Recent moves by the provincial government continue to spark concerns about inadequate stewardship of wildlife and nature.
Last week the topic of discussion was the potential for wild horse culls. Advocates referred to the Province’s approach as being equivalent to “equine genocide.” The week before that was the announcement about the removal of trapping limits on wolverines. Earlier this summer it was the decision to allow for more grizzly hunts and kills in Alberta.
And advocates continue to raise alarms about the potential impacts of greater logging and coal mining in areas where vulnerable westslope cutthroat trout spawn.
It is understood there must always be a balance between the needs of economic development and the conservation of wildlife when it comes to government policy, but with the sheer mass of removal of protections in recent months, and the seeming government support for intensive commercial activity in natural areas, there are many who feel this provincial government is not getting that balance correct.
The reason Alberta is the envy of the world is the natural wonders that exist here, the wildlife, and the public accessibility to fairly pristine Crown lands on top of well-developed parks. It does not serve our province well to throw all that to the side of the road in the name of appeasing a few select corporate interests and individuals.
Alberta does not belong to the UCP. It does not belong to the NDP; or any one political party which happens to hold the majority in Edmonton at a given moment. It is a natural legacy passed down through the generations.
There is no greater sin in government than to start taking the voters in Alberta for granted in the name of arrogance and special interests. Recall Jim Prentice and the former Progressive Conservative Party.
Word to the wise: There is a very long way to fall in Alberta, and it can happen very quickly.
