2013-2014 Annual Report Defending Wild Alberta through Awareness and Action 2 ALBERTA WILDERNESS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT 2013 - 2014 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 – WATERTON PHOTOGRAPHED BY DAN OLSON 3 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS WILDERNESS FOR TOMORROW ................................................................................................................... 8 WHO WE ARE .............................................................................................................................................. 10 BOARD OF DIRECTORS ................................................................................................................................ 11 STAFF ........................................................................................................................................................... 12 MISSION, VISION, VALUES, OBJECTIVES ..................................................................................................... 13 Vision ...................................................................................................................................................... 13 Values ..................................................................................................................................................... 14 Objectives ............................................................................................................................................... 14 WILDERNESS STEWARDSHIP AND OUTREACH ............................................................................................ 15 Conservation .......................................................................................................................................... 15 WILD SPACES – AWA AREAS AND ISSUES OF CONCERN ............................................................................. 16 Wild Alberta Map ................................................................................................................................... 17 AREAS OF CONCERN ................................................................................................................................... 18 Boreal Region ......................................................................................................................................... 18 Primrose-Lakeland ............................................................................................................................ 18 McClelland Lake ................................................................................................................................ 18 Hay-Zama .......................................................................................................................................... 19 Peace River ........................................................................................................................................ 20 Bistcho ............................................................................................................................................... 20 Caribou Mountains ............................................................................................................................ 20 Rocky Mountain Region ......................................................................................................................... 22 Willmore Wilderness Park ................................................................................................................. 22 Kakwa ................................................................................................................................................ 22 Bighorn Wildland ............................................................................................................................... 23 Crown of the Continent Ecosystem ....................................................................................................... 24 South Ghost – Ghost-Waiparous ....................................................................................................... 24 Kananaskis Country ........................................................................................................................... 24 Castle Wildland ................................................................................................................................. 25 Livingstone-Porcupine ....................................................................................................................... 26 Waterton Parkland ............................................................................................................................ 28 Parkland Region ..................................................................................................................................... 29 Rumsey .............................................................................................................................................. 29 Wainwright Dunes ............................................................................................................................. 29 Grasslands Region .................................................................................................................................. 29 Middle Sand Hills ............................................................................................................................... 29 Suffield National Wildlife Area ..................................................................................................... 29 Milk River-Sage Creek ....................................................................................................................... 30 Cypress Hills.................................................................................................................................. 31 Pakowki Lake ................................................................................................................................ 31 Milk River Ridge................................................................................................................................. 31 Milk River Management Committee ............................................................................................ 32 Prairie Conservation Forum ......................................................................................................... 32 Foothills Restoration Forum ......................................................................................................... 32 ISSUES ......................................................................................................................................................... 33 Water ..................................................................................................................................................... 33 5 Forests .................................................................................................................................................... 33 Grizzly Bears ........................................................................................................................................... 35 Caribou ................................................................................................................................................... 36 Greater Sage-grouse .............................................................................................................................. 37 Black Bears ............................................................................................................................................. 38 Wolves .................................................................................................................................................... 38 Game Farming ........................................................................................................................................ 39 Feral Horses ........................................................................................................................................... 39 GOVERNMENT POLICY ................................................................................................................................ 40 Public Lands............................................................................................................................................ 41 Tax-Recovery Lands ........................................................................................................................... 41 Protected Areas - Provincial ................................................................................................................... 41 Protected Areas - Federal ...................................................................................................................... 41 Land-Use Framework (LUF) .................................................................................................................... 42 Lower Athabasca Regional Plan (LARP) ............................................................................................. 42 South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP) ......................................................................................