AWA is greatly concerned for the critically-low sage-grouse population. Sage-grouse are an iconic prairie bird, found only in the grasslands of North America. They are considered an indicator species for the sagebrush ecosystem, an ecosystem that supports an estimated 350 species across the Great Plains. Only an estimated 150 – 250 individuals are thought to remain in Canada, and 22 males were counted in the spring of 2022.
The critically-low sage-grouse population, despite conservation efforts, is a result of deteriorating habitat conditions. Human impact, including agriculture, energy development and infrastructure expansion, as well as rising interest in helium exploration, encroaches on the surviving sagebrush landscape. More must be done to protect and improve the sagebrush habitat, before sage-grouse and many other species are lost.
To read more about sage-grouse in Alberta, please see this article by Conservation Specialist Ruiping Luo.
If you share our concerns, please fill out the form below. This will cause a copy of the included letter to be sent to Canada’s Minister for Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Alberta’s Minister for Environment and Protected Areas. Note that the letter itself is editable, so please feel free to tailor it to add your own thoughts on the issue!