Take Action for the Livingstone and Porcupine Hills!

April 24, 2018

• •
• •
• •

• Action Alerts
• Coal
• Forests
• Grizzly Bears
• Livingstone-Porcupine
• Native Coldwater Fish
• Public Lands

Dear  Wilderness Defender,

The provincial government is looking for public input on a draft Land Footprint Management Plan and Recreation Management Plan for the Livingstone and Porcupine Hills. I believe that these plans signal important progress to help address years of uncontrolled motorized recreation and industrial activity. Your voice will help these plans be the best possible!

The plans need to be based on scientifically defensible and legally enforceable limits. With your help, these disturbance limits will ensure the protection of our forests, water, and wildlife, as well as the long-term enjoyment of recreational users.

Photo: J. Skrajny

Take Action

The deadline for your comments is Thursday April 26!

You can read the two plans and complete the government surveys here: https://talkaep.alberta.ca/livingstone-porcupine-hills-footprint-and-recreation-planning

To make your voice heard, it is important that you try and complete both surveys!
Below are AWA’s principles for sustainable public land use:

1. Place limits on roads, trails and other disturbances that are scientifically defensible. The science is clear, there should no more than 0.6 km/km2 of all types of linear disturbance permitted in every single watershed.

2. Avoid areas critical for native trout and allow them to recover. By avoiding these important areas, our native trout will have the space they need to recover and persist into the future.
3. Place limits on all human footprint such as coal mines and industrial scale logging. We cannot afford to wait for another plan to address these issues.

4. Avoid urbanization and commercialization of our wilderness. The plan focuses too heavily on increasing development and commercial tourism in the area.

5. Ensure these plans are successfully implemented and enforced. Successful implementation of the plans require on-the-ground action and monitoring to ensure the plans are working as anticipated. Increased enforcement is also necessary to ensure these plans succeed.

Background

The Livingstone-Porcupine area includes the Whaleback, Porcupine Hills, Crowsnest Pass, and Upper Oldman River. It’s a key area for connectivity of grizzly bears and elk, contains fescue grasslands important for ranching and conserving species at risk, and was once abundant in large, native fish. It’s one of the most iconic and diverse landscapes in Alberta.

The South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP) directs the government to make land-use plans on a smaller scale within southern Alberta. This is the first subregional plan in the SSRP. The Linear Footprint Management Plan addresses what land uses are acceptable, where those land uses should be allowed and how much of an impact they will be allowed to have on the land. The Recreation Management Plan is developed to plan for recreation within the limits set by the Linear Footprint Management Plan.

Thank you,
Joanna Skrajny, AWA Conservation Specialist

P.S. As always I would appreciate receiving a copy of any letters you write. Your MLA will want to know what you think and a call or letter makes a difference!