The Government of Alberta has released a draft wood bison recovery plan that is open for public engagement. This is an important and rare opportunity to take part in a provincial species at risk plan. The plan focuses on the Etthithun, Hay-Zama, Ronald Lake, and Wabasca and Wentzel herds. All herds listed above are disease-free except for the Wentzel herd, whose range overlaps with Wood Buffalo National Park.
Public Feedback is open until Thursday, April 9th.
The draft recovery plan has several positive sections. We support the Ronald Lake and Wabasca populations being listed as higher conservation urgency and the importance of a precautious approach to land-use planning within their ranges. We are also pleased to see the emphasis placed on working with local partners.
Below are sections from the plan that raised concerns. Please note that this is not a complete representative of the feedback CPAWS Northern Alberta will be submitting to the Government of Alberta.
Section 4.0: Habitat Needed to Support Recovery
We support the call to incorporate the wood bison recovery considerations into land-use planning, however, we are concerned by what we have seen so far with the South Athabasca subregional planning process and Alberta’s focus on doubling of oil and gas production. We are concerned that relying on this alone will not be enough to ensure wood bison receive the habitat protection they need.
Section 5.0: Recovery Strategies and Actions
While habitat is spoken to in section 4.0 with a nod to land-use planning, habitat protection is missing almost completely from Section 5.0. Habitat protection for the herds must be a key part of the recovery planning process with clear goals they are striving to meet. As Alberta continues to see increased pressure on the land, protecting habitat, particularly old growth stands, is an important part of recovering wood bison populations.
Section 5.5.1: Reinforce the Wabasca Population
The Wabasca herd is at risk of being extirpated with as few as 10 individuals remaining. We emphasize that urgent action is needed to prevent the loss of the herd. We are disappointed that the Alberta government failed to follow through on the planned introduction of wood bison from Elk Island National Park to reinforce the population scheduled to happen this winter. Swift action is needed to avoid extirpation.
Bison were once abundant in Alberta but were nearly extirpated from the region. Thanks to massive conservation efforts, the species has been reintroduced throughout the province, but some herds have dangerously low numbers (ony 8 animals remain in the Wabasca herd!) and need all the support they need in habitat conservation and recovery. For the recovery plan to be effective, it will need to include measures that protect habitat from further disturbance and restoration of previously disturbed areas. The Wabasca range, in particular cannot sustain new disturbance and the herd will need new animals to be introduced.
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