July 5, 2010

A leading American conservation expert says Alberta is falling behind the rest of Canada when it comes to protecting the boreal forest.

Steve Kallick of the Pew Environment Group told scientists at an international meeting of conservation biologists in Edmonton on Monday that while Ontario and Quebec have been doing their part to preserve the northern forest, Alberta isn't doing enough.

Kallick said Alberta needs to make forest protection a priority before it is too late.

"Alberta is definitely a laggard," Kallick said at the annual conference of the Society for Conservation Biology.

"I think the Alberta government is burdened with a lot of development proposals that are already on the table. But the government has to get out in front of development and has to do some land use planning.

"It's talking about doing those things, and we're going to be watching that very closely."

Kallick said Alberta needs to think less about oilsands development and more about forest protection.

Alberta has promised to preserve 20 per cent of the boreal forest in its oilsands region, even if it means restricting some mining leases.

Kallick came to his conclusions by looking at federal, provincial and industry conservation promises over the last three years. The promises relate to about three million square kilometres of boreal forest, he said.

For example, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty pledged in 2008 to protect the province's northern boreal forest from development, an area totalling approximately 225,000 square kilometres.

Canada's entire boreal forest covers about 5.8 million square kilometres, stretching from the Yukon to Newfoundland.



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2010/07/05/alberta-boreal-forest-pew-conference.html#ixzz0sv2ZQv7g