Protected Areas
Alberta needs a complete system of protected areas that captures the province’s diverse natural regions and the species at risk that live within them. Alberta has an amazing diversity of natural landscapes ranging from mountains to grasslands, boreal forests to wetlands. Healthy, protected ecosystems provide us with many services such as food, clean water, protection from natural disasters, and recreation opportunities. Protected areas provide direct and indirect benefits to overall physical and mental health (Equilibrium Research 2010; Sturm and Cohen 2014).
Alberta contains protected areas which fall under federal and provincial jurisdiction. For more information on federally protected areas see this page.
Provincial Protected Areas
The term protected area is used in Alberta to cover eight distinct designations covered by three different legislative acts: the Provincial Parks Act; the Wilderness Areas, Ecological Reserves, Natural Areas and Heritage Rangelands Act; and the Willmore Wilderness Park Act.
Each of the eight designations is distinguished by varying restrictions on activities in the protected area; the following are the eight protected area designations in Alberta, beginning with Ecological Reserve, the designation with the most stringent protections down to Recreation Areas, the designation with the least restrictions. Source: Alberta Parks 2017
Ecological Reserve – An ecosystem containing representative, rare and fragile landscapes, plants, animals, and geological features that is protected for scientific research, education, and heritage appreciation. They are established with the strict intent to preserve natural ecosystems, habitats and features, and associated biodiversity. Surface disturbance is not allowed within an Ecological Reserve and can only be accessed by foot.
Wilderness Area – Established to “preserve and protect natural heritage while providing opportunities for non-consumptive, nature-based outdoor recreation”. Alberta has three wilderness areas – Ghost River, Siffleur and White Goat. Travel within these areas is restricted to foot access only and removal of any part of the environment (plants, rocks, fossils, etc.) is prohibited.
Willmore Wilderness Park –was established under its own legislation, the Willmore Wilderness Park Act, in April 1959 which states “The Park is dedicated to the use of the people of Alberta for their benefit, education and enjoyment, subject to this Act and the regulations, and shall, by the management, conservation and protection of its natural resources and by the preservation of its natural beauty, be maintained for the enjoyment of future generations.”
Wildland Provincial Park – “A type of Provincial Park specifically established to preserve and protect natural heritage and provide opportunities for backcountry recreation.” Wildland Provincial Parks are typically larger landscapes with lower levels of developments. Popular activities include equestrian use, backcountry camping, hiking and fishing. Some Wildland Parks have designated trails for off-highway vehicle use.
Provincial Park – Protecting both natural and cultural landscapes and features, Provincial Parks are distinguished from a Wildland Provincial Park by its greater range of outdoor recreation facilities, interpretive and educational programs, as well as generally more support facilities and infrastructure.
Heritage Rangeland – To protect and preserve represent Alberta’s prairies by the continuation of cattle grazing to maintain grassland ecology, while limiting other disturbances such as industrial development. Recreational use is generally limited to foot access.
Natural Area – Intended to protect special and sensitive natural landscapes of local and regional significance, while providing opportunities for education, nature appreciation, and low-intensity recreation. These areas are typically quite small and include natural and near natural landscapes. New Industrial development is not permitted.
Provincial Recreation Area – Often small areas established for outdoor recreation as the primary objective, these areas support a wide range of outdoor recreation pursuits, including motorized recreation, in natural, modified, or man-made settings.
Provincial Recreation Area – Often small areas established for outdoor recreation as the primary objective, these areas support a wide range of outdoor recreation pursuits, including motorized recreation, in natural, modified, or man-made settings. Generally, no new industrial development is permitted although sites are typically heavily developed for recreation use.
Public Land Use Zone (formerly Forest Land Use Zone) – Designated under the Public Lands Administration Regulation, it is an area of land to which legislative controls are applied to solve specific land-use problems, and better manage conflicting land use activities in sensitive areas. Generally little/no restrictions as to the types of land uses permitted. Previously, Forest Land Use Zones (FLUZ) were administered under the Forest Act for a similar purpose.
From our mountains, to boreal forests and grasslands, Alberta has an amazing number of wild spaces that we cherish and take pride in. Unfortunately, many of these areas are not protected and are at risk of being lost. Healthy, protected ecosystems provide us with food, clean water, safeguards from natural disaster, recreation opportunities and economic benefits.
The Porcupine Hills in spring. PHOTO: © K MIHALCHEON
Throughout the years, AWA has identified important landscapes containing key features, and rare or special landscapes. We have worked to maintain the ecological integrity of these areas, keeping them wild. Some of these Wild Spaces are essential, containing regions and ecosystems that have not yet been protected, and that require protection to complete the provincial protected areas network and sustain biodiversity in our province. Other Wild Spaces may function as corridors or transition zones for species between protected areas. Many Wild Spaces require sound management for working landscapes, where economic development can be sustainably integrated with conservation objectives.
See our Wild Alberta map to explore current protected areas (green) and areas AWA has identified for completing Alberta’s protected areas network (gold).
The following principles guide AWA’s vision for protected areas:
In 2015, Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments committed to conserving at least 17 percent of Canada’s lands and inland waters by 2020, otherwise known as Canada Target 1, established under the Aichi Biodiversity Targets:
By 2020, at least 17% of terrestrial areas and inland water, and 10% of marine and coastal areas of Canada are conserved through networks of protected areas and other effective area-based measures.
In keeping with this national and international commitment, the Government of Alberta has also committed to protecting 17 percent of Alberta’s landscape.
At the end of 2016, 10.6 percent of Canada’s terrestrial areas and only 0.96 percent of its marine territory are protected. As Canada’s National Advisory Panel Report noted this is “an increase of only 1 percent since 2010; therefore, much needs to be done to achieve 17 percent by 2020.”
As of June 2018, 14.6 percent of Alberta is protected:
In order to meet the Canada Target 1, protected area systems must protect each Natural Region, include areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystems, and be well-connected.
Many of Alberta’s protected areas allow industrial development, which undermines their protection value. In addition, most provincial protected areas are small and isolated within a highly developed landscape. These areas will not support wildlife, viable ecosystems, or landscape-scale natural disturbances over time.
AWA is requesting that the federal and provincial governments keep moving forward with their commitment to biodiversity. You can help by sending a letter requesting that:
While some of Alberta’s Natural Regions, like the Rocky Mountains, are relatively well protected, many of Alberta’s other Natural Regions – such as Grasslands, Parkland and Foothills – are poorly represented in the current network. A lack of representative protection has led to widespread declines in wildlife. The Grasslands Natural Region is less than 2 percent protected and more than three quarters of Alberta’s species at risk rely on prairie habitats (Alberta Environmental Protection 1997).
Many of Alberta’s protected areas lack formal management plans, without which the cumulative effects of individual land-uses can diminish the wilderness values that the protected areas intended to protect.
A lack of enforcement in protected areas can cause extensive damages from activities such as poaching, garbage dumping and illegal off-highway vehicle (OHV) use.
Although recreation, and specifically non‐motorized recreation is indeed “critical to the quality of life we experience as Albertans” (Questions and Answers on the Proposed New Parks Legislation, 2010), Albertans also recognize that recreation is not, and should not be, the top priority within protected areas. The 2008 public survey found that 70.8% of Albertans believe the top priority for Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation should be to set aside more land and leaving it in an undisturbed state.
Threats to protected areas from recreation include:
November 13, 2014
Approved and proposed logging operations immediately outside the boundary of the Willmore Wilderness Provincial Park…
November 2, 2014
Dear Wilderness Defender, Sensitive Milk River Ridge Grasslands and Grizzlies on the Plains Need Your…
October 8, 2014
Letter sent by AWA to Premier Jim Prentice regarding the proposed establishment via the SSRP…
October 1, 2014
Wild Lands Advocate article, October 2014, by Brittany Verbeek. The final version of the South…
August 3, 2014
2004 Black Creek Heritage Rangeland Trails Act, BILL 2 2004_BL_WH.pdf
July 25, 2014
In a decision announced on July 25, 2014, Parks Canada has rejected a 66-room luxury…
July 23, 2014
The South Saskatchewan Regional Plan released today by the Alberta government is a small improvement…
July 23, 2014
The Land Use Framework (LUF) divides the province into seven regions based on major watersheds,…
June 30, 2014
The Alberta government is proposing fixed roof camping cabins in Alberta’s only backcountry canoe circuit…
June 28, 2014
AWA’s letter to Alberta Parks. In AWA’s view, the proposed camping cabins will harm the…
May 2, 2014
AWA is concerned that accommodating a proposal for residential development near the Garner Orchid Fen…
May 2, 2014
The beautiful, ecologically significant groundwater-fed wetlands of northeast Alberta’s Garner Orchid Fen Natural Area are…
