August 2008 • Vol. 16, No. 4

AWA

Rumsey, Parkland Natural Region Photo: C. Wallis

Biodiversity o r Homogenization – It’s Ou r Ch o i c e / 4

He r o e s Ne e d e d t o Ke e p In v a s i o n s a t Ba y i n Ru m s e y / 12

Hy d r o Pr o j e c t t o Di m i n i s h t h e Mi g h t y Pe a c e / 21

Gr i z z l y Be a r Re c o v e r y Te a m Di s b a n d e d b e f o r e Gr i z z l y Re c o v e r y Be g i n s / 26 Editor: Joyce Hildebrand

CaugustONTENTS 2008 • VOL. 16, NO. 4 Editorial Advisory Board: Pam Asheton, Julie Black, Sarah Crook, Andy Marshall, Sharon McIntyre Fe a t u r e s Wi l d e r n e s s Wa t ch Graphic Design: Ball Creative Biodiversity o r Homogenization Up d a t e s 4 19 Printing: – It’s Ou r Ch o i c e 21 Hy d r o Pr o j e c t t o Di m i n i s h t h e Colour printing and process is sponsored 9 Ex o t i c Fi s h e s i n Al b e r t a – Mi g h t y Pe a c e by Topline Printing Pa y i n g t h e Pr i c e 23 McLe a n Cr e e k De b a c l e 12 He r o e s Ne e d e d t o Ke e p Crystallizes OHV Is s u e s i n In v a s i o n s a t Ba y i n Ru m s e y Al b e r t a 14 Al b e r t a ’s We e d Co n t r o l Ac t 26 Gr i z z l y Be a r Re c o v e r y Te a m - An Ou n c e o f Pr e v e n t i o n o r a Di s b a n d e d b e f o r e Gr i z z l y Po u n d o f Cu r e ? Re c o v e r y Be g i n s

l b e r t a s i n e r e e s a t i s k 15 A ’ P T R – 27 Ca n m o r e Ar t i s t Alberta Wilderness Ar e We Ai m i n g a t t h e “Ca n ’t Be a r It” Association i g h t a r g e t R T ? “Defending Wild Alberta through De p a r t m e n t s 16 We e d In v a s i o n i n Al b e r t a ’s Awareness and Action” Ri v e r Va l l e y Co r r i d o r s Alberta Wilderness Association is a 28 Re a d e r ’s Co r n e r charitable non-government organization dedicated to the completion of a Le t t e r t o t h e Ed i t o r 29 protected areas network and the 30 As s o c i a t i o n Ne w s & Ev e n t s conservation of wilderness throughout the province. To support our work with a tax-deductible donation, call Cover Photo (403) 283-2025 or contribute online at AlbertaWilderness.ca. Aspen parkland once stretched over 255,000 km2 of the prairie provinces. In Wild Lands Advocate is published Alberta, the Central Parkland Natural Subregion sweeps in a wide arc from bi-monthly, 6 times a year, by Alberta Airdrie to north of Edmonton, and east to Lloydminster and Provost. Today, the Wilderness Association. The opinions Rumsey Natural Area and Ecological Reserve (together, the Rumsey Block) are expressed by the authors in this surrounded by a checkerboard of cropland. In fact, Rumsey is the only large, publication are not necessarily those relatively undisturbed area of aspen groveland on hummocky disintegration of AWA. The editor reserves the right moraine left in world. It represents a landscape that is almost extinct and to edit, reject or withdraw articles and provides a valuable ecological benchmark. letters submitted. Please direct questions and comments to: Joyce Hildebrand (403) 283-2025 • [email protected] FEATURED ARTIST Subscriptions to the WLA are $30 per Bigoudi is the nom de plume of Canmore-based artist Pascale Ouellet, who year. To subscribe, call (403) 283-2025 chose Alberta as her home six years ago. She studied fine arts in Montreal and or see AlbertaWilderness.ca. is now a full-time painter. Although she is not a landscape painter, the Rocky Mountains and the wild areas around her home contribute to her creativity by enlightening every day of her life. Her medium of choice is encaustic, which is the process of painting with wax. For more information about the artist and her upcoming solo exhibition on September 20, please visit www.bigoudi.ca.

Box 6398, Station D, Calgary, Alberta T2P 2E1 (403) 283-2025 Toll-free 1-866-313-0713 AWA respects the privacy of members. Lists are not sold or traded in any manner. AWA is a federally registered charity www.AlbertaWilderness.ca and functions through member and donor support. Tax-deductible donations may be made to AWA at Box 6398 Station D, Calgary, AB T2P 2E1. Ph: (403) 283-2025 Fax: (403) 270-2743 E-mail: [email protected] www.AlbertaWilderness.ca [email protected] To o Bl e s s e d t o Be St r e s s e d

The arrival of a “lifestyle” magazine in AWA’s mailbox a few weeks ago, with promises of “affordable luxury homes” (a fascinating oxymoron), contained multiple ironies. The thick glossy pages are filled with opportunities to invest in “vacation and investment properties” in the most pristine of environments. A double-page spread features Canmore’s Silvertip golf resort, with the Three Sisters towering in the background. Even if it were within the financial reach of AWA staff, we’d have a hard time justifying owning vacation property in a development we fought to prevent. Gleniffer Lake, a popular resort southwest of Innisfail, is described as containing “crystal-clear glacier water.” Perhaps this went to press before the lake was contaminated in June by an oil pipeline break that spilled 20,000 litres of crude into the Red Deer River, which feeds into the lake. The photos of stunning natural vistas are captioned with references to “Mother Nature’s finest locations,” the “soothing properties of water,” and the “many natural wonders” of the featured resorts, without a hint that those wonders will decrease in proportion to the increase in development. The Lake Newell area, south of Brooks, is exalted as an ideal venue for water skiing and wakeboarding, and for enjoying its three bird sanctuaries, all in the same breath. Moving to more exotic locales, a large photo features the Arizona desert in golden evening light, with subtle shades of desert rocks and flora backgrounding manicured, startlingly green turf – “desert golf at its finest,” says the caption. No mention of the vast amounts of water needed to paint this arid landscape green in an area with annual precipitation of seven inches. The final irony – the magazine ends with an article about making green, sustainable living “the new normal.” The author recommends driving a hybrid car, buying carbon credits when flying, and avoiding bottled water – all valid suggestions, but they will do little to help conserve wilderness, keep our water clean and plentiful, and boost dwindling wildlife populations if we continue to feed our hunger for owning wild places. The stones I’m throwing here are aimed at my own fantasy glass (or rather, strawbale) house in the wilderness. The desire to “own the Rockies,” as a current website address exhorts, is sometimes overwhelming, especially as the city I live in continues to grow. But I also believe that Margaret Atwood has a point when she writes that the moment I say “I own this / is the same moment when the trees unloose / their soft arms from around you, / and the birds take back their language, / the cliffs fissure and collapse…” Here in Alberta – although the “boom stress” is reflected in increased poverty, homelessness, and road rage – many of us are too blessed to be stressed about the future. As our coffers overflow, our long-term vision atrophies. We tend to forget – or maybe we never knew – that everything we do impacts non-human nature, either directly or indirectly. This issue of the Advocate reminds us of those impacts – from the decrease in biodiversity because of species we have introduced into the province to the taming of a wild river by damming it up, from the destruction of wilderness by high- impact recreation to the loss of grizzly bears because of our government’s refusal to address the real cause of their demise. Alberta may someday be listed among the many civilizations whose “success” led to their demise because of a refusal to live within the cycles and limits of non-human nature. Let’s hope we wake up in time to avoid being the subject of Jared Diamond’s Collapse II. – Joyce Hildebrand, Editor Photo: C. Wearmouth , A close A , exotics species has a more e , invasion. In c o i invasive h – it depends on context and C u r The term , and geographic , new residents describes a plant growing the word weed describes a plant growing a not wanted – too subjective where it’s for our discussion term to be very useful the Canada here. If you’re an insect, you want on your thistle is exactly what is abundant, the dinner plate – the pollen prefer natural nectar delicious. If you the thistle remedies to pharmaceuticals, can chew on the root is your friend – you for pain relief. But if you’re a farmer or with argue a conservationist, you won’t “noxious weed” classification Alberta’s prolific Eurasian transplant. of this hardy, objective definition, but it’s still a little still objective definition, but it’s like pinning down the meaning of the word love clover might be a While sweet history. valuable nitrogen-fixing cover crop to an agriculturalist, to a conservationist concerned with preserving the O s ’ t – I , new species , weapons, war, line of defence . The invasive biology literature is often filled with The invasive . and speak with awareness and consideration for the battle omogenization H As invasion biology developed over the last 50 years, a split developed in As invasion biology developed over the Ladybugs of Alberta Acorn, in his book Ladybugs of Alberta writer and naturalist John ranging from positive All human activity impacts the rest of nature, the effects . Others tended toward terms with higher emotional content: . Others tended toward terms with higher spread look at language is time well spent. ecologists preferred more value-free the vocabulary used in this field. Some species terms such as introduced Language Matters rock gathering barnacles, language is Since words accrue connotations like a in the “sticks and stones” proverb. seldom neutral. Nor is there much truth aliens, invasives, non-natives militaristic terms as well: the last decade, some scientists began expressing concern about compromising credibility by using the more emotive terms. Since many introduced species do even the logic of dividing not have a negative impact on ecological integrity, that species into native and non-native has been questioned. Some have suggested ecologists refer to species that cause ecological harm as “harmful new species” rather than “invasive aliens.” (in notes that invasion biologists have been accused of “a tendency toward racism – a prejudice against non-native species), xenophobia (the the form of ‘nativism’ fear of things that are new or unfamiliar), nationalism, and stabilism (the belief or the ‘balance of nature’ that things should forever stay the way the Creator, intended them).” Some have even invoked aesthetics, encouraging the association and non-natives with ugliness. of native species with beauty, to negative, from minimal to disastrous. If we are concerned about minimizing our ecological footprint while enhancing quality of life for all species, including humans, we must both act well-being of both human and non-human nature. o r

the impacts as “immense, insidious, and the impacts as “immense, (2000). Johanne usually irreversible” Commissioner Gélinas, Canada’s and Sustainable of the Environment attention to the Development, brought “Experts long problem in a 2003 speech. invasive species are ago concluded that destruction as a second only to habitat loss,” she said. “All cause of biodiversity Canadians should be concerned.” Five in March 2008, the Office of years later, Auditor General of Canada reported the that “aquatic invasive species are entering Canadian waters faster than Fisheries and Oceans Canada is able to assess the risks environment and they pose to Canada’s economy.” The Linguistic Maze in invasion is a hot topic Terminology biology (see sidebar). In common usage, iodiversity By Joyce Hildebrand, AWA Conservation Specialist Conservation AWA Hildebrand, By Joyce B

ttributing human qualities to ttributing human qualities taking the creeping bellflower lot comes over my inner-city

This plant, of course, is only doing The creeping bellflower is by no concern with harmful Albertans’ have long Scientists, however, A naturally: it’s tempting to think of it as tempting naturally: it’s manipulative, an aggressive, tenacious, After years of exploitive bully. sneaky, swearing at this digging, sweating, and invited to once-desireable perennial, America from Eurasia to adorn our North flowerbeds, I’ve changed the goal from eradication to mitigation. what comes naturally to all living species heavily – propagating. But in a new, disturbed area, the constraints that kept its it from overwhelming other species in native habitat are gone, and it has quickly Although we might say it has spread. “gone wild,” it has actually done just the opposite. introduced of problematic most the means species – its provincial designation is a mild-sounding “nuisance.” It has not yet wilderness Alberta’s found its way into areas, but it may be only a matter of time. Alberta, Canada, Many species across and the world are finding themselves in similar situations and are being labeled “invasive species.” introduced species has a long history; the most widely known example is perhaps our much-touted rat-control program, still active 60 years after its beginnings. And although the mountain pine beetle (a native species, unlike the maligned rodent) has achieved considerable notoriety in the last year or two, our awareness and concern may not include of plants such the devastating effects or as Russian olive and leafy spurge, introduced grasses like smooth brome or crested wheatgrass. The IUCN (World known otherwise. Conservation Union) has identified the problem of what many scientists call “non-native invasive species” as one of its major global initiatives, describing

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F 4 Fe a t u r e s WLA August 2008 • Vol. 16,No. 4 5 Nature, of course, is never static. The The Nature, of course, is never static. generally Natural dispersal, however, Often our introduction of species But intentional human introduction of life cycles with an associated increased life cycles with an associated Asexual likelihood of establishment. need a partner to propagate, species don’t a good survival quality when a propagule finds itself alone in a new world. propagule of a non-native species can be introduced via natural means – birds inadvertently carry larvae or eggs on their feathers or feet from one place to another, and Wind or deposit seeds through feces. into water carry seeds and organisms land bridges Temporary new territory. allow animals and plants to migrate, and climate change can cause extirpation or extend the range of a species. pace (sometimes takes place at a snail’s literally) and has been thwarted for millennia by geographical barriers and inhospitable habitats. In the last few centuries, one species has breached those barriers, dragging other species along with it. Humans have modified habitats and accelerated dispersal to comparative lightning speed through industrialization, increasingly free trade, and thriving global tourism, increasing both the speed and the range of species dispersal. into wilderness areas is unintentional. Seeds are carried on hiking boots and vehicles or the wheels of off-highway pockets, and bicycles, in pant cuffs, luggage – and are deposited unwittingly far from their native habitats. Ships collect ballast water in one ocean releasing it in another, and discharge into foreign thousands of organisms Hitchhiker species accumulate territory. hulls and travel the water on ships’ courses of the world. species is more common than one might Although introducing a non-native be a seed, an entire propagule can A definitions abound. Notwithstanding the definitions abound. ecological complexity of the concept, integrity can be summed up by “the three Ps” – persisting parts and processes. Persisting: enduring over time and in a given place. Parts: a variety of different Processes: species, or biodiversity. interactions of the parts with each other and with the surrounding soil, water, all Invasive species can affect and air. three Ps, thus weakening and eventually destroying ecological integrity.* species sounds like an increase to the biodiversity of an ecosystem, it can in fact disrupt ecological functions and cause displacement or extirpation of biodiversity The area’s native species. may actually decrease, sometimes short-sighted to and it’s dramatically, see this as a matter impacting only non- According to University human nature. “Invasive Rob Roughley, of Manitoba’s species have the potential to disrupt the ecological services that humans depend on for our own survival” (“Detecting Invasive Species,” 2004). Achuff, Cyndi Smith, *Thanks to Peter Lorne Fitch, and Cheryl Bradley for the Ps. three Triangle The Invasion things must be present for a species Three to become invasive: a propagule, a dispersal agent, and a susceptible habitat. an egg, a root – any means by organism, which a species can propagate – but all propagules are not created equal. Some species, for example, are more tolerant of a range of environmental conditions than others. Some are less detectable, more And some have shorter easily transported. ©Bigoudi . species, or exotic , a term species alien non-native non-native species is often used invasive Whether the native/non-native Association Wilderness Alberta The IUCN defines invasive Scientists generally agree that a distinction is even helpful is a subject of scientific debate – how a non-native species impacts ecological integrity depends on many factors, including the specific characteristics of the ecosystem into which it has been introduced. “Native/non-native” does not necessarily The critical equate with “good/bad.” underlying issue, from a conservation perspective, is one of human activity and its impact on ecosystems and habitat. and conservation groups in (AWA), general, tend to see invasive species through the lens of ecological integrity, a phrase for which long technical biodiversity of a rare ecosystem, it is biodiversity of a rare invasive. likely to be considered (usually transported by as “organisms humans) which successfully establish themselves in, and then overcome, otherwise intact, pre-existing native The U.S. Department of ecosystems.” Agriculture takes a more human-centred approach: an invasive species is a species “whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm Although or harm to human health.” the term “Buffalo Roam” 80x28 inches, encaustic “Buffalo Roam” 80x28 interchangeably with or an invasive species can be either native non-native to the area it colonizes. native species is one that occurs naturally (that is, without human introduction, either intentional or not) in a particular ecosystem or defined region. Species America, then, are those native to North that evolved here and occurred on the continent prior to European settlement. Any other species is used interchangeably with Russian olive is miles ahead of In 1950 Russian olive was introduced upon which we are all dependent for for are all dependent which we upon area is degraded When a wilderness life. new the introduction of because of an economic all suffer species, we though it may be spread loss, even entire and across an over generations be some things cannot And society. value – what price given an economic potable water, air, can we put on clean wilderness areas, and vast, undisturbed by the all of which are threatened of the planet’s increasing homogenization ecosystems? Alberta Scenario The Agriculture Alberta On July 7, 2008, “Weed and Rural Development issued a Albertans urging Alert for Saltcedar,” not to plant this aggressive invasive species, now being sold in garden centres throughout the province as Pink Cascade. also known as tamarisk, Saltcedar, escaped cultivation in the U.S and is natural destroying many of the country’s areas. It forms dense, thirsty stands: one plant can use 750 litres of water per day, lowering groundwater levels, drying up springs and marshes, and replacing native willows, cottonwoods, and other riparian The secretion of salt from vegetation. mature plants forms crusts and inhibits the growth of other plants. Cutting or applying chemicals to control saltcedar As simply encourages new growth. with all problematic introduced species, proactive prevention is the most effective management option (see pp. 14 and 18 for more on saltcedar). The relief of tree- Alberta. saltcedar in loving European homesteaders must have been palpable when these trees American were introduced to the North Great Plains from Europe in the late and hedges of Russian Windrows 1800s. olive broke the relentless wind sweeping over endless vistas. But for grassland ecosystems, especially for prairie river valleys, it was bad news. in one site on the Milk River floodplain in Montana, 10 miles south of the Fifty years later, Canada–U.S. border. research showed that the plant had moved (Cheryl M. Pearce & Alberta upriver into Derald G. Smith, 2001). Russian olives now outnumber the native cottonwood trees on many sites in the Milk River Without intervention, this floodplain. non-native species will be locally

Canada’s Commissioner of Commissioner Canada’s has been severe. With human-caused With has been severe. climate change now a global concern, habitats everywhere are changing, with many becoming more hospitable to The New potentially invasive species. recently reported on a study Times York showing that higher concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide can increase the growth of “weedy plants,” increase the amount of pollen produced, and make the plants more resistant to herbicides This, together with (June 29, 2008). habitat disturbance, creates a very uneven – and the playing field for the province’s – native species. planet’s The Economics Trent As noted by Dan Longboat of “Economic impact is University, generally calculated as an impact on vested interests, on things that people have bought and own, or on the annual profits made by businesses” (“Invasive Species from an Indigenous Perspective,” full-cost accounting, Without 2004). estimates of the economic cost of non-native invasive species are grossly conservative and vary widely. the Environment and Sustainable Development estimates the annual cost crops at $7.5 billion. In of pests affecting the U.S., the total cost due to the impacts of non-native species is estimated at Many more than $137 billion a year. indirect costs are not included in those sums, including the loss of wilderness and of ecological goods and services : J. Hildebrand Photo A propagule and a dispersal agent propagule and A Characteristics that increase a think. Most Canadian crops and garden think. Most Canadian crops and garden species, for example, are non-native and have been intentionally introduced for economic or aesthetic reasons. Ladybugs and other insects are brought in for biological control of so-called pests, worms for waste management and bait, and animal species for food, pets, and Wild recreational hunting and fishing. boars, for example, were brought from Alberta game ranches in the Europe to early 1990s and some escaped. Since they produce 12 or 13 young per litter they rapidly proliferated; twice a year, in May 2008, the government officially listed the wild boar as a provincial pest, giving anyone the right to do away with them. Some domestic pigs have escaped and are adapting Alberta from farms in to the wild, even changing their physical appearance and growing tusks. without a susceptible habitat will An generally not result in invasion. introduced non-native species will be natural unlikely to take root in a healthy, where ecosystem with high biodiversity, native species and natural processes are functioning in a strongly connected food introduced species simply The web. niche. find an ecological won’t vulnerability to invasion include habitat’s an absence disturbance, low biodiversity, of potential predators, and high climatic home habitat. similarity to the invader’s with the claim that Few would argue Alberta human disturbance of habitat in Disturbances such as this wellsite in Rumsey Natural Area are a clear invitation to the are Area Natural Disturbances such as this wellsite in Rumsey invasion of non-native species.

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F 6 Fe a t u r e s WLA August 2008 • Vol. 16,No. 4 7 Other Alberta examples of new Other Preventing the introduction of Not all introductions can be believe that earthworms are making a are making that earthworms believe by change to climate contribution serious atmosphere. carbon into the releasing this to dispersal agent continues The major their anglers abandoning be humans: pick up whose tire treads bait; vehicles, boat transport them; and cocoons and transport along waterways. ecosystems species impacting provincial non-native fish in abound. Introduced Cave and Basin hotsprings the Banff to the have been cited as contributing species Banff extinction of the native agronomic plant longnose dace. Escaped brome, Kentucky species such as smooth crested wheatgrass, bluegrass, timothy, a serious threat to and white clover pose grassland ecosystems (see p. 12). Management Options Management options exist to address each corner of the invasion triangle – propagule, dispersal agent, and all be effective, To susceptible habitat. of these options require appropriate government policy and legislation education with enforcement capacity, and awareness initiatives, research and monitoring, and international cooperation. potentially harmful new species is, of course, the most proactive and cost- option. Prevention includes effective a diverse suite of tools, including identifying and blocking pathways by which harmful species are introduced, voluntary codes of conduct, and comprehensive risk-based screening processes for intentional introductions. avoided, but early detection and rapid response can prevent new species from becoming invasive and is much more than long-term control. cost-effective Important information about incipient harmful species can be gleaned from observant amateur naturalists as well as trained scientists. Systems of detection and response must be designed and coordinated among the various levels of government. Detection and rapid response may include following a protocol for prioritizing harmful species control projects, limiting spread through eradication and suppression, and expanding information-sharing opportunities.

Although they may do a grand job Although they may decade ago, studies of southwestern A they would be wrong, if we’re talking we’re talking wrong, if would be they wild Alberta’s in earthworms about America’s Almost all of North spaces. during were extirpated native earthworms ago, so 10,000 years the last glaciation are today continent the on earthworms the from Europe, introduced species largely on ships and colonization stowaways trees. Some species in the roots of fruit introduced for have been intentionally soil improvement, or waste management, fishing bait. in your garden, of composting the soil the University current research from Alberta shows that the non-native of boreal forest Alberta’s earthworms in change the layer, decrease the leaf litter soil composition by mixing soil layers, and negatively impact forest species, thus Other studies decreasing biodiversity. show that in as little as four years, non- native earthworms pushed some native forest plants to the point of endangerment soil conditions. by changing the forest’s lodgepole pine forests showed Alberta’s that earthworms change subterranean And since 80 insect communities. percent of the carbon stored in Canada’s layer (the soil forests is in the duff layer comprising partially and fully matter), where many decomposed organic earthworms spend their lives, scientists : N. Douglas photo WLA December 2007 and Although few Albertans would find Although few One would think that in the high think that in the high One would rust, a species But white pine blister p. 15). Without the rapid implementation the Without p. 15). management strategies, of effective the whitebark pine could soon be on endangered species list. Canada’s Because it is a keystone subalpine species, other species are likely to go down with it. the common earthworm beautiful, most would probably agree with the statement “Earthworms are good for the earth.” But iver floodplain Milk River floodplain on the dominant of this the end by 2010. By Alberta in displace the it may completely century, cottonwood. the sites that it prefers, cold mountain from pine would be safe whitebark to the rocky, invasive species. Clinging to onslaughts of poor soils and exposed species this subalpine wind and snow, by being a critical promotes biodiversity of other food source for a number squirrels, black and species, including red nutcrackers. grizzly bears, and Clark’s inadvertently of rust fungus, was Today in 1910. Vancouver introduced to every part of the it is found in almost America, range in North whitebark pine’s Alberta, including the Castle area of with the highest infection rates being in the northwestern U.S. and southwestern Canada (see Many concerned Albertans are depending on the final Land-Use Framework document Albertans are Many concerned high in and its implementation to slow down landscape disturbance, now at an all-time the province. of oil sands tailings ponds 2 The obvious solution to the problem Not all non-natives are invasive. (2008). (All data are from Government of (2008). (All data are from Government Alberta records.) of disturbing habitats, which then is provide a haven for introduced species, appropriate management of high-impact legislation includes This activities. human that requires industry to implement best management practices; slowing the pace of industrial development, particularly in the oil sands; eliminating industrial activities in all protected areas (including where invasive species have Rumsey, become well established – see p. 12); restoring disturbed areas to native species; establishing ecological integrity as the primary goal in protected areas management; and setting aside more areas for protection from wilderness large habitat disturbance. Some are invasive in some ecosystems And some native but not in others. species can take over and destroy the ecological integrity of their ecosystems. Humans are, of course, one species but our linguistic and among many, tool-using abilities mean that we have We considerable control over our actions. can minimize our impact on the earth if we choose to, or we can create conditions for the continued homogenization of the planet – ultimately to the detriment of up most species, including our own. It’s to us. province has 392,000 km of energy- province has 392,000 related pipelines and 21,000 km of transmission lines (2007); 1.4 million km of seismic lines in the Green Zone alone (1995); 227,000 non-abandoned wells, 817 gas plants, 4,726 compressor stations, and 12,243 gas batteries (2006); and 130 km allis Photo: C. W C. Photo: ©Bigoudi Harmful species are much more change in order to minimize the spread change in order to minimize The wide range of of harmful species. options includes seed cleaning, using certified seed mixes and weed-free hay, cleaning topsoil and fill, controlling ballast water intake and deposit, and enforcing invasive species legislation and policy. likely to take hold in a disturbed habitat biodiverse ecosystem, than in a healthy, and habitat disturbance generally occurs Alberta, because of human activity – in often forestry and petroleum exploration Alberta’s say that To and development. is landscape has been seriously disturbed an understatement. In addition to roads, clearcuts, cropland, urban development, and other surface disturbances, the Once non-native species are well- Once non-native species Since the dispersal agent is generally The Milk River Valley of southern Alberta is vulnerable to invasion by saltcedar of southern The Milk River Valley in the a serious threat invasive shrub that is considered (tamarisk), an aggressively northern Montana. reached southwestern U.S. and has already “Variations on the same leaf” 80x28 inches, acrylic on the same leaf” 80x28 inches, “Variations established, the only management option is often control of further spread and mitigation of impacts. Control methods may include cultural practices (crop rotation, hunting, fishing), removal (hand pulling, mechanical harvesting, burning, using herbicides and pesticides), interference with reproduction (sterilization), or biological control. Most will admit that we scientists, however, have barely scratched the surface in our knowledge of how ecosystems work, never mind the details about how each individual species functions. Based on such limited understanding, the best-laid plans for control can go badly awry. Homo sapiens, human behaviour must

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F 8 Fe a t u r e s WLA August 2008 • Vol. 16,No. 4 9 e c The details of how the extinction First, the hotsprings habitat of All of these factors likely had some r i nearby Bow River. came to be are most instructive for Alberta native understanding threats to Claud As researchers fishes today. Reynaud and Don McAllister outline the complete process in a 1988 paper, probably involved a complex witches’ brew of habitat destruction, pollution, and exotic species introductions, which are massive and ongoing in the province today. fish was fundamentally little McCardell’s changed with human-made structures, repeated water diversions, and flow from chemicals, Various interruptions. to the to chlorine, were added DDT And at spring waters at various times. least 10 exotic species, most of them tropical forms from the aquarium trade, were introduced into the springs, creating non-native populations of thousands of potential competitors, aggressors, predators, and disease vectors. Indeed the most successful of these newcomers, the western mosquitofish, has often been implicated as a cause of native fish extinctions elsewhere. role to play in weakening or reducing the size of the native dace population. P e h t

a y i n g yhood – P e r t a b : D. Ma Photo l A i n egrettably, the discovery of the Regrettably, Described to science for the first By 1988 this little fish was declared

or lightly introgressed a pure population. This fish may be from trout cutthroat population. Examining external markings helps to identify the elusive genetically pure westslope the elusive genetically pure Examining external markings helps to identify new hot sulphur spring and cave near the new hot sulphur spring and cave near the were exploring the present town of Banff, environs of their find when they stumbled upon perhaps our most unusual native fish. little fish and population of McCardell’s its unique hotspring habitat led to the first and only extinction so far recorded in a Banff Canadian national park. Ironically, first – had been National Park – Canada’s established for the express purpose of protecting these springs. time in 1892 and recognized as a distinct longnose subspecies in 1916, the Banff dace (Rhinichthys cataractae smithi) was a unique subspecies of a much more Alberta widespread and common native It was known from only a single minnow. population, occupying the very warm water of the outlet pool of the Cave and National Park. Basin Hotspring in Banff It probably evolved there in place after ice about Wisconsinan the retreat of the 10,000 years ago. “virtually extinct.” It had been hybridized into oblivion, introgressed (invasively mixed) by the genes of the widespread and much more common eastern longnose dace, which is native in the e s h i s F c x o t i By Dave Mayhood By Dave E lists 59 species of

elson and Paetz’s The Fishes elson and Paetz’s Alberta of fishes with self-perpetuating

With these few words, recalled With There would therefore appear to be All of these problems are exacerbated N McCardell’s Little Fish: Victim No. 1 Victim Little Fish: McCardell’s “Come and see the little fish swimming in this stream!” W. some half-century after the event, McCardell announced the discovery in most remarkable Alberta’s 1883 of one of native fishes. Railworkers McCardell, Frank and their partner, Tom, his brother McCabe, believing they had discovered a populations in Alberta. Of these, 51 Alberta. Of these, 51 populations in eight (golden trout, are native and only trout, northern Dolly brown trout, brook western mosquitofish, sailfin Varden, African and threespine stickleback, molly, Alberta jewelfish) were introduced into from elsewhere. Most of the non-native species are restricted to a very few waterbodies – often only one. Only two (brook trout and brown trout) could be considered at all widespread. Despite introductions of non-native many many, fishes documented by Nelson and Paetz, most have failed to become established. Alberta: little problem with exotic fish in only two exotic species, representing just 3.4 percent of the entire fauna are widespread. But this view ignores several critical issues. In fact, some of the least widespread exotics probably helped to drive one of our unique native fishes to An iconic native trout of our extinction. southern Eastern Slopes is close to being extirpated by introduced genetically distinct forms (stocks) of the same fish and by a closely related species, even Alberta though both are native to other two widespread exotic And the waters. species are slowly replacing populations of certain of our native fishes wherever they encounter them. – and even made possible – by ongoing, relentless habitat modification and look at some examples. destruction. Let’s for example, the period of invasion and for example, the period of invasion and expansion by brook trout populations seems to coincide with a period of profound channel damage as a result of oil and gas development activities, especially road development and all- terrain vehicle use. Brown trout have (along with introduced rainbow trout) completely replaced native westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout in the Crowsnest and Bow rivers, two of the most highly modified rivers in southern Alberta. In the Red Deer and Clearwater drainages, habitat modification and outright damage is also widespread, and may have aided the spread of non-native brook trout and brown trout. However, the spread of both exotics may have been aided by the absence of native black- numbers spotted trouts, which in large might have provided some limiting competition for them. Midst Invaders in Our – and the most interesting Arguably certainly the most insidious and intractable – problem of exotic fish introductions in this province arises from introductions of non-native stocks of Alberta, into species that are native to waters inhabited by native stocks of those same or related species. For example, non-native stocks of cutthroat trout commonly have been introduced on top of native westslope cutthroat trout. Or yhood These good attributes, which were For example, provincial fishery The fortunes of both of these The blue-ribbon section of the Bow River below Calgary (at Carseland). Now The blue-ribbon section of the Bow River once held some this reach trout, non-native rainbow and brown dominated by large in the province. trout cutthroat and westslope native bull trout of the largest : D. Ma Photo largely because they are highly selective largely feeders and are usually difficult to catch (perhaps not so good, but certain anglers – value the challenge highly). Even better sizes, in they can attain remarkably large part due to their ability to avoid hooks. among the reasons for introducing these fishes, come at a high price. Both brook our replaced and brown trout have largely native trout species in many waters, and their predominance is spreading in some watersheds. biologist Jim Stelfox has documented the rapid recent expansion of brook trout into Quirk Creek at the expense of native westslope cutthroat trout and the Clearwater River And in bull trout. (North Saskatchewan River drainage), brown trout have invaded all the way to the extreme headwaters deep within As a result, they Park. National Banff worth as a have destroyed that river’s benchmark aquatic ecosystem despite its remote wilderness location within a Whether brown trout have national park. displaced bull trout, the only native trout, it is an but in the headwaters is not clear, obvious possibility that must be checked. Alberta introduced species in invading may have been helped along by often intense habitat modifications in most watersheds. In the Quirk Creek case, Brook trout (really a charr, like our Brook trout (really a charr, Brown trout, native to western What have been the consequences? The Eastern Hordes and persistent Our two most widespread on, exotic fishes were brought here, early from the east. native bull trout and lake trout), probably Alberta from Ontario, were introduced to waters with the coming of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 1880s. Our earliest record dates from the 1887 report of a Whitcher, a Mr. fisheries commissioner, area. Mr. on the fishes of the Banff Whitcher described many of the fish he saw and made it clear that brook trout were common in the vicinity of Banff brook trout may be Today, by that time. found in almost every Eastern Slopes and Rocky Mountain watershed that is conceivably capable of holding them, including many lakes. Eurasia, are commonly said to have Alberta with their release from arrived in an upset hatchery truck at Carrot Creek, National just west of the present Banff it Park gates, in 1925. Be that as it may, is clear that there have been many other introductions into the Bow drainage, Athabasca, North as well as into the and Oldman Saskatchewan, Red Deer, drainages. Substantial populations now exist in the Oldman, Crowsnest, Bow, and North Saskatchewan Red Deer, rivers, and many of their major tributaries. Alberta anglers side, on the positive Well, can now catch two additional fine species of trout. Brook trout are extraordinarily colourful fish, are prolific, often spawn successfully in lakes with minimal or and are no surface outflow or inflow, easy to catch. Brown trout can sustain considerable angling pressure (good!), It appears that critically low numbers low numbers critically that It appears of these combination by some caused more native dace much factors made the local to hybridizing with susceptible River subspecies in the Bow coolwater brought and channel changes when flow the end, into contact. In the two fishes little fish it appears that McCardell’s by habitat – its population weakened perhaps by disease, damage and loss, and or predation competition, aggression, – finally of invading exotic species by genetic succumbed to assimilation much more abundant introgression with a disrupted habitat. invader in a highly

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On the other hand, exotic Has it been worth it? of the genetic variation occurs among among occurs genetic variation of the little is relatively there populations; Put another populations. variation within tend to be individual populations way, one another from different genetically highly are unique. It seems – often they because they are different likely that to the different they are uniquely adapted population occupies. ecosystem that each be ecosystem-level If so, there may well is either lost or changes if a population by hybridization significantly changed non-native stock. with an introduced, Thoughts Final few basic I suggest there are a make about exotic conclusions we can introduced into fishes that have been The first is that they waters. Alberta’s are often accompanied by extensive, profound changes in habitat, and that therefore, are usually their effects, of habitat conflated with the effects Another is that, for largely change. unknown reasons, successfully introduced fishes can in some cases take over huge areas of habitat from our native attested by at least as And finally, species. one case, exotic species introductions have likely assisted in driving a unique Alberta native fish to extinction. introductions have given us a few pretty aquarium fish living wild in our oldest have two new trout We national park. to catch that we would have had to travel thousands of kilometres to catch have hundreds of weirdly We otherwise. maladapted stocks of Frankenfish hybrids to enjoy in place of the jewel-like native westslope cutthroat trout with which our forebears had to make do. Dave Mayhood is an aquatic ecologist of FWR Freshwater and president In defence Limited in Calgary. Research for most of of the biologists responsible he has this to say: “Many the wreckage, among the of them in their day were brightest in their fields. They worked within the paradigm of their times, acting on not ours. Most of them were often the best evidence they had. Too devastatingly, spectacularly, they were Too blindingly wrong. catastrophically, often they made things immeasurably at good really really, worse. If you are exactly like them. what you do, you are Sleep well.” In nature, rainbows and cutthroats rainbows and cutthroats In nature, hybridization, The consequences of Although it may be less obvious, the The problem of native stocks the native cutthroat population became became population cutthroat the native extinct. locally they do not hybridize when generally in many areas as they do occur together, when the two drainage. But in the Pacific as thrown together unnaturally, fish were it were, they hybridized. hybridization, especially introgressive but as yet these are likely to be profound, One thing we have been little-studied. juvenile do know is this: first-generation much more hybrids move upstream juveniles of either extensively than do This implies that of the parental stocks. in the ecological there will be a change populations once role of cutthroat trout they become hybridized, and that implies a possible change in the functioning of the entire ecosystem of which they are a part. Stay tuned – more research is underway. problem is exactly analogous when non- native cutthroat stocks are introduced on top of native cutthroat stocks. In this introgression is much, case, however, much more likely. hybridizing with non-native stocks would make- genetic their if issue an such be not ups were essentially the same. But in the case of westslope cutthroat trout, at least, this is not the case. In this species, most ©Bigoudi as a species is native to a Let’s look at the problem of rainbow look at the problem of rainbow Let’s Rainbow trout introduction into “Bighorn Sheep #1” 48x36 inches, encaustic even more commonly, non-native stocks stocks non-native more commonly, even in and have repeatedly, trout of rainbow on been introduced massive numbers, trout westslope cutthroat top of native let the “westslope” (Don’t populations. Westslope name fool you. part of the native is the subspecies cutthroat trout Alberta in the Bow and Oldman to these waters are drainages, even though of the Rockies.) on the Eastern Slopes Rainbow trout trout introductions first. to a small Alberta only are native in River basin. Athabasca part of the upper genetically distinct These populations are from all other to a considerable degree not used for rainbow trout and are else introductions. Rainbows everywhere in the province are introduced, almost always from highly modified hatchery stocks derived from Pacific-drainage These are exotics in every populations. sense of the word, even though the rainbow trout small part of the province. native westslope cutthroat trout waters The two was often very destructive. species hybridized. Commonly they hybridized so thoroughly that the gene pool of the cutthroat population became completely introgressed by rainbow different, trout genes. In essence a new, of species was created, bearing the genes both parental populations. Consequently, u m s e y R i n

In drier mixedgrass prairie, smooth vigorous seedlings get a head start on native grasses in the race for unoccupied space. Once they have occupied a site, the invaders do not give it up. brome and Kentucky bluegrass are confined to moist draws, valleys, and wetlands. Crested wheatgrass, a native of the dry steppes of Siberia, survives under a broader range of climatic and site conditions, including upland sites of mixedgrass prairie. In the moister climate Alberta and the foothills where of central all three rough fescue grasslands occur, invasive grasses can persist and spread They into all but the driest upland sites. have the capacity to overwhelm native grasslands and dominate the modified An plant community for many decades. official acknowledgement that these modified communities will persist for the proportion foreseeable future on a large a y B a t n v a s i o n s I e e p K t o

) originated. There are (Poa pratensis) originated. native elements of smooth brome and possibly Kentucky bluegrass in North America, which have interbred with their introduced cousins, but they did not occupy near the range of habitats Although that the introduced species do. one would expect native species to be better adapted than non-natives to their environment of origin, our native grasses tend to lose out in the fierce competition for resources with these species, which have the advantage of being unconstrained by the factors controlling their growth in their original habitats. The spreading roots of smooth brome and Kentucky bluegrass rapidly creep into small unoccupied spaces, seizing resources from native bunchgrasses The abundant such as rough fescue. seeds produced by crested wheatgrass germinate early in the spring, and the Spring 2008 – bright green tufts of crested wheatgrass are growing through vegetation through growing wheatgrass are tufts of crested Spring 2008 – bright green Area. constructed pipeline in the Rumsey Natural killed with herbicide along a recently : C. Bradley Photo e e d e d N e r o e s Agropyron Agropyron By Cheryl Bradley By Cheryl H

n a beautiful summer day in n a beautiful summer of 2006, I was with a group enjoying friends and colleagues

Here in the heart of this designated Among those interested in preserving Since agronomic species are chosen moist, loamy soils Alberta’s Southern O the largest block of plains rough fescue block of plains rough the largest – the Rumsey grassland in the world Area and Ecological Reserve. Natural happened upon a narrow pipeline We seeded to a robust disturbance recently tufted grass with comb-like seed heads. There was a collective gasp, followed by shocked silence. It was crested wheatgrass! a protected area north of Drumheller, gas company employee had cast crested wheatgrass seeds onto the narrow strip of bare ground that ran several hundred metres from a wellsite to a connecting were facing another We pipeline. formidable foe in the heart of an area we were working to protect and restore. rough fescue grasslands, there is fear and loathing at the thought of crested wheatgrass, smooth brome grass, and Kentucky bluegrass getting a foothold These introduced in natural areas. species reduce biodiversity and wildlife habitat, and compromise the aesthetics They of our native prairie ecosystems. raise the spectre of prolonged battles of and ingenuity against the human energy powerful life force embodied in the seeds and spreading roots (rhizomes) of these invasive agronomic species. by landowners to plant for livestock forage, soil stabilization, or turf, our provincial weed law does not require to control or The effort their control. eradicate them in native grasslands must first be mobilized in government offices and industry boardrooms, and around the kitchen tables of landowners and leaseholders. Asia, are similar to those in Europe and where crested wheatgrass ( cristatum), smooth brome (Bromus inermis), and Kentucky bluegrass

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F 12 Fe a t u r e s WLA August 2008 • Vol. 16,No. 4 13 On another beautiful day this past control invasive agronomics in the Area and Ecological Rumsey Natural Reserve are those who wish to undertake new gas development, thereby increasing There disturbance and risk of invasion. also are issues around ill-defined range a reclamation management. Fortunately, advisory committee is working to address some of the issues, but ongoing approvals for pipeline and well construction confound their efforts. spring, I again visited the site in the heart of the Rumsey protected area where crested wheatgrass seed had been scattered along the narrow pipeline I right-of-way a few years earlier. found patches of dead vegetation where herbicide had been applied the At least someone was previous year. trying to address the problem. Green tufts of crested wheatgrass, however, were growing in these patches and had advanced several metres up a hillside. Seed was already being produced. I reflected on the powerful life force of invasive agronomics and the powerful human forces, including greed for the profits of non-renewable energy production, that are leading to death- by-a-thousand-cuts of our native rough These are formidable fescue grasslands. to forces. It will take heroic efforts overcome them. botanist Cheryl Bradley is a professional living in Lethbridge. She has worked in decades. for three prairie environments serves as southern director She currently Native Plant Council. Alberta for the : C. Bradley Photo Kentucky bluegrass has taken hold Smooth brome has occupied Crested wheatgrass has been seeded attempts to preserve against Working A patch of smooth brome (outlined) has invaded plains rough fescue grassland from a grassland from fescue has invaded plains rough (outlined) patch of smooth brome A Area. nearby wellsite in the Rumsey Natural species and the site are needed. particularly in some parts of Rumsey, sites that were disturbed. Management to avoid industrial disturbances and could prevent further spread. overgrazing It is unlikely that Kentucky bluegrass will be eliminated from the sites it currently management, proper With occupies. co-dominance of rough fescue however, and Kentucky bluegrass will likely occur. Rough fescue will have a competitive advantage on drier sites in dry years, and Kentucky bluegrass on moister sites and in wet years. some draws, wetlands, and industrial disturbances on moist sites in the protected area. Its spread may be checked such as shading, by control efforts herbicide wiping, and early-season specifically mowing or grazing targeted at the occupied sites. Repeated treatment over several years will be required. Follow-up seeding with desirable species may help prevent its regrowth. New disturbances need to be avoided. and is invading at only a few industrial application of herbicide Targeted sites. through wiping early in the spring, prior to seed formation, is likely the most This will control measure. effective need to be done several years in a row to exhaust the seed bank. Native seeds will A key need to be planted to fill the gaps. measure is to ensure that no more crested wheatgrass seed is introduced. plains rough fescue grasslands and ) natural ), which 2 2 Festuca ), I was dismayed at 2 ) grassland communities of central communities of central ) grassland umsey Natural Area and The Rumsey Natural The plains rough fescue ( The plains Managing sizable (>10 km areas to prevent and arrest invasion of non-native species is our best hope for preserving rough fescue grasslands. On a recent visit to the second-largest protected area in the Northern Fescue Subregion, the Hand Hills Ecological Reserve (22 km the rapid spread of smooth brome into the undulating rough fescue grasslands. bright green sod occupies draws Brome’s and depressions, and is fingering its way upward into more of the soft green rough Attempts fescue bunchgrass community. to reduce the cover and competitiveness of agronomic grasses in rough fescue herbicides, mowing, fire, using grasslands and livestock grazing have so far met with poor results. Ecological Reserve (183.5 km of southern Alberta’s rangelands occurred occurred rangelands Alberta’s of southern government- ago when few years just a were range guides issued foothills recognize plant communities revised to by Kentucky bluegrass. dominated hallii extinction, and Alberta are at risk of is the biggest non-native species invasion study found that more than 2003 A threat. sites remaining in one-third of grassland Natural Subregion the Central Parkland non-native. Only were predominantly plains rough fescue one in ten sites had half of these communities, and about The species. had invasive agronomic Subregion Northern Fescue Natural loss of native has experienced a similar grassland. Less than one-quarter of that subregion supports native vegetation, and only about 5 percent persists as The native plains rough fescue grassland. grasslands that remain are experiencing invasion of non-native species from roads, trails, fields, livestock use, and industrial and residential developments. straddles the Central Parkland and our Northern Fescue Subregions, offers biggest and best opportunity to check the advance of invasive agronomics into The plains rough fescue communities. extent of invasive species in the protected area has yet to be fully documented. Ensuring that native vegetation remains in good condition is the most effective way to prevent invasion of Kentucky bluegrass, smooth brome, and crested Where these species already wheatgrass. control measures tailored to the occur,

should be enforced a and develop criteria o r

The real challenge lies in addressing The real challenge lies Alberta It may be surprising that The battle to protect natural found in B.C., but there is a possibility found in B.C., but there from the U.S. that it could invade of potentially the sale and purchase plants from plant invasive or invasive of Assessment nurseries and seed houses. from international such plants imported falls to the nurseries and seed houses potentially However, federal government. or seed invasive plants in containers Alberta nurseries could packages sold by Act to be designated as weeds under the prevent their sale. For local nurseries that sell plants designated as weeds, and those purchasers who plant them on their lands, Act Control the Weed more rigorously. gardeners can easily purchase a potentially dangerous plant like saltcedar from sources outside the province as well Alberta as from some local nurseries. Agriculture and Rural Development recently issued a weed alert asking gardeners not to plant it, but it is not illegal to do so. ecosystems from invasive plants requires approaches such a number of different as raising public awareness, providing resources for research, and establishing sound monitoring programs. However, laws aimed at combating invasive The time plants are important as well. Alberta government the is right to urge to revisit what plants are subject to the Act Control Weed Act This will allow the for designations. to protect to be used more effectively ecosystems from the natural Alberta’s After all, when threat of invasive plants. natural Alberta’s it comes to protecting ecosystems from invasive plants, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Glennis M. Lewis is a lawyer/ecologist based in Ottawa. In 2006, she completed an LL.M. thesis at the Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa, examining how weed laws apply to invasive plants in natural ecosystems. r e v e n t i o n

P o f would e c u n O n Weed Control Act Control Weed A – t c A A more proactive approach would see more proactive A An example of this kind of legal are conspicuously absent. Furthermore, are conspicuously absent. Furthermore, no criteria are given for the designation of plants as weeds or their removal from such designation. plants listed as weeds even before they are established in the province if there is good evidence that they could become case in point is saltcedar, A invasive. a plant that has aggressively invaded thousands of hectares of riparian habitats on in the U.S. with devastating effects This plant could severely biodiversity. threaten similar habitats if it becomes Alberta. Listing it as a established in weed under the require its destruction or control as soon as it appears in the province. preparedness can be seen in B.C.’s Regional District of Central Okanagan, which in 2005 passed a weed bylaw that This lists Kudzu vine as a noxious weed. highly invasive vine has not yet been invasive Japanese knotweed. The author, pictured here with the highly here pictured The author, : J. Freeman Photo o n t r o l C Noxious ? e e d u r e applies only W C s ’ o f

e r t a b

, and preceding NWT weed , and preceding NWT l o u n d lberta has a long history of lberta has a long history legislating against weeds garden that reduce crop and

By Glennis M. Lewis By Glennis A P

Weed Control Act Control current Weed Alberta’s Act Control The Weed Because of the choice of plants A production and threaten livestock health. production and threaten act, the1907 The first provincial Act Weeds the principle that ordinances, embodied from land should be a sanctuary no one’s which weeds can spread. retains the key features of that early legislation, but it also provides a basis for addressing the more modern concern about impacts of invasive species on Act is not up to The natural ecosystems. particularly this important task, however, in preventing the introduction of invasive plants into new habitats and forcing eradication before populations become and widely dispersed. large to plant species designated as weeds in Regulation. Local authorities Weed the can pass bylaws designating plants in municipalities as weeds, but the bylaws are subject to approval by the province. Act identifies three categories of The designated weeds: restricted, noxious, The duties of land and nuisance. occupants (or with unoccupied lands, the owner) vary according to each category. Restricted weeds must be destroyed, noxious weeds must be controlled (by destroying them or using methods prescribed by an inspector), and nuisance weeds need only be prevented from spreading. designated as weeds, the strong powers in that they are used Act fall short of the in a reactive rather than preventive way The current to address invasive plants. Regulation and relevant muncipal Weed bylaws are oriented to agricultural and urban weeds (e.g., Canada thistle, sow thistle) and invasive plants that have already become widely established purple loosestrife). (leafy spurge, Other plants that are highly invasive in or only starting Alberta some parts of to become invasive throughout the breath) province (Russian olive, baby’s

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e h t a t i m i n g AWA has argued for many years that for many years has argued AWA ongoing research AWA’s As part of August 21, you can join Thursday, On A pine beetles may harm forestry, but they pine beetles may harm forestry, forest A necessarily harm forests. don’t is a complex system of trees, shrubs, flowers, mosses, lichens, dead wood, mammals, birds, insects, soil micro- Pine and air. soil, water, organisms, beetles may kill some pine trees (not the young ones) but, unlike salvage forestry spruce, fir, operations, they do not affect or deciduous trees, nor do they destroy understorey plants, mosses, or soils. program in the Castle region of southwest Alberta, Reg Ernst has been studying the health of whitebark pine trees for the past he is researching This year, three years. the possibility of collecting seeds from apparently disease-resistant trees and planting them on site to encourage growth of resistant trees. to on Prairie Bluff staff AWA Reg and learn more about this project, as well as plant surveys and plant recent rare Reg’s regeneration studies. (See p. 30.) e W r e A ) thrives in harsh, windswept conditions, such as on this ) thrives in harsh, windswept conditions, – k i s R a t Pinus flexilis

: C. Olson Photo r e e s T Two species, one native and one not, Two ? i n e rust, is partly responsible for the decline of limber pine throughout most of its range pine throughout for the decline of limber rust, is partly responsible Alberta. in The limber pine ( hillside in Alberta’s Porcupine Hills. An invasive non-native fungus, white pine blister Hills. Porcupine Alberta’s hillside in their fascinating symbiotic relationship their fascinating symbiotic relationship upon which nutcracker, with the Clark’s they rely entirely for seed dispersal. In the fall, the nutcrackers collect whitebark seeds in thousands, burying them far But the and wide, to be retrieved later. nutcrackers are notably absent-minded and many of the seeds remain buried, allowing them to germinate the following province bereft of its limber A spring. and whitebark pine trees would be a truly diminished place. on pine are both having serious effects Why the discrepancy in Alberta. trees in Whitebark pines and level of concern? of pine limber pines, the principal targets blister rust, have little commercial value the lodgepole Alberta. In contrast, in Alberta host of the pine, the favourite mountain pine beetle, is one of the mainstays of the commercial forestry Alberta. It is the industry throughout threat to forestry operations, rather than the forests themselves, that seems to be to “fix” the pine behind the huge efforts beetle “problem.” P s ’ a r g e t T t e r t a h b l i g , introduced R By Nigel Douglas, AWA Conservation Specialist Conservation AWA Douglas, By Nigel A

destructive alien invasive pest is destructive alien invasive spread continuing its insidious Alberta, killing healthy, into

If this were to appear in a news If this were to appear No, the culprit here would have In contrast to the hyperbole that has Pine blister rust is caused by the rust Limber pines, which can grow to

“ A mature pine trees and leaving behind a mature pine trees and skeletons in its landscape of sad, rust-red wake.” scapegoat – the report, the now-familiar mountain pine beetle – would probably spring to mind. But pine beetles are native invertebrates that have been in our forests for thousands of years, and forests have evolved over countless generations to deal with their periodic outbreaks. to be pine blister rust, which receives considerably less media coverage than the pine beetle but has the potential to damage native ecosystems on an unprecedented scale. latest pine beetle Alberta’s surrounded outbreak (pine beetles have apparently “destroyed” our forests, and in 2006 the provincial government declared a “state to deal with the problem), of emergency” the lack of attention on the blister rust Alberta The has been astonishing. government has allocated $134.3 million over the past two years to fight pine beetles, but very little has been done even to study the enormous potential impact of pine blister rust. ribicola fungus Cronartium into North America from Asia around from America into North 1900 via seedlings grown in European nurseries. By the 1950s, it had spread The disease affects America. across North Alberta, that five-needle pine trees – in means mostly limber and whitebark pine. be a thousand years old, are the stately ridge-top giants so typical of areas such or the Porcupine Hills. Whaleback as the Alberta are huge Also found in southern old whitebark pine trees, whose copious seeds provide quantities of high energy a vital food source for grizzly bears in They are also notable for some areas.

i v e r R Being relatively flat and adjacent to Being relatively flat Alberta, as elsewhere, riparian In s ’ particularly along Alberta’s headwater headwater Alberta’s particularly along lands of the Rocky streams in the public Mountains and foothills. zones and the fertile floodplain water, are also preferred river valley terraces production. areas for agricultural cleared for crop Riparian woodlands are production, and the land is cultivated seeds are commonly Weed and seeded. introduced by agricultural equipment and the vehicles that transport the agricultural inputs and products. areas are also chosen for livestock The production, especially cattle. cattle trampling provides yet another disturbance that can further weed invasion. Cattle browsing can amplify weed problems since cattle preferentially graze some species, often native plants, while weeds such as thistles are unpalatable, providing a competitive advantage. e r t a : S. Rood Photo b l A i n

o r r i d o r s C n v a s i o n I e e d a l l e y V By Stewart B. Rood and Andrea R. Kalischuk Andrea B. Rood and By Stewart W Compounding this natural Compounding this natural The development of these zones make these areas especially zones make these areas invasion. vulnerable to weed abundant human the vulnerability, valleys further developments in river and vegetative introduce weed seeds fragments. River valleys have long transportation provided preferred human routes, commencing with the navigable corridors that allowed the European America. exploration of western North Due to their gradual slopes through mountains and hilly regions, river valleys remain as favoured transportation routes for roadways and rail lines. transportation corridors involves mechanical excavation that creates additional barren areas, enabling even more weed expansion.The excavation machinery can even transport weed seeds and fragments, compounding the problem. In addition, all-terrain vehicle recreation provides another artificial disturbance that disperses weeds, plant in many locations below the dam. cottonwoods and willows collapsed, leafy spurge invaded and is now the dominant invaded and is now the cottonwoods and willows collapsed, leafy spurge Remnant trunks beside the St. Mary River near Lethbridge provide evidence of a evidence Remnant trunks beside the St. Mary River near Lethbridge provide prior to the 1951 implementation of the St. Mary Dam, cottonwood grove narrowleaf in the summer flows below the dam. While the reductions which led to severe

ivers and creeks represent linear ivers and creeks represent flow landscape features that and provide through watersheds

Floods or ice events produce Of the foreign plants, “weeds”

Disturbance and Development River valleys are characterized by two processes: disturbance and development. Disturbance refers to abrupt change, and physical disturbance is a natural and common process in river valleys. Swift- flowing flood waters erode and transport gravels, sands, and silts, and scour vegetation. Ice events, especially the spring break-up, provide another natural physical disturbance that characterizes river valleys across Canada. barren riparian zones that are scoured of vegetation and covered with moist These conditions are ideal sediments. for the seedling establishment of new plants, including native plants as well as deliberately or accidentally introduced The flood foreign, or exotic, species. and ice events also sever established vegetation and shear shoot and root with along deposited are which fragments, This provides ideal the moist sediments. conditions for clonal reproduction, which is common for the native willows and cottonwoods, and for some of the foreign species. are undesirable species that are often characterized by the capacity for prolific seed production and subsequent vigorous The natural physical colonization. disturbances that characterize riparian vibrant corridors for fish and aquatic vibrant corridors for these streams, ecosystems. Flanking floodplains and riparian zones include that provide other low-lying environments In and water. interfaces between land Alberta and throughout the Northern Hemisphere, riparian ecosystems are commonly dominated by cottonwood trees and willow shrubs; these floodplain forests provide exceptionally rich wildlife human for zones favoured are and habitats development and for recreation. R

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Along streams in southern and natural microclimates. Substrates vary substantially in texture and moisture, and sun or shade can produce dramatically habitats. In many cases, different biocontrol is not achieved, even with multiple species of insects. Superior A Reed Canary Grass – Competitor is a concern in both While leafy spurge Alberta, reed upland and riparian zones of canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) is This generally limited to riparian areas. vigorous grass was deliberately planted America in many areas of western North as forage for livestock or for protection against bank erosion. It is probably America, native to some regions of North but cultivars from Eurasia have been introduced and subsequent hybridization has probably produced more invasive lines. Alberta, reed canary grass can central form extremely dense bands and stretch through the riparian area right to the this excludes subsequent edge; water’s colonization of native plants such as The control of willows and cottonwoods. reed canary grass is very difficult due to its vigorous growth and its capacity for

: S. Rood Photo species. The larvae The Aphthona species. In its native settings of Eurasia, leafy The most successful insects for species have provided Alberta, two In While some successes have been with the ubiquitous winds of southern Alberta. has abundant natural enemies, spurge including a broad range of insect herbivores. No natural insect enemies exist in Canada, but since 1970, 18 European insects have been released for Each biological control of leafy spurge. insect species is screened prior to its release to avoid impacts on native or crop plants. have been the controlling leafy spurge flea beetles, of these beetles feed on the roots, and the adult beetles feed on stems. The black dot spurge some success. sandy soils beetle tends to prefer dry, and has been relatively successful in the Edmonton area and in riparian zones The along Lee Creek, near Cardston. moist, prefers beetle spurge brown-legged loamy sites and has been successful at at controlling small patches of spurge sites around Millarville, Fort Macleod, and Bow Island. Taber, achieved, biological control in river valleys is often difficult because of Alberta’s is popular for landscape plantings in tree introduced This drought-hardy, seeds are along river valleys as the large but can subsequently expand prairie regions dispersed by birds. Russian olive near the junction of the St. Mary and Oldman rivers, near Lethbridge. Russian olive near the junction of the St. The success of leafy spurge is partly The success of leafy spurge weed-control Leafy spurge Another attempt to control leafy Leafy Spurge – Chemical Warfare and Warfare Leafy Spurge – Chemical Biocontrol ) is an (Euphorbia esula Leafy spurge weed that has introduced perennial areas of riparian zones and infested large America. rangelands in western North Alberta in 1933, It was first reported in and by 1995 it covered more than 6,000 hectares in the central and southern parts further of the province. Leafy spurge expanded along many riparian areas following the major 1995 flood of many southern streams. Alberta’s of due to the production of toxic, milky The latex contains latex in its stems. a number of alkaloids that discourage browsing by native herbivores and by The plant produces numerous cattle. seeds, can propagate from fragments, and spreads aggressively from a very resilient root system. exemplifies the fight that has been undertaken with many riparian weeds in its initial introduction to an With Alberta. area, early attempts to control it involved pulling the plants, but the removal was rarely complete and the plant expanded two strategies were Subsequently, further. attempted to reduce seed production and subsequent expansion: mowing and sheep these assaults on the grazing. However, stems were insufficient as leafy spurge the root systems remained intact and regrowth was often vigorous. However, was through herbicides. spurge chemical control is especially difficult in riparian zones since these are adjacent be to surface waters that shouldn’t The irregular terrain of riparian polluted. spray zones precludes the use of large and the use of backpack- machinery, mounted herbicide sprays is very expensive and prone to chemical drift Riparian Weeds in Alberta in Weeds Riparian most the single perhaps tragic that It’s for identification guide useful plant America in western North riparian zones river . In many West of the is Weeds in some the western U.S., and valleys in plant Alberta, the riparian in southern dominated by communities have become twentieth century. exotic weeds over the vary somewhat across The specific weeds two particular rivers and regions, and troublesome in species are especially Alberta. southern For example, the lower St. Mary the lower St. Mary For example, The “natural flow regime” provides Given the natural importance expansion. Control measures should should measures Control expansion. broader within a be implemented the strategy that promotes management of the and even restoration conservation community. natural plant may provide the most River valley in riverscape severely spurge-infested resulted in Alberta, and the problem alteration to the part from the extreme that led to the instream flow pattern cottonwoods and collapse of the native p. 16). In contrast, willows (see photo, were more instream flow regimes adjacent Belly and favourable along the rivers, and with the reasonable Waterton and cottonwood health of the willow has been much groves, weed invasion less severe than along the St. Mary River. a current paradigm for river resource management in which managers seek to provide an instream flow regime that This includes mimics the natural pattern. variations within and across years, as well as aspects such as gradual flow reductions, which permit the survival of new seedlings of cottonwoods, willows, and other native plants. of physical disturbances, it may be appropriate to broaden this strategy to allow the “natural river regime,” in which floods and ice events are also recognized as part of the natural system. Native plants are generally tolerant of these natural disturbance events while some non-native weeds may be much more As with the implementation vulnerable. of biocontrol, there should be cautious re- establishment of the natural river regime; careful study is essential to analyze the consequences to native species and The war on riparian invasive weeds. weeds will extend for decades and better knowledge may be our ultimate weapon. of Stewart Rood is a Professor Science at the University Environmental Kalischuk Andrea of Lethbridge, and Head Quality Section is the Water and Rural Agriculture Alberta with Development in Lethbridge. They have worked together on various projects analyzing the health of riparian Alberta southern woodlands throughout America. western North and across

Elaeagnus Russian olive is closely related to attractive, drought-tolerant, hardy species attractive, drought-tolerant, hardy species that is often favoured for ornamental plantings in Lethbridge and Medicine seeds that are Hat. It produces large dispersed by birds and often result in “volunteer” trees, which can commonly be found along the fringes of ponds and wetlands as well as in some riparian areas. Alberta, a prominent native shrub of wolf-willow or silverberry ( is a facultative Wolf-willow commutate). riparian plant – that is, one that is common in streamside zones but also upland in sparsely, more generally occurs, the taxonomic relatedness, With areas. Russian olive is more likely to provide habitat and ecological value than more “foreign” species such as saltcedar and might thus be of a lower concern than saltcedar with regard to control. Integrated Pest Management and the Regime Natural River a promising While biocontrol may offer current strategy for the control of leafy riparian weeds, and some other spurge it is only one part of the appropriate The best control of riparian solution. weeds involves an integrated pest management approach, which involves multiple approaches that seek to restrict initial invasion and minimize subsequent ), is a current : S. Rood Photo Throughout the American southwest, Throughout the While saltcedar is a future concern, Reed canary grass along the Crowsnest River in southwestern Alberta. High flows scour in southwestern River Reed canary grass along the Crowsnest weeds, but the seeds, shoots, and riparian riparian vegetation, sometimes removing expansion along the river allowing also flushed downstream, of many weeds are roots corridor. concern for a few provincial river Alberta’s reaches such as the Milk River, Russian olive is an southernmost river. Saltcedar and Russian Olive – Weed Weed Saltcedar and Russian Olive – Trees plants, shrubs, and trees are Woody especially important in defining riparian woodlands and providing the “structure,” or vertical distribution, that is critical for While many birds and other organisms. riparian areas generally benefit from trees, invasive trees are threats to riparian ecosystem health and function. or tamarisk the introduced saltcedar, spp.), is widely regarded as the (Tamarix most serious riparian threat in that region. saltcedar is progressively Unfortunately, moving northward and has already invaded reservoir fringes and some riparian zones in northern Montana. Its Alberta further northward expansion into is almost inevitable. another weed tree, Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia rapid clonal expansion, which allows it rapid clonal expansion, which allows it While cattle to quickly dominate an area. or native ungulate grazing pressure may restrict reed canary grass expansion, it often alters the plant community of riparian zones, producing a number of ecological impacts.

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F 18 Wi l d e r n e s s Wa t ch WLA August 2008 • Vol. 16,No. 4 19 – Nigel Douglas The proposed development would The proposed development If it goes ahead, the project will their credit, over the past three To still believes that the AWA But Proposed Sour Gas Development in Gas Development Sour Proposed K-Country be publicly will AWA In fall 2008, to Petro-Canada’s voicing its opposition in southern new development plans Originally Kananaskis Country. August 18, the Energy scheduled for Board (ERCB) Resource Conservation to begin on hearing is now scheduled River. November 12 in High from five well new sour gas wells see 11 infrastructure) pads (with accompanying drilled in the Bull Creek Hills area of Kananaskis, just north of Hwy 541 and The 37-km Reserve. Valley the Eden pipeline would run south from there, through a low-lying valley and across several creeks, ending up at Indian Graves on Hwy 532. From here it would join an existing Petro-Canada pipeline, The upgraded which would be upgraded. pipeline would then run west to Petro- not existing Savanna facility, Canada’s far from Plateau Mountain Ecological Reserve. on habitat likely have negative effects for wildlife such as grizzly bears. It is also expected to impact creeks supporting some of the few known remaining populations of unhybridized a There is also westslope cutthroat trout. considerable risk that the pipeline work vehicle will facilitate illegal off-highway access along the pipeline right-of-way – something that threatened grizzly and trout populations certainly do not need. years, Petro-Canada has done an and other AWA excellent job of keeping stakeholders informed of its development plans and has made serious attempts to minimize the impacts of the proposed wells and pipeline. development plans should be suspended Land-Use until the government’s Framework process comes on-stream. of this proposal must be fully The effects understood within the context of the many other activities already taking place on the same sensitive landscape. , the

Bleak House – Joyce Hildebrand The company has appeared in court The company has appeared “This is the third counsel in a row The repeated adjournments are will be an intervener at the AWA : C. Olson Photo story of a legal battle over an inheritance story of a legal battle the legacy fund that eventually drained Canadian In this case, though, it’s dry. the tab for the taxpayers picking up legal costs. Crown’s seventh appearance six times, with their August 12. Each time, scheduled for the case has been adjourned because of claim that they need more time EnCana’s to review the evidence against them. They have not yet entered a plea. who has come on with respect to these matters,” said Judge Legrandeur during June 26 appearance, when EnCana’s EnCana changed lawyers once again. “They’ll certainly require more time to review the disclosure.” interests. best certainly in the company’s Joint Review Panel hearing the With proposal for an extensive into EnCana’s shallow gas infill project in the Suffield Area scheduled to Wildlife National begin on October 6, the bad press that would inevitably accompany a guilty verdict would be undesireable for the company. hearing as part of a six-group coalition opposing the project. For more information, see our website at AlbertaWilderness.ca. www. EnCana’s Dickensian Court Case Dickensian Court EnCana’s in multiple appearances EnCana’s of on charges Medicine Hat Court, Act within Wildlife violating Canada’s Area, are Wildlife the Suffield National beginning to resemble ). Should E. coli – Chris Wearmouth p d a t e s U During a field trip last December, December, During a field trip last Should significant flooding occur, is concerned about how AWA volunteers and Over the summer, AWA Launches Water Analysis of Analysis Water Launches AWA River Panther on the reported AWA In February, along the Panther unbridled development and our concerns River in the Bighorn Alberta’s of with this urbanization better understand impacts To wilderness. of four on the river by development Recreational Leases Tourism Alberta on the south RLs) occupying land (AT a water quality initiated AWA shore, study this summer. we found an unprecedented level of numbers of development, including large permanent structures and overwintering camping trailers. In some cases, structures and accoutrements were within As well mere metres of the river bank. as being pressed right up to the bank of lie on its ATRLs these the Panther River, historic flood plain. In fact, one section of land currently leased is an old road that had to be abandoned and replaced to with a new road on higher ground due consistent seasonal flooding. dwellings, debris, and the myriad trappings of these outfits, such as fuel tanks, outhouses, and manure piles, may Even without a flood wash into the river. event, human and animal waste, as well as spilled fuel and chemicals, may be leaching into the river. these developments may be affecting aquatic ecosystems and compromising the security of a clean water source for humans and wildlife downstream, especially as the Panther River empties Alberta’s one of into the Red Deer River, major waterways. be taking water samples at sites will staff along the Panther and Red Deer Rivers. Analysis will include water chemistry and microbiology (e.g., we find results of significant concern, Alberta Environment, we will report to completed be to study follow-up a request by the province, and call for a review by Sustainable Resource Development regarding the appropriateness of these RLs along the Panther River. AT WLA, – Chris Wearmouth At that time, Tourism, Parks and Tourism, At that time, The plan was to be resubmitted to When the plan finally becomes The plan should also address the New Plan for Parks Remains Parks Remains Plan for New Grounded seems new Plan for Parks Alberta’s a pet remain hooded like destined to for it to take it impossible falcon, making moved the delays have flight. Multiple pecking political of the to the bottom plan has gone by since order – almost a year plan ( we reported on the new October 2007). developing the Recreation (TPR) was focused which seemed new policy, capacity issues primarily on addressing TPR submitted After and infrastructure. asked that it be the plan last fall, Cabinet essentials, and that stripped down to the attached to the plan any budget requests be removed for approval later. but with an election Cabinet in January, looming, the Parks Department was not called to bring it forward. Once the politicians had smoothed their new feathers, the plan once again poked out big its beak, only to be pushed back by its the Land-Use Framework (LUF). brother, the draft LUF is Released in late May, meant to be the overarching policy for To base. land managing the province’s ensure that the Plan for Parks aligns with Ady TPR Minister Cindy LUF directives, is working with colleagues, including Sustainable Resource Development staff. Initial consultation with key stakeholders is planned to begin this fall. hopes to see more AWA public, than just concern with our growing recreational pursuits and the population’s need We infrastructure to support them. real protection for wilderness, protection that safeguards it from development, including tourism, while allowing for sustainable low-impact recreation. as a top priority the hope to see We completion of the parks network through the creation of new protected areas. need for protection of corridors between zones, areas, the creation of buffer public consultation, and the effective resources to properly educate visitors Any policy that and enforce regulations. parks Alberta’s is to govern the future of and protected areas must have the claws and strength of wing to ensure genuine wild places. security for the province’s – Nigel Douglas AWA is generally supportive of the is generally supportive AWA strongly AWA One proposal that that there is argued has long AWA The draft plan can be seen online Draft Management Plan for for Plan Management Draft PRAs K-Country a new is being sought on Public input 51 plan covering draft management (PAs) AreasR Recreation Provincial Ghost- Country and the in Kananaskis designation region. PRA Waiparous the least “protection” of offers protected area many different Alberta’s designations. certain reservations. draft plan, but with within the draft Many of the proposals including the plan are administrative, along the Elbow redesignation of PRAs Provincial Valley River as the Elbow believe there is ample We Park. this proposed opportunity to extend Provincial Park in future to reflect the growing appreciation of the need for better protection of the Elbow River water. watershed, the source of Calgary’s opposes is the plan to allow for future fixed-roof developments in certain areas, no There is including the Elbow Falls. role for more accommodation and other fixed developments within Kananaskis: these need to be kept to outlying “gateway communities” such as Bragg Valley/Black Turner and Canmore, Creek, Diamond. a need for a comprehensive planning process for the whole of Kananaskis. Approximately 60 percent of Kananaskis Country is currently protected, with the remainder managed for “multiple use,” In recent including industrial activity. piecemeal released been have plans years, for some of the protected areas, including and Peter Thomas PRA the Evan AWA Lougheed Provincial Park. But believes that the time is well overdue to revisit the future role of Kananaskis in Alberta residents. the lives of southern In an increasingly human-impacted landscape, our priorities have changed significantly since Kananaskis Country was designated in the late 1970s. at tprc.alberta.ca.The closing date for comments is September 30, 2008. comments on the plan are at AWA’s AlbertaWilderness.ca. – Chris Wearmouth Last November, AWA learned of a learned of AWA Last November, media, the When the story hit the Anne Hubbs, a senior According to predation is a pressure on Wolf Hubbs informed us that there are Albertans Lose Scent of Wolf Wolf Scent of Lose Albertans Project Sterilization for may have gone cold The scent continues AWA public, but Alberta’s for story of killing wolves to track the Alberta. research in Rocky Mountain research project near and sterilize House that would trap wolves while four “alpha pairs” of of their packs. exterminating the rest the Government of This joint project of Alberta is of Alberta and the University hopes of increasing being carried out in especially elk, ungulate populations, for hunting. to keep numbers up arguably was Albertans from flurry of responses The outcry against the project staggering. hot But one week’s was loud and clear. topic quickly becomes the next week’s dusty column – there has been little word since spring regarding the research. wildlife biologist with Sustainable Resource Development, the project is still in the initial phase of capturing and collaring 3 members from each of 16 wolves 14 packs in the area. So far, After have been collared from 9 packs. collaring, the project will move to the stage of sterilization and slaughter, told Hubbs slated to begin this winter. a committee is being formed that AWA with 8 to 10 wolf experts, who will and merits comment on the project’s recommendations on the methods of offer research. ungulate populations, particularly caribou (which are not found in the research area), but killing wolves instead of dealing with the real issue of habitat as putting a destruction is as effective real Without band-aid on a deadly wound. protection for wildlife habitat of a size that can allow for natural predator-prey cycles, we will be forced to continue to micro-manage our environment with tools that should only be used as a last resort to correct serious errors on our part the extinction of a species. or stave off plans to convene a stakeholder committee As this would be invited. AWA to which AWA research moves into future stages, will continue to exert pressure to stop the needless killing of wolves for research and recreational pursuits.

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W W 20 Wi l d e r n e s s Wa t ch WLA August 2008 • Vol. 16,No. 4 21 e c : C. Wearmouth : C. Photo e a It was the Peace River by which The river valley as discovered by P significant habitat for birds of prey such significant habitat for birds of prey such as golden eagle, bald eagle, and osprey. Alexander Mackenzie successfully pioneered a route across the North American continent, having four years Arctic earlier mistakenly ended up at the Ocean on the northern river that now bears his name. In 1793, as the first European to paddle and pull his way upstream past the mouth of the Smoky he found a wonder of wilderness, River, which he exalted in his journal: “The river displayed a succession of the most beautiful scenery I had ever beheld.… This magnificent theatre of nature has all the decorations which the trees and it.” animals of the country can afford Mackenzie and his crew was a wilderness previously known only to the Beaver and the Today, Cree who inhabited the area. land above the valley is a patchwork of basin is dotted with agriculture; the larger cutblocks, Fort Dunvegan is a popular t y h i g M e h t h i m i n i s D t o t The Peace River begins in the c grandest rivers,” says Alberta Wilderness Wilderness Alberta grandest rivers,” says Pharis. Vivian Association Director “The Mighty Peace of my childhood is no more. Having been tamed with two dams in the canyon above Hudson’s Hope in the 1960s and 1970s, destroying the famous Gold Bar ranch, significant dinosaur remains, and a vast wild and diverse valley ecosystem, the river is now under consideration for more dams and There has never been a better destruction. time for honest, full-cost accounting before mistakes are made.” northern Rockies of British Columbia and winds its course for 1,923 km from the headwaters of the Finlay River to Along the way it drains Athabasca. Lake an area of approximately 302,500 km². Recognized as a nationally significant the river is home to several waterway, species of fish, including bull trout and scale suckers. Its encompassing rare large habitat valley is key year-round as well as for moose, elk, and deer, Dunvegan dam. The valley provides the proposed The Peace River valley near the site of in the region. some of the last intact parkland habitat r o j e P y d r o By Chris Wearmouth, AWA Conservation Specialist Conservation AWA Wearmouth, By Chris H

he Peace River valley is on a winter’s something to behold As my friend and I picked day.

We watched as a moose exited the We But this may not be the case for long. Currently in the process of a joint “The Peace River is one of Canada’s T our way through chocks of heaved ice our way through chocks families of littering the valley bottom, high overhead deer peered down from The fields. along the rim of farmers’ with mighty Peace River was festooned A a crosshatch of ice floes run aground. ribbon of open water snaked through the blocks, in places a third of its summer’s meandering width. woods from the north and high-stepped its way toward the moving water. Between our own footsteps ran the tracks birds, and over-wintering of coyote, deer, the snow a stamped record of winter Coming to rest on a grassy activity. bank gone brown, we found tree stumps with their woody crowns missing, the rough-hewn cones a tell-tale sign of The the beaver that had lumbered here. most striking sense of the area was that, as the call of birds attested, even during place is alive – dynamically, this winter, unequivocally alive. The place where we wandered for a Easter late-winter picnic on this year’s weekend is the site for Glacier Power’s proposed run-of-the-river hydro-electric dam. review by the Canadian Environmental Alberta (CEAA), the Agency Assessment Utilities Commission (AUC), and the Natural Resources Conservation Board proposal is to (NRCB), Glacier Power’s dam across the erect an 11-metre-high width of the Peace River two kilometres upstream of Dunvegan Provincial Park, southwest of the town of Fairview, will follow will be the What Alberta. flooding of productive riparian and valley ice lands, the alteration of the river’s regime, and the creation of an obstruction for fish across the entire width of the river. It is with these concerns in mind It is with these concerns AUC, a three-member CEAA, In July, If our plea falls on deaf ears and If the Dunvegan Hydro-electric Power could set for development on this on for development could set Power section of B.C. The watercourse. mighty is already heavily impacted, the Peace the one project approved, and with this for future be opened to allow doors may weirs of power-generating development were to follow, Alberta side. If that on the be looking at the end we would possibly Peace River valley of wilderness in the gaps would appear as, one after another, the damage. compounding in the corridor, We the project. is opposing AWA that in the public plan to fully participate project and have process regarding this Canadian Parks formed a coalition with Society (CPAWS, Wilderness and Alberta Chapter), South Northern Association, and Peace Environment the Peace Parkland Naturalists. “With on the Peace River cumulative effects caused by the dams in B.C., agriculture, and forestry and petroleum industries, it is time to stop new development that will further impact its ability to naturally functioning act as a healthy, of Walsh ecosystem,” says Helene S. CPAW and NRCB Joint Review Panel was established to review Glacier Power’s As we go to press, we are application. awaiting the announcement of a public hearing, which must be called within the first 45 days after establishing the received participant funding AWA panel. and on behalf of the coalition by CEAA plans to retain the expertise of a fish biologist and legal counsel to assist in making our presentation to the panel. dam goes ahead, Glacier Power’s seasonal birds may continue to chirp and seem and deer – who shrill in the valley, to adapt easily – may still forage at field’s edge, but the area will lose its wildness, a characteristic that is under threat these where “cultivated,” Alberta, days across “developed,” and “domesticated” seem to be the ruling adjectives. it is not merely Project becomes reality, the loss of fish and other wildlife impacts we should lament, but also the death of Alberta a mighty river can the idea that in run free and wilderness can be found only a few kilometres upstream on a winter’s day.

Although hydro-electric projects Of major concern is how the the dam will also come a delay With But perhaps the biggest threat to the traditional dams but would generate power as the water moves freely – it is hoped at its normal rate – through the turbines. are often marketed as producing green of clear running with photos energy, rivers frequently present and plumes of black smoke noticeably absent, any obstruction to a moving waterway has impacts. Run-of-the-river projects are touted as being less intrusive with smaller structures and an attempt to maintain but they still natural flow, the river’s present problems that need to be assessed as is the case with Glacier accurately, Dunvegan project. Power’s fish the river’s project will affect The Peace River is home populations. to several species listed as sensitive by the province, including bull trout, scale suckers, and arctic grayling, large the Even though northern pikeminnow. turbines “fish-friendly” include plans dam own and fish ladders, Glacier Power’s Assessment states Environmental Impact that the project will have a “significant on local fish populations. adverse effect” As well, the creation of the headpond will prevent some species from using portions of the area for their life requisites. in winter ice formation downstream, and nearer to the dam ice will not form at all than usual season. a colder unless it’s This will make it harder for wildlife to cross from one side of the valley to the other as they forage during the most difficult time of the year. Peace River is the precedent Glacier River. AWA is opposed to the project due is opposed to the project AWA River. on wilderness values, to its likely impacts and aquatic habitat including fish survival Power’s location of Glacier Approximate the Peace dam on hydro-electric proposed Files AWA Map: espite the changes on surrounding Despite the changes on dam The vision of a power-generating Glacier Power filed Most recently, Glacier Power has now reapplied with The dam would raise water levels leisure spot for locals, and river boats river boats locals, and spot for leisure the Peace. up and down their way motor river is the border in B.C., the Across the the Peace hydro-electric dams, site of two Bennett W.A.C. am and the Canyon D inundated the territorial Dam, which Dene and formed Keh Tsay home of the a Lake. Now Williston the 251-km-long on is C,” “Site side, on the B.C. dam third the table. upstream, and lands, the obstructions of a motor boat, the occasional rumbling wilderness corridor the Peace remains a and Boreal snaking through Parkland Alberta waters still Natural Regions. Its Alberta- from the run free of impediment it empties into B.C. border to where the Peace-Athabasca Delta, one of the freshwater deltas. largest world’s Since on the mighty Peace is not new. before the first feasibility studies of the Dunvegan area were done in the mid- 1970s, there has been talk of harnessing sites its waters. Over the years, different have been proposed, but Dunvegan has continued to be the most widely cited. an earlier application in 2000 to develop a run-of-the-river dam at Dunvegan. After almost three years passed while the application was reviewed, it was Utilities Board denied by a joint Energy and NRCB panel. In its decision, the panel stated that “while each of the potential negative economic, social, and if of the project, environmental effects are substantive on they were to occur, clearly their own, their cumulative effect outweighs the social and economic benefits of the project to the local Albertans in as well as to community, general.” Assessment a new Environmental Impact (EIA) that it hopes will address concerns expressed by stakeholders and the The new panel in the earlier review. proposal calls for the construction of an weir that would span the 11.4-metre-high Peace, a width of 400 metres at the site. behind it approximately 6.6 metres, creating a headpond running upstream 26 km and inundating 106 to 215 hectares of surrounding land, depending on river fluctuations. Once in operation, the run- of-the-river project would not regulate the flow rate of the river like larger,

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WLA, February 2008). e r t a b l Certainly, it would be a mistake Certainly, Whether they blame the odd Alison Dinwoodie of the Stewards A outdoorsmen, hobbyist, and outdoor fans outdoorsmen, hobbyist, and outdoor fans the access and use of the outdoor areas.” to say that all people who ride OHVs are irresponsible, rip-and-shred, environmental malefactors. Some local hard and 4X4 groups have worked ATV They to improve things in their areas. lead clean-up initiatives, conduct trail maintenance, and sit on management committees. But a significant proportion part of any users are not of OHV association and look to the province’s wilderness areas as a weekend free-for- all. miscreant or the whole user group, many Albertans are concerned about motorized recreation throughout our province’s AWA wilderness areas. Last summer, conducted a recreational user survey in which Alberta Bighorn in west-central the found that motorized recreationists were the most often-mentioned hindrance to optimal experience survey respondents’ in the area ( i n s s u e s I Calgary : H. Unger Photo OHV rystallizes Motorized recreationists are taking C Letters to editors assigned the offending Letters to editors assigned the offending parties names such as “yahoos” and “subhuman clowns.” In an email to (AWA), Association Wilderness Alberta Thiessen, who was born and raised Fred foothills, wrote, “The Alberta’s in ruination and destruction by thoughtless people is a disgrace that will rob present and future generations of the beauty and peaceful enjoyment of our beautiful wilderness areas.” the brunt of the criticism for the disrespect and damage done to our spokespeople wilderness areas. However, vehicle (OHV) for the off-highway community laid the blame on a few bad apples and groups of partying graduates. Alberta United Garton of the Tim Recreationalists Society told the that “there’s a misconception Herald that “there’s about this environmental damage all users].” In an being caused by [OHV Mike Mack, a self- AWA, email to fan,” wrote that confessed “avid off-road he was “worried that the stupidity of the few is soon going to cost the responsible monitoring and enforcement capacity to address the increasing impacts on our public the increasing capacity to address monitoring and enforcement lands and wilderness areas. Government policy and regulation related to OHV use must be backed up with adequate use must be to OHV related Government policy and regulation l e c a b e D k r e e C e a n

L c

M Specialist Conservation AWA Wearmouth, By Chris t has become a tradition, if a sordid t has become a tradition, And while it surely happens one. as legions head across the province

After the howl of engines died to a When the weekend was over and it response in the days The public’s I out for a leave of leisure, it perhaps out for a leave of leisure, Alberta, reaches its apex in southern I’m talking about just west of Calgary. of course – the May long weekend mayhem that happens the specifically, wilderness, each spring in our province’s in areas whose names in recent years have been linked to power-driven Indian Graves, Waiparous, debauchery: and McLean Creek. Mayhem that is punctuated by motorized recreationists terrorizing the landscape and breaking and damage to laws, and by death, injury, thousands of dollars worth of property. the stats quickly mere growl this year, spread. Stories of an estimated 5,000 people descending on the McLean Creek Forest Land Use Zone, more than 450 for arrests made tickets handed out, 11 outstanding and incidents, alcohol-related There were accounts of warrants. burned-out vehicles being dumped in the area and gate locks cut as thousands of weekenders snuck onto private land to meadow in the area was “ripped A camp. to shreds,” prompting Ken MacKay, Officer to tell the Wildlife a Fish and Calgary Herald, “The environmental destruction being done here is, well, it’s hard to find a word for it. It just keeps getting worse every year.” was time to head back home, revelers found that their own carousing had left them stranded, the original access trails mired and impassable from the heavy Three hundred people use. off-highway were trapped, forced to line up behind a locked gate and wait for Husky Oil and Officers out. them let to Wildlife and Fish handed out written warnings before letting them go home. following was almost as loud as the sound of engines in the woods that The destruction was on the tip weekend. of pens and tongues of local journalists.

: AWA Files AWA : Photo There is no denying that as Alberta’s Alberta’s that as There is no denying supports safe, responsible AWA Monitoring OHV trail damage in the Monitoring OHV Bighorn. for our ravenous consumption. The The consumption. ravenous for our on adding is set government Alberta already infrastructure to an even more This is landscape. overdeveloped with by initial discussions supported the new Plan last fall about TPR staff At board. still on the drawing for Parks, TPR indicated that the plan that time, and facility would focus on infrastructure of the creation of development instead and real security for more protected areas sake. wild spaces for their own Alberta’s use of the term “product” Ady’s Even in our for recreational opportunities of this continuation a indicates wilderness mindset. people want population grows, more leisure and recreation opportunities, motorized or otherwise, and are drawn to the majestic beauty of our province’s those wild places. But in offering opportunities, we must not sacrifice the little wilderness we have left, already As the Alberta. heavily under threat in pressures on the environment continue the issue of OHVs on the to grow, provincial landscape will have to be addressed. motorized recreation on designated trail networks in areas appropriate for that the damage caused by use. However, vehicles is well documented. off-highway use can cause intense soil OHV disruption through erosion, compaction, cover Vegetative and sedimentation. is destroyed and tree roots exposed. Invasive alien plant species can make Where their way into areas on a vehicle. OHVs cross creeks and rivers, siltation – 9% 1

– 4,000 times more than – 4,000 times more 7 “We’re looking at … creating more “We’re Ady tells us this The idea is – and The astounding response from the – up to 99% 4 – $1,000 6 of trail clampdowns similar to what area happened in the Ghost-Waiparous Creek last Willow two years ago and in There was talk of a long weekend year. liquor ban in McLean Creek. But what we got instead was the promise of more campgrounds. product – creating more campgrounds, Albertans,” more recreation areas for Parks and Tourism, Minister of Ady told Recreation (TPR) Cindy the Calgary Sun. “There are a lot of responsible users out there, and if we a whole variety of product, can offer people can use it and not tear up the environment.” comes straight from the Premier himself are being forced to Albertans – that campgrounds, crowd into the province’s annoying others, or to camp on restricted users Mack and land. Even if OHV Garton are right that it is only a few boorish individuals who are trashing our wilderness, will those individuals be interested in substituting their random camping for more sedate, regulated camping sites? Is the problem really that find a campsite, or these individuals can’t is it that they prefer areas far away from any monitoring or enforcement of rules? Alberta government in the wake of the McLean Creek debacle is reason Alberta an indication that for anxiety, is still plodding along with the idea that our environment is there only – up to 85% 5 oad Vehicles on Wildlands: on Vehicles Road , “Impacts of Off- Alberta Recreation Survey, 2004. Survey, Alberta Recreation – 9% 2 – 64% 3 emissions released by 2- and 4-stroke ATVs by 2- and 4-stroke emissions released 2 modern cars Maximum fine for damaging public land Maximum fine for Approximate proportion of provincial public land off-limits to motorized off-limits public land proportion of provincial Approximate recreation Proportion of Albertans who say they take part in ATV/OHV activities ATV/OHV in say they take part Albertans who of Proportion Government of Alberta, Government of ATV tracks still visible one year later tracks ATV CO Proportion of Albertans who think OHVs should not be allowed in provincial not be allowed think OHVs should Albertans who of Proportion parks Vegetation loss after 32 passes of an ATV loss after 32 passes of an Vegetation Edmonton Journal, July 26, 2002. Bluewater Network, “Off the Track: America’s National Parks Under Siege,” 1999. America’s Track: the Bluewater Network, “Off AWA analysis, 2002. AWA Coalition Wilderness Castle-Crown 1995. Review,” A

,3 • • • 7 4,5 2 • • • • Regardless of how one feels In response to the long weekend at

By the Numbers By the

6 1

of Alberta’s Protected Areas Association Areas Protected Alberta’s of says that motorized recreation should definitely not be allowed in the protected areas designated as province’s Reserves, Areas, Ecological Wilderness Provincial Wildland Areas, or Natural some designated trail Parks. Currently, Provincial Alberta’s systems exist within Areas, Areas, Natural Parks, Recreation As Parks. Provincial Wildland and Alberta Sustainable Resource well, Development designates and manages Forest Land Use Zones, such as the and McLean Creek, Ghost (Waiparous) forest reserves in an Alberta’s within attempt to control recreational use. But public land is open to Alberta’s most of motorized recreation with no legislation to protect sensitive areas or ecological values. personally about OHVs on the landscape, it is probably safe to say that they are here to stay and that their recreational use is increasing throughout the province – in part, I suspect, because of our booming economy that allows for increased disposable income to be spent on weekend toys. So what are we to is clearly a problem. People There do? are upset, ecological damage is being done, and conflicts are arising among the Alberta’s user groups of many different wilderness. McLean Creek, many expected to see the government clamp down on motorized There were rumours recreation use.

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W W 24 Wi l d e r n e s s Wa t ch WLA August 2008 • Vol. 16,No. 4 25 As McLean Creek showed us this If you are interested in commenting must be continually assessed to ensure to ensure assessed be continually must as studies such with sustainability, is currently conducting AWA the one for both motorized of a trail network in the recreation and non-motorized Where 2007). August , Bighorn (WLA increased to be lacking, trails are found carried out, or in maintenance must be are unsustainable the case of trails that in inappropriate due to being situated closed and areas, trails should be the With restoration work completed. trails, it is establishment of designated we have strong equally important that programs, legislation, active education of enforcement and adequate numbers address personnel to comprehensively Above public land. the use and abuse of all, as the government works to develop a program that addresses motorized recreation, it must continually offer consultation with thorough and effective Albertans regarding what happens on the public land the government manages in trust of its citizens. left unchecked, the damage past May, is great, the outcry thunderous, and the lack of adequate present management a growing With readily apparent. population, as well as a growing number of OHVs throughout the province, it is vitally important that we act now to find a solution that will both allow for responsible recreation and the continued vitality of our rich and diverse wild spaces. Can Do You What Alberta know Let the Government of what you think about OHVs on the wilderness. Alberta’s landscape and in or call your MLA, Premier Write Morton, Ted Stelmach, Minister of SRD and Ady, TPR Cindy and Minister of let them know how you want to see motorized recreation managed on public and phone numbers Addresses land. can be found through the government or by calling the Alberta.ca, website at 310-0000. government toll-free number, on the expansion of campgrounds TPR is in the McLean Creek area, currently accepting comments on the Draft Management Plan for Kananaskis Areas Country Provincial Recreation (see page 20). More information and a feedback form are available at tpr.alberta. ca/parks/consult/kcpra. Once trails are established, they with the restriction of OHVs to private land and only expressly designated trail There should networks on public land. travel on public land be no off-route except in specially designated “frolic Alberta government – with The areas.” the help of its citizens – must begin to find appropriate places for motorized recreation and construct high-standard trails that allow responsible recreation opportunities without sacrificing our And while, like remaining wilderness. most of us, motorized recreationists are drawn to the beautiful, wild, and pristine they must accept that Alberta, places of some areas, including the mountainous regions, are just too sensitive to allow them to travel there in any manner other than on foot. ©Bigoudi The current laissez-faire attitude “Un Bison en Avril” 36x48, encaustic Avril” “Un Bison en increases, which can negatively affect increases, which can negatively affect water quality and aquatic habitat. New trails add to the linear disturbance of wildlife habitat and the noise can result in territory abandonment and With lost reproduction in some species. these many impacts, it is important that we carefully consider where to permit motorized recreation in the provine and not allow it to continue or arise in ecologically sensitive areas, in places that are protected by legislation or policy for the maintenance of the environment, or at the expense of important wildlife or watershed values. access of allowing recreational OHV to almost all of our public land must proactive approach to A come to an end. environmental protection must be taken, e g i n s

B o v e r y c e R ecovery Team Team Dismissal of the Recovery . www.savethegrizzly.ca of grizzly recovery in Alberta, with none of grizzly recovery in of the necessary habitat protection and restoration – the only thing that will benefit the bears. Grizzlies have benefited little from the recovery process so far. The suspension of the spring grizzly hunt in 2006 – four years and 51 dead bears after government scientists first called for the suspension – certainly helped grizzlies. Counting bears, mapping, and education do nothing in themselves to help the bears. sends the message that, with the publishing of the Recovery Plan, the recovery process has run its course. But of course the plan is just 68 pages filled with words, maps, and graphs. In itself it will do nothing to stop the demise of Alberta, nothing to give bears grizzlies in the freedom they need simply to be bears. is Team Surely the work of the Recovery not “complete” – now is the time for the recovery process to begin! AWA’s information, check out For more Save the Grizzly website at r i z z l y G e f o r e b a n d e d b i s Calgary Herald interview. D ecovery Team had expected to Team The Recovery As things stand, there is a very real ecovery Team! Team! This was news to the Recovery e a m : C. Olson Photo continue to be involved in the recovery continue to be involved in the recovery process, as implementation of the newly passed Recovery Plan began. Indeed, the assists the Team plan itself states, “The Minister … with Plan implementation,” and goes on to stress that “the Plan is a The initial life span dynamic document. of the Plan is five years, during which will meet at least annually to Team the review and update the Plan as required.” risk that the report will be the pinnacle “The statement that our recovery team’s “The statement that our recovery team’s work is complete was a surprise to me,” chair of the Robert Barclay, said Dr. in a Team, A grizzly bear minding his own business in the Highwood area of Kananaskis Country. area grizzly bear minding his own business in the Highwood A : N. Douglas Photo T o v e r y c e R e a r B

he guy on the trail ahead is he guy on quivering with excitement, us discreetly waving his arms at r i z z l y The bear comes out into the open 50 The bear comes out During a hasty whispered conference, Back at camp that evening, we reflect they Alberta, being this Unfortunately, So it was with considerable surprise By Nigel Douglas, AWA Conservation Specialist Conservation AWA Douglas, By Nigel G T but frantically. Is he in trouble? As we Is he in trouble? but frantically. to his lips, he puts his finger draw nearer, And trail. to the side of the pointing off brown back frosted large A then we see it. us through ambling away from with grey, the bushes – a grizzly! a large he rolls Effortlessly, feet away. take all of my rock over that would strength to move. He begins digging, kicking up clumps of earth and snuffling audibly as he picks through the glacier lily roots. we decide to carry on up the trail past the we edge Bear spray at the ready, bear. cautiously along the path, but he keeps his back to us, intent on his foraging. close enough to smell him. He We’re turns to give us a quick glance, but he’s far too busy to pay us much attention. on the moment – what made it so magical was observing such a magnificent animal in his natural environment, minding his What own business, just being a bear. grizzlies need more than anything in Alberta is to be left alone; to have the space to go about their business of being bears. seem to be no nearer to this goal than Alberta’s they were six years ago when grizzly recovery process began. In fact than we thought they are much worse off they were. Detailed genetic population studies over the past four years have seen population estimates drop steadily from 1,000 bears in 2002 to less than 500 today. that the provincial Grizzly Bear Recovery learned in June 2008 that it was Team being disbanded, its work apparently Team, finished. In a June 10 letter to the Assistant Deputy Minister Ambrock, Ken for Sustainable Resource Development, the finalization of the wrote: “With [Grizzly Recovery] plan, the work of the is complete.” Team Recovery

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, “Can’t bear it #2” “Can’t 72x48 inches, oil pastel & encaustic ©Bigoudi

– Bigoudi ©Bigoudi & encaustic “Can’t bear it #3” 48x48 inches; newsprint, oil pastel “Can’t ” t I he “Can’t bear it” series was born when two other painters and born when two other bear it” series was he “Can’t our talents to create an art exhibition myself decided to join was these unusual pieces, I With society. about the bear in our e a r

T “cute” of people using the bear image in a responding to the trend from way for their marketing and logos. Coming and “inoffensive” every in the Rockies, I see examples of this Canmore, and living for their businesses and advertising, People use the bear image day. should be myth about these wild animals that building up a distorted to create some paintings Therefore, I wanted allowed to remain wild. some circumstances using bear in different that would show the bear up with these three bears: the aggressive unusual colours. I came I gathered Behind the bored bear, and the bored bear. the passive bear, bad news we hear every some local newspaper clippings about the to add to my message. week about hunting and government policies alone, please. This message is quite simple: Leave them B t ’ a n “C r t i s t A ©Bigoudi a n m o r e C “Can’t bear it #1” 57x57 inches, oil pastel & “Can’t encaustic not natural. ©Bigoudi I will not pretend that this is an I will not pretend that Although readers may find, as I did, In his “Afterword,” Heyd addresses obstacles to reclamation by natural to reclamation by natural obstacles acknowledge processes and openly creation different that what results is a possibly deeply – possibly beautiful, disturbing, but certainly complexity easy book to read. Its especially requires attentive reading, not familiar with if, like me, you are the However, philosophical discussion. reader by using author helps the lay language and (fairly!) straightforward including helpful footnotes (including as definitions of uncommon words such “autochthonous” and reminders of things between “morals” like the difference to and “ethics”). By repeatedly returning he allows the structure of his argument, readers to choose what interests them and to easily pick up the threads of the discourse. Indeed, many of the chapters, while contributing to the book, can be read as separate essays. that depth of coverage is sometimes sacrificed to breadth of scope, the effort stimulating and of following Heyd’s is well thought-provoking arguments worth the trouble. the question of how we move from recognizing we risk disaster by ignoring the environmental consequences of our actions to motivating people to take While he does not provide any action. his book gives us hope that final answer, there are answers to be found. “Prairie Movement” 60x40 inches, encaustic In support of this argument, Heyd Heyd In support of this argument, The last section of the book deals Of these, the restoration example knowledge discounted as unscientific, discounted as unscientific, knowledge a chord. this will doubtless strike of encountering provides three examples landscape, as nature: walking in the wanderings of the exemplified by the Bashō; allowing Japanese poet Matsuo our appreciation a rock art site to inform and of the surrounding landscape; of reclamation responding to a piece constructed in art by Robert Morris, Since Heyd once a former gravel pit. this discussion includes lived in Calgary, references to both Nose Hill and Kananaskis Country. with the relationship between nature and culture: a relationship we need if we are to to understand, he argues, co-exist with, rather than dominate, the natural world. His thesis that nature and culture need not be in opposition is buttressed by examples: the medicine wheels of the northern prairies, sites where land has been “restored,” and botanic gardens. is of special interest in the current Alberta context, where “reclamation” is often cited as the solution to negative human impact. Heyd starts with the philosophical difficulties associated with restoring cultural objects (such as buildings) and discusses how this informs what we achieve by “restoration” of nature. It is impossible, he says, to replace in any true sense a destroyed natural landscape; he suggests that where destruction is justified, rather than attempt some kind of ersatz replacement, we should “restore” but leave evidence that this is a changed Thus the landscape. marks we leave upon the land, the “story” of its use, become part of its history and an integral part of what it now is. He suggests that we “restore” through removing . experienced o r n e r C s ’

r. Thomas Heyd, a philosophy Thomas r. of lecturer at the University is deeply concerned Victoria, e a d e r Heyd believes that for the If we acted in accordance with such Heyd goes on to examine the

R D Encountering Nature: Encountering an Environmental Culture Towards Thomas Heyd by Reviewed by Sarah Crook about our western tendency to see about our western tendency ourselves, as nature as separate from His book an object to be exploited. contains a message Encountering Nature Alberta, where he once lived: made for our long-held view that the natural world is primarily a resource for human endeavours must be jettisoned. environment to survive the pressure of human needs (or wants), we must develop an “environmental morality,” recognizing that non-human entities have intrinsic value outside of human fundamental change, this Without use. based on self-interest even arguments stop ongoing environmental won’t that for such degradation. Heyd argues we must learn about a change to occur, nature through direct encounters with it. Knowledge acquired indirectly, through scientific study for example, is insufficient: nature must be a code, how would our attitudes and practices change? Heyd considers this question in the context of the workplace and provides examples from Latin that living of ways traditional of America include the environment as deserving of care and respect. He discusses what we can learn from such models to foster a similar way of thinking in our own society. mechanisms by which we come to The one appreciate non-human nature. that our culture relies heavily upon is scientific knowledge. Heyd believes that our appreciation and understanding is informed in equally valid ways by other “stories,” especially those arrived at through personal experience. For with connection close in live who readers their land and know intimately the life that shares it with them, yet find such

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D 28 e p a r t m e n t s D WLA August 2008 • Vol. 16,No. 4 29 – Dick Dekker, Edmonton – Dick Dekker, years and are available from Environment While cyclic ups and downs are Canada. normal, the most recent decade was not drier than some other decades in the past. And the overall mean temperatures have The remained the same for 124 years. data were looked at by a statistician, who reports that the regression line is flat, at all over time. indicating no difference from available on request Detailed report [email protected]. ©Bigoudi This view is not supported by the that its projects have harmed the lake. Furthermore, federal and provincial government agencies, who were signatories to the international treaties, have abrogated their responsibility to protect the lake from mismanagement. as well as the local birdwatching They, seem to have shrugged the community, Hesitant to criticize a highly problem off. such as DUC, they regarded organization simply place the blame on the regional drought and global warming. facts. I have researched the weather Alberta that go back 124 data for central “Raven” 36x48 inches, encaustic These d i t o r E e h t t o

it used to be in the 1970s June 2008), the author WLA June 2008), the author 2 , which is still way down from 2 e t t e r The sad thing is that DUC denies In September of 2006, Beaverhills In “Compensation for Disturbed In “Compensation for and I think this view is simplistic Beaverhills Lake is a collection basin L the 140 km and 1980s. Granted, there are natural Annual demise. causes for the lake’s precipitation was below average for several years. But there is no doubt that the upstream withdrawals have aggravated the drought. limitations were ignored by DUC when it began to build its impoundments in 1974. The number of projects has grown to 19, and each of these contains up to three Alberta Environment’s weirs. Based on own information and data, DUC projects are withholding one million cubic metres This of water from the lake every year. is in addition to the half a million cubic metres DUC allocates to local farmers, who use the water to flood hay meadows and – get this! – to drown out pocket gophers. The Lake had completely dried up. wet spring of 2007 brought it back up somewhat to its current size of about 30 km Paying Paul, Robbing Peter Paying Paul, Dear Editor, ( Wetlands” of natural wetland states that “restoration settings has been habitats in grassland The article continues highly successful.” with a quote from in that positive vein (DUC). Ducks Unlimited Canada case of Beaverhills false, at least in the There, the Lake, east of Edmonton. creation of upstream duck ponds has been a matter of “paying Paul by robbing Peter being Beaverhills Lake, an Peter,” internationally famous Ramsar wetland and Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve. In Wetland 1987 it was also designated as a American under the North Tomorrow for The lake is agreement. Waterfowl currently less than a third of its former size. watershed. It has no outlet and for a large evaporation exceeds annual precipitation. This means that spring run-off from upstream feeder creeks is vitally important to maintain the lake.

PRAIRIE BLUFF FIELD DAY BLUFF PRAIRIE August 21 Thursday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. members AWA $25 $40 non-members in on Prairie Bluff Join us for a field day Alberta. southwest the Castle region of an interpretive The day will include and an Bluff hike to the top of Prairie research projects introduction to three whitebark pine currently underway: regeneration, regeneration of an old industrial access route, and rare and invasive plant surveys. GALA WEST WILD September 26 Friday, White Club, Calgary Red & $85 members: AWA Non-members: $100 of 8: $800 Table Great food, superb wine, and first-class entertainment all night long, featuring Hertz and Barry singer-songwriter friends, auctioneer Jessie Starling, and our own Nigel Douglas. Be prepared for a surprise or two! : C. Wearmouth : C. Photo : J. Hildebrand Photo Autumn in the Whaleback Autumn in the Bob Blaxley With 24 & Saturday, September Wednesday, October 4 Running parallel to the Rocky Alberta, the Mountains in southwestern Whaleback is considered one of the best representatives of montane landscape, flora, and fauna in Canada. Explore this magnificent area in its fall plumage on this late-season outing. v e n t s & E e w s N i a t i o n c s s o A AWA’S 2008 AUTUMN HIKES AUTUMN 2008 AWA’S hikes AWA’s Participating in to explore program is a great way discover Alberta, the wilderness of wildlife, diverse our province’s work we are and learn about the magnificent doing to protect these information landscapes. For more hikes, see the about all our summer or visit our 2008 hikes brochure AlbertaWilderness.ca. website: Is Required Pre-Registration All Events for Online: shop.albertawilderness.ca By phone: (403) 283-2025 Free: 1-866-313-0713 Toll DAY HIKES DAY members AWA $20 $25 non-members Larches of the Lure Pharis Vivian With September 20 Saturday, As autumn reaches the Rocky Mountains, wonders – the so begins one of nature’s turning of the larches. Join us as we hike into Kananaskis to visit these remarkable coniferous trees during this special time of year. WEEKEND CANOE TRIP WEEKEND CANOE McClelland Lake Darin Zandee With Sept.1 Monday, August 30 – Saturday, Evening talk, Friday, August 29, Fort McMurray members AWA $100 $125 non-members Explore the heart of an 8,000-year-old wetland complex deep in the boreal the forest. North of Fort McMurray, rare patterned fen and other wetlands surrounding McClelland Lake rival the This is one of Rockies in scenic beauty. natural treasures. least-known Canada’s

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7:00 – 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 28 Tuesday, With Dr. Wayne Lynch Wayne Dr. With Alberta Wilderness Association Wilderness Alberta Annual General Meeting November 15, 2008 Saturday, 10:30 a.m. Time: Calgary Location: 455 – 12 St. NW, Registration: 1-866-313-0713 or (403) 283-2025 AWA Members: $15.00 • Non-members: $20.00 Members: AWA Forest” “The Spruce Kingdom: Life in the Boreal nch yne Ly “The Beauty and Biology of the Prairie Grasslands” “The Beauty and Biology of the Prairie a John Dutton Theatre, W.R. Castell Public Library, Calgary Castell Public Library, W.R. Theatre, John Dutton Don’t miss this opportunity to spend an evening with Canada’s most with Canada’s miss this opportunity to spend an evening Don’t In this double-header writer. published photographer and natural history will share images and stories from his Lynch Wayne presentation, Dr. boreal forest and the grasslands. two favourite Canadian landscapes, the and boreal grassland Alberta’s work in AWA’s will support All proceeds landscapes. : W : Photo v e n t s & E

– e w s

N i a t i o n c s s o A Pre-registration is advised for all talks. is advised for Pre-registration talks Location: See individual TUESDAY TALKS – FALL 2008 – FALL TALKS TUESDAY for another great Mark your fall calendar Educational, Talks. Tuesday series of these entertaining, and nourishing, social events evenings have become make new as well. Meet old friends, Alberta’s about ones, and learn more wilderness and wildlife. Time: 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. 7:00 Time: Cost: $5 per adult; $1 for children ­ Area Wildlife Suffield National Battled How the Beaver Won! – and Drought November 25 Tuesday, Glynnis Hood Dr. With Calgary Office, 455 – 12 St. NW, AWA Alberta’s the increased loss of With wetlands due to climate change and development, beavers might be helping our wetlands more than we think. Hood Glynnis Dr. Alberta’s of University will share recent research on the role of of beavers in mitigating the effects Alberta. Sometimes presented drought in as pests, beavers may instead provide us with important ecological services. Contact: (403) 283-2025 1-866-313-0713 Toll-free: Treasure Prairie Canada’s September 30 Tuesday, Cleve Wershler With Calgary 455 – 12 St. NW, Office, AWA Join us to celebrate the beauty of a rare grassland remnant in southeastern week before the start of the A Alberta. proposal to drill hearing into EnCana’s 1,275 additional wells in this stunning federally protected wildlife refuge, biologist and nature photographer Cleve will provide insight into the Wershler significance on the Northern Great area’s Plains. fun & games start at 6:00pm $85 for awa members dinner at 7:00pm $100 for non-members live auction at 8:15pm $800 for a table of eight entertainment all night long remember to wear your best duds!

to order your tickets call (403) 283-2025 or visit albertawilderness.ca

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