Environment & Sustainable Resource Development Policy

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Our approach to environmental protection is based on five principles:

  • Water is our most precious resource, and we will give priority to basic human water needs and the preservation of wetlands and instream flow needs.
  • Climate change is real, and we must act in good faith to reduce Alberta’s carbon footprint.
  • Powering long-term economic growth requires energy diversification, energy efficiency and conservation.
  • Human health depends upon a clean environment and clean cities and towns.
  • We have an ethical duty to preserve natural areas both for human use, to ensure wildlife thrives, and to protect the intrinsic beauty of the landscape.

To see how these principles shape our policy, read Clean Air, Clean Land, Clean Water, Cutting Carbon: Restoring and Protecting our Environment.

 

Sustainable Resource Development

Protecting Grizzlies

Alberta’s dwinding grizzly bear population - now only half as large as it needs to be to sustain itself - must be protected without delay. An Alberta Liberal administration would immediately list the grizzly as a threatened species and suspend the grizzly bear hunt indefinitely. 

Land Use

The Alberta Liberal Caucus recognizes the need to develop and implement land use plans now to strike the proper balance between economic/industrial development and maintaining a sustainable, vibrant environment. This balance is needed in order to maintain Alberta’s competitive economic advantage, and to achieve the maximum future potential of Alberta’s land and communities.

Public Lands Management

Public lands are a precious resource that must be carefully shepherded by a responsible government. An Alberta Liberal administration would:

  • Halt the sell-off of public lands.
  • Ensure that all industries work together to minimize the impact on our natural environment, especially in sensitive areas.
  • Work with the forestry sector to explore and develop new opportunities for a broader, more sustainable base for the industry.
  • Halt “paid hunting” in Alberta.
  • Establish conservation offsets to balance lands impacted by development.
  • Immediately review existing legislation to strengthen Alberta’s parks and protected areas.

Forestry

We will work closely with forest industry operators to ease the blow from the collapsed U.S. housing market, the high Canadian dollar, and the impact of pine beetle with these policies:

  • Examine a tax credit for new and recent machinery and equipment installed to improve efficiency and environmental performance.
  • Support the development of biomass energy projects that use wood fiber, including electrical generation at forest manufacturing mills.
  • Work with industry to streamline forest regulatory system.

Environment & Sustainable Resource Development Responses & Questions

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14 February 2012

Environmental Monitoring (February 14, 2012)

Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. This government has an action and a credibility problem when it comes to environmental protection and our international reputation. All it does is try to sell a message rather than working to ensure that it has the scientific foundation and the action on the ground to back it up. To the Minister of Environment and Water: why is this government moving forward on monitoring without an independent commission in place? That is the only way to ensure scientific credibility. Why?

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14 February 2012

The Castle-Crown area (February 14, 2012)

Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Castle-Crown area is a critical wildlife zone, the home of 223 species that are rare or at risk of extinction. Environmental groups have stated at length that this area is crucial to the maintenance of specific fish and wildlife populations. A recent survey has found that three-quarters of the residents are opposed to the logging in the area and wish CastleCrown to be named a wildland park. My questions are to the Premier. Given that the Castle-Crown area is such a gem for watershed, wildlife, and recreation, how can you authorize logging in this area, an area that Albertans clearly want to preserve?

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09 February 2012

Castle-Crown Wilderness Area (February 9, 2012)

Ms Blakeman: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. This government’s
version of protection for a designated special place like the Castle-
Crown is to allow commercial logging to create fence posts. Its
version of protecting threatened species like the grizzly and black
bear is to allow logging equipment to crush these hibernating bears
and their newborn cubs and destroy their habitat. Bottom line: this
government is allowing a situation where a designated special place
and the lives and habitats of bears are being destroyed. To the
Premier: why does the Castle-Crown have to provide the trees for
fence posts? Why this particular area, which is a special place?

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08 February 2012

Environmental Protection

Ms Blakeman: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday’s throne speech said, “The people of this province share a deep love and respect for its environment and natural resources,” but clearly this government does not. Not once does the term or even the idea of environmental protection get mentioned. What we do see is the environment being dug up, clear-cut, and sold off. To the Minister of Environment and Water: how can this government claim that it will protect the environment when every single reference in the document, in the throne speech, talks specifically about how to develop it?

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02 February 2012

Logging in the Castle threatening grizzlies

Edmonton – Laurie Blakeman, Official Opposition Critic for Sustainable Resource Development (SRD), says logging in the Castle Crown Special Management Area further threatens Alberta’s tiny population of grizzly bears – a species already listed as “Threatened” under Alberta’s Wildlife Act.

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31 January 2012

Statement: Sherman on pipelines

Yesterday interim federal Liberal leader Bob Rae suggested that he does not approve the construction of the Northern Gateway oil pipeline. Alberta Liberals respect Mr. Rae, but he is on the wrong side of this issue.

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26 January 2012

Sherman calls on government to listen to Albertans and make the Castle Crown a provincial park

Edmonton - While PC Ministers spread out across the province to supposedly consult with the public on decisions that they have already made, Alberta Liberal Leader Raj Sherman asks why the government isn’t listening to Albertans when it comes to clear cut forestry in southwestern Alberta.

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20 January 2012

Keystone failure has lessons for Alberta

Edmonton – Official Opposition Environment Critic Laurie Blakeman says the delay of the Keystone XL pipeline project gives Alberta an opportunity to get better environmental practices in place before the next round of approvals.

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