Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society

Proposed Kananaskis fee must result in increased environmental protections and services that benefit Albertans and nature. 

Today the Government of Alberta announced they will be implementing a “Conservation Pass” user fee for the Kananaskis region. The revenue generated from the $90/year vehicle fee will be allocated towards increased staffing and capital infrastructure spending.  

We recognize the need for sustained funding for recreation, conservation, and related infrastructure to support healthy communities and healthy economies. However, funding mechanisms should not rely on a user-pay model.  

User fees must be thoughtfully implemented.  Read More

Government halts some coal exploration during ongoing consultation: positive momentum that needs to keep going 

CPAWS Southern and Northern Alberta Chapters are happy to hear that more than 25,000 Albertans participated in the initial Coal Policy Engagement consultation and that it will help shape the next stage of consultation. Alberta’s foothills and Rocky Mountains are special places beloved by Albertans and are a large part of what draws people to live, work, and play in our province. It is clear that Albertans are incredibly invested in the protection of this landscape and the development of a new policy for this region. We encourage people to continue to stay engaged on this issue.  Read More

Parks, Caribou & Conservation

Apr 15 2021 - 7:00pm

Join the Canadian Parks & Wilderness Society (CPAWS) Northern Alberta Chapter for a virtual conversation on conservation! Learn more about the organization, caribou conservation in the province, and the next steps for the Defend Alberta Parks campaign. This presentation will focus specifically on the Grande Prairie and surrounding communities - but all are welcome to tune in! Register today to obtain the Zoom link!

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Tent Mountain coal mine: Niitsitapi Water Protectors, landowners group, environmental orgs urge Canada to designate project for assessment

April 6, 2021 - A number of Alberta-based organizations, including a conservation organization, an Indigenous collective and a landowner organization, are calling for a federal review of the Tent Mountain Coal Mine Project in Southern Alberta.

On behalf of CPAWS Southern Alberta Chapter, Niitsitapi Water Protectors and the Livingstone Landowners Group, Ecojustice submitted a designation request to the Impact Assessment Agency on April 4. Read More

New government coal consultation misses the mark, failing to engage with Albertans on the issues they care most about

76% of Albertans are in favour of more protections for nature and recreation in the Eastern Slopes. 64% of those aware of the issue opposed ongoing exploration activity in the Eastern Slopes.

Yesterday’s announcement from the Government of Alberta launching the consultation process for a new Coal Policy does not address CPAWS Southern and Northern Alberta Chapters’ concerns around coal development in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. While CPAWS is happy to see that the process will be run by an independent committee, the survey released as part of the consultation is narrowly focused on regulation of coal developments.  Read More

Alberta unveils two new land use plans to achieve caribou recovery

Edmonton – The Government of Alberta has released two draft plans for caribou recovery in the northeast and northwest of the province, encompassing two herds of Threatened woodland caribou. Alberta’s caribou have been waiting for almost a decade for these sub-regional range plans under the Species At Risk Act (SARA), while experiencing ongoing declines on some of the most busy landscapes in the country. Read More

Poll Shows Albertans Want More Protections in the Eastern Slopes and Oppose New Coal Mines

76% of Albertans are in favour of more protections for nature and recreation in the Eastern Slopes. 64% of those aware of the issue opposed ongoing exploration activity in the Eastern Slopes.

Calgary, AB – As the Government of Alberta prepares to launch consultations on the development of a new coal policy, a new poll found that the majority of Albertans want more protection for the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Of those who were aware of the coal issue, more than half do not trust that the government’s public consultation will provide a fair representation of what the public wants regarding coal development. Read More

Jasper National Park Caribou: Statement by Recreational Users and Conservationists

The Alpine Club of Canada (ACC), Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA), Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) Northern Alberta Chapter, and David Suzuki Foundation are issuing the following statement:

We are very concerned that today, February 16, Parks Canada is lifting its winter-time backcountry access restrictions in Jasper National Park’s Tonquin caribou range.

There are so few caribou left in the herds in Jasper, that every single individual counts. The precautionary principle is required in this situation. Read More

Blackfoot Perspectives on Open-pit Coal Mining

Feb 24 2021 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm

While Alberta recently reinstated it's Coal Policy, the threat of development of open-pit mines are still a threat to Blackfoot territory and Indigenous lands across the eastern slopes. Join us for a panel discussion to talk about the impacts coal will have on Indigenous peoples. 

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