Open Letter to Alberta Minister of Forestry and Parks: Public Call to Rescind Recent Detrimental Wildlife Management Decisions

May 5, 2025

Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) and Exposed Wildlife Conservancy wrote to Minister Todd Loewen asking for him to rescind his recent harmful wildlife management decisions.

These decisions could cause irreversible damage to Alberta’s wildlife populations and ecosystems.

They contradict decades of sustainable management, are against the advice of biologists and species experts, and conflict with the management plans and population estimates of his ministry. They unfairly favour hunters and trappers over most Albertans. Already, thousands of letters from Albertans protesting these decisions have been ignored.

The decisions include:

More than doubling of female cougar quotas.
Adding six additional Cougar Management Areas and setting quotas in these new areas to non-zero numbers.
Expanding the Minister’s Special Licence species and seasons, particularly for at-risk species like mountain goats.
Allowing public hunting of “problem” grizzly bears, a Threatened species.
Lifting quotas on sensitive furbearing species like wolverines, fishers, Canada lynx and river otters.

AWA and Exposed examined the science, biases, consultations and lack of transparency for each of these changes.

We have found them to be inconsistent with the advice of scientists and sustainable wildlife management principles, with no opportunities for public input or feedback from interested parties. They clearly favour hunters, trappers and outfitters, a group the minister has maintained strong associations with. These decisions must be reversed.

Read the full letter, additional information or appendices.

Read the letter of support from Nature Alberta.

Sign the petition or write your own letter.

Background reading:

Cougars

Grizzly Bears

Furbearers