Letter to the Editor – Alberta Government Can’t Afford to Protect Grizzly Bears

Recent comments from Alberta Sustainable Resource Development Minister, Mel Knight, on CBC National Television News suggest that the provincial government cannot afford to protect grizzly bears in the province. Minister Knight’s comments came in response to suggestions that the $150,000 Alberta spends annually on education programs to reduce conflicts between humans and bears compares unfavourably with the $4.5 million the province of Ontario spends on similar programs. Minister Knight commented on “the pressure of investing more provincial money in to the protection of grizzly bears,” and admitted that he’d “welcome any additional funds from conservation groups willing to contribute.”