Conservationists hopeful with pending release of southern Alberta land-use plan

The stunning Castle Falls in the Castle wilderness area of southern Alberta.
Photograph by: Gavin Young , Calgary Herald

Conservationists hopeful with pending release of southern Alberta land-use plan

By Colette Derworiz, Calgary Herald July 22, 2014

"....Kevin Van Tighem, a biologist and conservationist who sat on a committee that provided advice to the province, said he’d like to see the eastern slopes — particularly the Castle — protected to better conserve the headwaters.

In addition, he’s hoping for “tangible measures” to protect what remains of the province’s native grasslands to help save endangered species such as the sage grouse in southeastern Alberta..."

Read article here: http://bit.ly/1p8IfrE

The Final Push

Photo, courtesy Yellowstone to Yukon 
Conservation Initiative/Stephen Legault

The Final Push

Kevin Van Tighem writes:

"Tomorrow is the deadline for public comments on the draft land use plan for the South Saskatchewan region. If you don't have time to wade through the draft plan but want to encourage the government to address the conservation shortcomings of the draft here are some points that you might want to cut and paste into an email to LUF@gov.ab.ca ------

1. Alberta's surviving native prairie should be protected from sale, cultivation and new surface disturbance. Ranching is compatible with conserving the many species at risk on the prairie, but further damage to grasslands isn't.

2. The Castle area has the highest biodiversity in the region and produces a third of our water. It needs protection as a Wildland Park.

3. Off-highway vehicle abuse of our foothills and Front Ranges is out of control and needs to be reined in. Use should be restricted to a few properly-designed trails that don't damage watersheds and wetlands or disturb grizzly and trout habitat. New regulations enabling citizens to initiate prosecutions of offenders would help improve enforcement which is currently very weak.

4. Clearcut logging should no longer be permitted in our river headwaters. New guidelines should require canopy retention methods that enable trees to continue intercepting rain and providing shade for the spring snowpack.

5. Financial incentives that encourage private property owners to restore and maintain wetlands and native grassland and to conserve habitat for species at risk should be put into place as soon as possible.

6. Dry dams and other river engineering should not be considered until the health of the headwater landscapes has been full restored. If there is a need for new dams, trapping of beavers should be prohibited so we can get dams where they are most useful, at no cost to the taxpayer."

More info at Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative and at CPAWS Southern Alberta

South Saskatchewan Regional Plan moves closer to completion

South Saskatchewan Regional Plan moves closer to completion

By Ian McDonald, Global News, Feb 11, 2014

****The deadline to submit your comments on S. Alberta's Land Use Plan is Feb 28th. Your voice is really important. Go to www.y2y.net to send in your comments. **** ‪#‎SSRP‬
 
Watch video news clip & read text here: http://bit.ly/1gQlk1L

Alberta’s Heritage of Wildlife and Headwaters Up for Grabs

Map by John Weaver – Wildlife Conservation Society Canada

Alberta’s Heritage of Wildlife and Headwaters Up for Grabs

***DEADLINE EXTENDED*** Provide your comments on the draft South Saskatchewan Regional Plan by February 28, 2014. http://conta.cc/1ftsg8E

By Dr. John Weaver, National Geographic

When the famous naturalist and guide Andy Russell led hunters and summer visitors on horseback through southwest Alberta during 1930s-1950s, the country was wild, the waters clean and full of native trout, and wildlife roamed the mountains in security.

But over the past 50 years, expanding resource extraction and associated roads have penetrated most of these remote valleys. Once-abundant populations have been diminished, habitat security has been breached, connectivity has been fractured, and genetic integrity compromised.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/1kAe1yH

A dam could exacerbate future flood damage

A dam could exacerbate future flood damage

By Kevin Van Tighem, Calgary Herald January 16, 2014

Major floods are inevitable. It’s also inevitable that when there’s too much water and sediment for the river channel, the overflow will spread across the floodplain. Floodplains are, quite simply, part of the river — but only during floods.

That’s why any houses, roads, bridges, berms or other infrastructure on the floodplain are likely to be damaged during a flood; they’re in the river, after all.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/LgrTRd

If you’re worried about floods, look upstream

Photos: Karsten Heuer and Katie Morrison

If you’re worried about floods, look upstream

By Karsten Heuer and Katie Morrison, Calgary Herald January 9, 2014

When the Bow, Elbow, Sheep and Highwood rivers raged through Calgary and area in June, racking up billions of dollars in damages and disrupting thousands of lives, most homeowners probably weren’t thinking about what this disaster had to do with natural areas upstream.

But before our government starts developing elaborate multimillion-dollar flood control projects, such as tunnels, channels and dams, it should look instead at the potential payoff of better protecting our headwater forests.

Read article here: http://bit.ly/1d4QAWR

CPAWS Southern Alberta @ U of C for SSRP - Jan 13

Tonight at UofC! Find out more about the land-use plan that will shape Southern Alberta for decades to come, and learn how you can give your feedback to the government.

Forestry industry in dark on effects of southern Alberta land-use plan

The provincial draft land-use plan for southern Alberta suggests forestry activities will be maintained and diversified, but lacks details on how that will accomplished. “There’s a lot of question marks in terms of what the impact will be to us as an industry or to us as a company,” said Gord Lehn, a director with Spray Lakes Sawmills in Cochrane. Forest land use sign post in the Castle Wilderness Area of Southern Alberta on Wednesday October 3, 2012.
Photograph by: Gavin Young , Calgary Herald

Forestry industry in dark on effects of southern Alberta land-use plan

By Colette Derworiz, Calgary Herald January 6, 2014

"“It’s really business as usual,” said Katie Morrison, conservation planner with the southern Alberta chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.

The group suggests clear-cut logging and roads affect headwater forests, with land losing its natural ability to regulate water flow during floods and droughts."

Read article here: http://bit.ly/1dtH801

Off-roaders fear being shut out by southern Alberta land-use plan

Responsible off-road enthusiasts say more enforcement of the rules would be more effective than limiting access to Alberta’s wilderness areas, by targeting the minority who harm the environment. “Ultimately, we have the same concerns about wildlife and water,” says Kevin Martoani, a 4x4 enthusiast who lives in Calgary. “We want clean air and clean water or we wouldn’t be out there.”
Photograph by: Stuart Gradon

Off-roaders fear being shut out by southern Alberta land-use plan

By Colette Derworiz, Calgary Herald January 6, 2014

“There is very little change in the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan,” says Marina Krainer, executive director of the Ghost River Watershed Alliance. “It’s a little bit disappointing.”

She says the problems, which include erosion and sediment entering rivers and streams, are worsening with the growing numbers of off-road enthusiasts in the province.

Read article here: http://bit.ly/JR1bOz

Guide fears for wildlife in draft land-use plan

Outdoor guide Jeff Samson, snowshoeing near Canmore, suggests there is little consideration for wildlife in the draft land-use plan for southern Alberta.
Photograph by: Gavin Young, Calgary Herald

Guide fears for wildlife in draft land-use plan

By Colette Derworiz, Calgary Herald January 4, 2014

Jeff Samson, a guide in the mountain parks, loves wildlife. A grizzly bear with cubs, a moose or a herd of elk are often the highlight of his hiking or snowshoe tours in the Bow Valley.

Samson worries, though, that they aren't considered in a draft land-use plan for southern Alberta.

"I care a lot about the wildlife," he said. "If there's one thing this plan lacks, it's about wildlife."

Samson, who relies on tourism for his livelihood, is not alone in his concerns.

Read story here: http://bit.ly/1etV1Nw

#SSRP

CPAWS Southern Alberta @ MEC for SSRP - Jan 12

The Draft South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP) is a land-use plan for the South Saskatchewan River basin area of Southern Alberta. 

The land use plan will determine how we use our land and waters for industry, environment and recreation for decades to come. 

The public comment period on the plan is open until JANUARY 15th.  

CPAWS Southern Alberta is holding an information workshop at Mountain Equipment Co-op in Calgary on Sunday, January 12th from 12-2pm in order to:

1) Provide an overview of the Draft SSRP and CPAWS’ main concerns with the plan, and

2) Provide you with a variety of ways to express your views on the Draft SSRP to the Government of Alberta, including writing a letter, meeting with your MLA or filling in a workbook.

Free! All are welcome.

Winds of change are blowing on Alberta's prairie

Kevin Van Tighem
Photograph by: Colleen De Neve , Calgary Herald

Winds of change are blowing on Alberta's prairie
Kevin Van Tighem, Calgary Herald
Published: Saturday, January 04, 2014

Bow River Shuttles writes: From prairie grassland to potato patch? Haven't we been down this road before?

Kevin Van Tighem writes: "Lobbying by special interest groups appears to have won out, because the draft South Saskatchewan Regional Plan contains not one single conservation area east of Highway 2 — where most of our species at risk are found.

Worse, it offers up a third of what remains for sale to irrigation farmers — something the regional advisory committee never even considered. Once plowed, prairie doesn’t recover."

Read article here: http://bit.ly/KrQoei

Your advice on what should be in the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan can go as a simple email to bev.yee@gov.ab.ca

Rancher wants to protect grassland (with video)

Audrey Taylor, a rancher in the Milk River area, wants to put her leased land into heritage rangeland - a designation that would protect it from further development.

Photograph by: Lorraine Hjalte, Calgary Herald

Rancher wants to protect grassland (with video)

Draft plan covers 83,764 square km of Alberta land

By Colette Derworiz, Calgary Herald January 3, 2014

Audrey Taylor's pasture for her cattle is in the middle of the Milk River ridge, an internationally significant grassland that's home to rare fish, birds and plants. Deer and antelope regularly play in her yard.

Read article here:  http://bit.ly/193rEnw

In response to this article, Kevin Van Tighem writes: "We have until January 15 to persuade the planners to protect what grasslands currently remain. They are heading in the wrong direction - the draft plan proposes to sell up to a third of what native prairie still survives to irrigation farmers. Comments can be sent to bev.yee@gov.ab.ca"

Plan called 'multimillion-dollar colouring exercise'

Photo, Alan Maudie, CPAWS Southern Alberta

Plan called 'multimillion-dollar colouring exercise'

By Colette Derworiz, Calgary Herald January 3, 2014

Conservation groups say a draft land-use plan for southern Alberta relies on 30-year-old science when it comes to the protection of watersheds and wildlife.

Read article here: http://bit.ly/19Upa9b

SSRP Info Night - 7pm, Dec 17 at CAOC

SSRP Info Night

7PM - Tue, Dec 17th
at Calgary Area Outdoor Council
 
Learn more about the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan.
The Calgary Area Outdoor Council is holding an evening of information sharing about the SSRP.

What's good about it? What are the problems? How does it affect the outdoor community?

Katie Morrison (CPAWS), and Al Black (Climbers Access Society) will be making presentations and fielding questions about the SSRP.

The Calgary Area Outdoor Council wants to hear your views on the SSRP so that we may feed into the process. Our aim is to ensure the collective voice of the outdoor community is heard as this important plan nears its final implementation.

The deadline for public consultation is on January 15th and CAOC will be using information gathered this evening before submitting our position.

More info from ESRD: http://bit.ly/IR1gkN
and CPAWS: http://bit.ly/1diVRMq
 CPAWS Southern Alberta

Alberta not protecting Castle Special Place

Alberta not protecting Castle Special Place

By Lethbridge Herald, Opinon on December 3, 2013.

Katie Morrison

CONSERVATION DIRECTOR, CANADIAN PARKS AND WILDERNESS SOCIETY – SOUTHERN ALBERTA CPAWS Southern Alberta

The Castle Special Place provides clean water for communities and farms downstream, is home to at-risk species such as grizzly bear and bull trout, and offers world-class recreational opportunities. For more than 20 years, Alberta communities, conservation organizations, recreationalist and local businesses have been calling for legislated protection of the Castle Special Place.

Yet the draft South Saskatchewan Regional Plan, released in October, recommends protecting only the Castle’s rocky mountain tops as a Wildland Park and proposes to designate a few of its valleys as ill-defined Conservation Management Areas. The rest of this iconic landscape, including its headwaters, is left unprotected and is slated for forestry and road-building.

Read article here: http://bit.ly/1dRi3SM

More info here: http://cpaws-southernalberta.org/campaigns/castle

Land-use plan fails to protect ‘last best places’ for grizzly bears, trout, says wildlife group

SSRP Public Consultation Session (Calgary) - Nov 13, 4:30-7:30 pm, Glenmore Inn

Land-use plan fails to protect ‘last best places’ for grizzly bears, trout, says wildlife group

By Colette Derworiz, Calgary Herald November 12, 2013

A national wildlife group (WCS Canada) is critical of the draft land-use plan for southern Alberta, suggesting it falls far short of protecting vulnerable wildlife and fish populations in the headwaters.

Read article here: http://bit.ly/183rnOO

Draft South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP) - Nov 12, 13 & 14

Draft South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP) - Nov 12, 13 & 14

The Draft South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP) is a land-use plan covering approximately 12.6% of Alberta’s total land area and home to 45% of Alberta’s population - many of which live in the province’s largest city, Calgary. This is your last chance to speak up on the SSRP, a plan that will set the future of this region for years to come.

This Week's Public Consultation Sessions

Drop-in style, free and informative
4:30pm - 7:30pm

Edmonton - Tuesday, November 12
Ramada Conference Centre
11834 Kingsway Ave

Calgary - Wednesday, November 13
Glenmore Inn
2720 Glenmore Trail SE

Lethbridge - Thursday, November 14
Coast Lethbridge Hotel
526 Mayor Magrath Drive

AWA report Nov 8. Read here: http://bit.ly/18pF8nz

More info here: http://alberta.ca/South-Saskatchewan-Regional-Plan.cfm

Conservationists say southern Alberta land-use plan lacks flood protection

Conservationists would like to see the Castle wilderness area in southwestern Alberta fully protected under the province’s new land-use plan for the region.
Photograph by: Gavin Young , Calgary Herald

Conservationists say southern Alberta land-use plan lacks flood protection

“We’re missing our greatest opportunity here in decades”

By Colette Derworiz, Calgary Herald October 29, 2013

BANFF — A draft land-use plan for southern Alberta offers no new protection for flooding in the area, according to conservationists.

Read article here: http://bit.ly/1cqKkPc