News Release: Wood Buffalo National Park Conservation Outlook of ‘Significant Concern’
December 2, 2020
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Indigenous communities and environmental organizations say more action is needed
Edmonton, AB – The ongoing precarious state of Wood Buffalo National Park was internationally recognized today by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which stated in a report assessing all of its World Heritage Sites, that its conservation outlook is of “significant concern”. This assessment came only one day after the Government of Canada was due to submit a State of Conservation update report to the UN on the federal government’s implementation of the Wood Buffalo National Park Action Plan to recover the park. The Action Plan was announced nearly two years ago, but Indigenous communities and environmental organizations have consistently expressed concerns about the need for more resources and timely actions to reflect the scope and severity of threats.
A group of local Indigenous communities and environmental organizations have submitted a letter, in parallel to Canada’s report, detailing their on-the-ground perspective of key steps that have not been fully addressed from the Action Plan, with many actions stalled despite their importance.
“We share the same concern about the uncertain future of Wood Buffalo National Park as the IUCN,” says Gillian Chow-Fraser of CPAWS Northern Alberta. “An Action Plan is in place, but it does not seem to be a priority for governments, whose actions often undermine the plan.” From unilateral temporary suspensions of environmental monitoring in the oil sands, to the continued construction of Site C megadam, and a long list of approved oil sands projects, Wood Buffalo faces many unmitigated cumulative threats.
The World Heritage Committee was asked to list Wood Buffalo National Park as a World Heritage Site “in Danger” in 2014. At the last international meeting, the Committee warned that Canada still faces potential for listing, and must provide an update on the status of the park on December 1, 2020. Being listed as a World Heritage Site in Danger means its values for which it was inscribed on the List are under severe threat.
“With the international community watching, we cannot afford for Wood Buffalo National Park to continue to fall through the cracks, as it has for so many decades,” says Melody Lepine, Director of Government and Industry Relations with Mikisew Cree First Nation. “A healthy Wood Buffalo National Park is a sign that we are responsibly managing the cumulative impacts on our landscapes, across provincial and territorial borders.”
For more information:
Carolyn Campbell
Conservation Specialist, Alberta Wilderness Association
ccampbell@abwild.ca
403-921-9519
Gillian Chow-Fraser
Boreal Program Manager, CPAWS Northern Alberta
gchow-fraser@cpaws.org
289-775-3250
Melody Lepine
Director, Mikisew Cree First Nation
melody.lepine@mcfngir.ca
780-792-8736
