2009-2010 Annual Report Defending Wild Alberta through Awareness and Action 2 ALBERTA WILDERNESS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT 2009 - 2010 Alberta Wilderness Association Box 6398, Station D, Calgary, Alberta T2P 2E1 Provincial Office – Hillhurst Cottage School 455 – 12 St NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1Y9 Phone 403.283.2025 • Fax 403.270.2743 Email: [email protected] Web server: AlbertaWilderness.ca Contributions to the Annual Report by AWA board and staff members are gratefully acknowledged. COVER PHOTO – MIDDLE SANDHILLS, CHRISTYANN OLSON 3 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS WILDERNESS FOR TOMORROW ................................................................................................................... 9 WHO WE ARE .............................................................................................................................................. 10 Board of Directors .................................................................................................................................. 12 Staff ........................................................................................................................................................ 13 MISSION, VISION, VALUES, OBJECTIVES ..................................................................................................... 13 Vision ....................................................................................................................................................... 13 Values ...................................................................................................................................................... 14 Objectives ................................................................................................................................................ 14 WILDERNESS STEWARDSHIP AND OUTREACH ............................................................................................ 16 Conservation ............................................................................................................................................... 15 Wild Spaces AWA's Areas and issues of concern ........................................................................................ 17 Wild Alberta Map ........................................................................................................................................ 16 Boreal Region .............................................................................................................................................. 18 Primrose-Lakeland ................................................................................................................................... 18 McClelland Lake....................................................................................................................................... 19 Hay-Zama................................................................................................................................................. 19 Peace River .............................................................................................................................................. 20 Bistcho ..................................................................................................................................................... 21 Caribou Mountains .................................................................................................................................. 21 Rocky Mountain Region .............................................................................................................................. 22 Willmore Wilderness Park ....................................................................................................................... 22 Kakwa ...................................................................................................................................................... 22 Bighorn Wildland ..................................................................................................................................... 23 South Ghost - Ghost-Waiparous.............................................................................................................. 24 Kananaskis Country ................................................................................................................................. 24 Crown of the Continent Ecosystem ............................................................................................................ 25 Castle Wildland ........................................................................................................................................ 25 Livingstone-Porcupine ............................................................................................................................. 26 Parkland Region .......................................................................................................................................... 26 5 Rumsey .................................................................................................................................................... 26 Wainwright Dunes ................................................................................................................................... 27 Grasslands Region ....................................................................................................................................... 27 Middle Sand Hills ..................................................................................................................................... 27 Suffield National Wildlife Area ............................................................................................................ 28 Milk River-Sage Creek .............................................................................................................................. 29 Cypress Hills ......................................................................................................................................... 29 Pakowki Lake ....................................................................................................................................... 30 Milk River Management Society .......................................................................................................... 30 Prairie Conservation Forum ................................................................................................................. 31 Foothills Restoration Forum ................................................................................................................ 31 Water .......................................................................................................................................................... 33 Forests ......................................................................................................................................................... 34 Grizzly Bears ................................................................................................................................................ 35 Caribou ........................................................................................................................................................ 37 Black Bears .................................................................................................................................................. 38 Wolves......................................................................................................................................................... 38 Game Farming ............................................................................................................................................. 38 GOVERNMENT POLICY ................................................................................................................................ 39 Public Lands ............................................................................................................................................. 39 Protected Areas - Provincial .................................................................................................................... 39 Protected Areas - Federal ........................................................................................................................ 40 Land-Use Framework .............................................................................................................................. 40 Wetland Policy ......................................................................................................................................... 41 Water for Life .......................................................................................................................................... 41 Species at Risk ......................................................................................................................................... 42 Federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) .......................................................................................................... 42 Greater Sage-grouse ................................................................................................................................ 42 Westslope Cutthroat Trout ..................................................................................................................... 43 PROTECTED AREAS PROGRESS .................................................................................................................... 44