2012 News Archive
2012-05-03 AWA News Release: Sage-Grouse Reintroduction: More Habitat Protection Needed
Reports in yesterday’s news media reveal details on a program to import sage-grouse from Montana to Alberta. While this reintroduction shows overdue recognition by the Alberta government of the dire situation of one of Canada’s most endangered species, and is likely necessary, Alberta Wilderness Association is concerned. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development’s Fish and Wildlife branch still have not fixed the underlying problem of habitat degradation and lack of protection for all the critical habitat that these endangered birds require.
2012-04-30 Vol. 20 No. 2 Wild Lands Advocate
The Broader View: AWA's 2012 Priorities | Caribou Habitat Protection: It's Urgent to Reduce Industry's Bootprint | A Glass Half-Full: Avoiding Protection Paralysis | ATV Roundup: Managing Motorized Recreation in Alberta | Constrained Conservation: Examining Legal, Policy, and Organizational Obstacles to Sage-grouse Conservation and Recovery in Alberta | Standing Up for the Castle | A Valentine's Day Call for Action
2012-04-21 21st Annual Climb and Run for Wilderness an Earth Day Success
Four little bear cubs scaled the Calgary Tower Saturday to celebrate Earth Day and raise money for Alberta’s wild lands, wild water and wildlife.
2012-04-19 ENGO News Release: Slow Down Oil Sands to Save Wetlands, Scientist Says
As development continues to destroy wetlands crucial to Alberta’s water security and climate regulation, a new research paper by a University of Alberta ecologist, Dr. Lee Foote, concludes that the government should negotiate mineable oil sands development limits. The paper cites doubtful reclamation success for the extensive peat wetlands central to that landscape. The Alberta Wilderness Association and Water Matters call on Alberta’s political party leaders to commit to meaningful wetland conservation measures including protection of boreal wetlands.
2012-03-29 Packed Crowd Attends Alberta’s First All-Candidates Forum
It was standing room only last night as AWA hosted a Candidates Forum to discuss “Water for Tomorrow” in Alberta. More than 125 people crowded in to listen to five candidates in the upcoming provincial election debate their perspectives on major water issues affecting all Albertans. The lively discussion was chaired by CBC Radio’s Donna McElligott.
2012-03-28 “Water for Tomorrow”: A Candidates’ Forum in Calgary on Water Issues
In recent years, many Albertans have been engaged in a number of important water issues and ensuring the security of our source water has become vitally important to each one of us. We believe there is both a need and high interest to discuss Alberta water resources policy and decision making. Panelists will discuss progress and concerns related to Alberta's water.
2012-03-28 ENGO News Release: Death of Grizzly an Ominous Start to 2012 Season
It’s been two years since grizzly bears were listed as Threatened under the Alberta Wildlife Act, and four years since publication of the Province’s Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan, yet if anything, the Alberta to which grizzly bears are waking up in 2012 is worse than the one to which they woke up in 2008.
2012-03-14 AWA News Release: No Public Involvement in Forestry Deal: Health of North Saskatchewan and Red Deer River Headwaters at Stake
A large forest management contract on public lands in the headwaters of two major Alberta rivers is close to being renewed without any public consultation. Albertans may miss this one-in-twenty-year opportunity to provide input into the management of North Saskatchewan and Red Deer Rivers headwaters, affecting over a million downstream users.
2012-02-22 AWA News Release: Alberta Government Kills 145 Bears at Oilsands Camps. No Charges Laid
Last year, the Alberta government killed 145 garbage-habituated black bears at oilsands camps in Alberta. Poorly-managed oilsands camps have been long known to attract bears to garbage. But rather than enforcing regulations, or prosecuting the guilty companies, Alberta government staff simply move in and kill bears. Lots of bears.
2012-02-16 AWA News Release: Canadians Can Stop Massive Wolf Kill
The deadline for Canadians to comment on the federal government’s massive wolf-kill caribou recovery strategy is February 22, 2012. Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) is inviting Canadians to ask Environment Minister Peter Kent to protect the habitat caribou require for long-term survival and recovery, rather than encouraging decades-long poisoning and shooting of many thousands of wolves.
2012-02-14 ENGO News Release: Conservation groups take Environment Minister to court over endangered Sage-grouse
Conservation groups are taking Environment Minister Peter Kent to federal court over his continued failure to protect Canada’s endangered Greater Sage-grouse and fulfill his duties under the Species at Risk Act (SARA).
2012-02-14 ENGO News Release: Over a Hundred Attend Valentine’s Day Rallies in Support of Forests
More than 170 people attended rallies today in Calgary and Edmonton to send a strong message to the Government of Alberta: Albertans love their forests and don’t want the heart of protected areas like the Castle Special Place or poplar trail systems in Bragg Creek to be logged.
2012-02-10 Vol. 20 No. 1 Wild Lands Advocate
Bringing the Wild Back to the City | Community-Based Stewardship in Waterton Biosphere Reserve | BearSmart in the Crowsnest Pass | To Report, or Not to Report? That Is the Question | Clear Water Landcare Builds Community Ownership for Healthier Headwaters | AWA Presents Day-Long Advocacy Workshop for International Leadership Program
2012-02-09 ENGO News Release: Approval of Jasper Development Ignores Public Outcry
Over the objections of almost 200,000 citizens, the federal government has approved the proposed “Brewster Glacier Discovery Walk” in Jasper National Park.
2012-02-03 AWA News Release: Beyond Monitoring - Responsible Management Needed for Oilsands Wildlife and Wetlands Impacts
Today, forty five years after the first tar sands mines started, the federal government has finally taken steps to introduce credible monitoring for contaminants and habitat degradation from oilsands development. Alberta Wilderness Association believes that long-overdue monitoring of Alberta’s oilsands impacts is a step in the right direction, but monitoring itself will not fix any of the issues which have so bedeviled the industry for the past few years.
2012-02-02 World Wetlands Day: Alberta’s Wetlands Need More Protection
There is no better time to think of the priceless benefits that Alberta's wetlands provide to us than today, World Wetlands Day. Why not talk to candidates about improving wetland protection in the upcoming election?
2012-02-01 Castle Logging Protest Camp Cleared by RCMP. Logging Opposition Continues
The battle to save the Castle from imminent clearcut logging continues. This morning, the RCMP moved in to clear the site near Beaver Mines where protesters have been camped out in opposition to the proposed Castle clearcut logging. The RCMP were there to enforce a Court Order to leave the protest site. Four of the 30 protesters declined to leave and were arrested. Meanwhile, the Court Order is being appealed in a provincial court. The case will be heard in the Calgary court Centre at 10:00 a.m. on Friday February 3.
2012-01-25 ENGO News Release: Will Alison Redford's Clearcuts Crush Bear Cubs in their Dens?
Joint news release from WildCanada Conservation Alliance, Castle Crown Wilderness Coalition and AWA. Conservationists today called upon Alberta premier Alison Redford to halt plans for winter logging would disturb, displace or even kill bears denning in the Castle Special Management Area...
