Concerns

Little Smoky landscapes are subject to some of the most intensive demands by industry and agriculture expansion in Alberta.

• Area dissected by numerous cut lines, cut blocks, pipelines, seismic corridors, well sites and industrial access roads.
• No protected areas have been designated within the caribou ranges of the Little Smoky, A La Peche and Highway 40 herds.
• Main threats from industrial activity:
• Increased access via roads and corridors
• Fragmentation of habitat from roads
• Increased predation from natural and human predators and poachers
• Road kills
• Noise and general disturbance
• Habitat avoidance
• Loss of habitat
• Increased footprint affects function of habitat

Oil and Gas

• Active oil and gas developments including access roads, facilities, plants, wells, pipelines, seismic lines invade and encroach upon Little Smoky boundaries
• Big oil and gas players in area: Petro Canada, Talisman, Devon, Suncor, and Chevron
• Suncor/ConocoPhillips sour gas pipeline
• In 2004, Suncor proposed to construct a 101km long sour gas pipeline through the home range of the Little Smoky/A La Peche caribou herd. Suncor’s current pipeline proposal crosses the remaining relatively intact portion of the range
• Efforts have been made in the past to protect the Little Smoky caribou, however Suncor’s current pipeline proposal would jeopardize past and present efforts to maintain Little Smoky herd viability
• The addition of this pipeline would lead to future activity of oil and gas and forestry in this area
• November 2004 news release (pdf 56KB) and backgrounder (pdf 152)

Forestry

• Forestry operations impact the area with access roads, clear-cuts and habitat fragmentation and loss.
• Big players are Weyerhaeuser, Weldwood, Canadian Forest Products (CANFOR), and Alberta Newsprint Company (ANC)
• Weyerhaeuser has deferred their logging activities in the Little Smoky caribou range and ranges to the north until the Alberta Woodland Caribou Recovery Plan process is completed
• ESAs completely allocated to FMAs held by ANC, Weyerhaeuser and CANFOR
• Solomon Valley/ Wildhay River area:
• Located between Hinton and Jasper National Park along the front ranges of the Rockies
• Area roaded and logging began by Weldwood of Canada Ltd. in 2002
• Area includes 2 environmentally significant areas which support critical moose, elk, bull trout and arctic grayling habitat
• Contains some of the oldest spruce and fir in FMA
• Offers abundant recreational opportunity
• Need protection for these foothills in addition to the small quantity already protected with the Rock creek Solomon Wildland park
• Long history of use by first nations

Recreation

• Increases in roads and corridors by oil and gas and forestry have lead to increased access by recreationists, particularly motorized vehicles