death Knell for Montem and Atrum Coal

Yesterday’s Grassy Mountain Coal Project Joint Review Panel categorical rejection of Benga Mining’s applications for the Grassy Mountain mine may very well sound the death knell for Montem Resources and Atrum Coal. Today, both companies requested that trading in their shares on the Australian Securities Exchange be stopped.

Before Montem’s request was accepted its stock lost 20 percent of its value. Its last trade was at 7 cents a share; Atrum’s last trade was at 4.7 cents a share. Read More

Pages

Subscribe to Alberta Wilderness Association