Opinion: Albertans deserve a serious and effective plan to protect and encourage nature

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Alberta and Saskatchewan joined Confederation in 1905 but not as equal partners. The maritime provinces, Ontario, and Quebec were given control over their natural resources upon joining. Not Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba or British Columbia. The western provinces had to lobby, complain and cajole for decades before they received the same control over their natural resources via the Natural Resources Transfer Acts of 1930, later to be enshrined in the Canadian Constitution. It’s not surprising then, that Albertans looked skeptically when the federal government recently proposed a nature strategy that would apply to Alberta and our lands, but that didn’t have the consent and co-operation of the Alberta government.

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Alberta Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz immediately shot down the proposed federal strategy while announcing her “Made-in-Alberta Nature Strategy” that will be informed by consultations with Albertans. That’s great news. Albertans deserve a serious and effective plan to protect and encourage nature, tailored to our province by the people who live here, a plan that aligns with our traditions, customs, and values. Most Albertans revere our wild places. We also know there are often ways to work these lands while also conserving them for nature and wildlife. But we need to act quickly, and we need more landowners to join the effort.

We are rapidly losing wetlands, grasslands, and other key habitats. These precious parcels of nature support some of our most iconic species such as pintail ducks, burrowing owls, elk, moose, antelope, grizzly bear, sage grouse, and the swift fox, to name a few. We’ve already lost a large portion of our wetlands and 80 per cent of our grasslands, and we lose more with every passing year. The current approach isn’t adequate. We need to reverse the trend and, where possible, start to restore what we’ve lost, because a wall of development is headed our way.

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Alberta’s population is surging, and more and more land will be needed for housing, industry, and roads, so we need to plan carefully and then start as soon as possible. We must ensure future generations have the unforgettable thrill of seeing a herd of antelope or elk come thundering over a hill or thousands of geese and ducks in a wetland in a farmer’s field or in great flocks heading south during fall migration. Nothing on Netflix or Instagram can possibly compare.

To truly reflect the views of Albertans, a made-in-Alberta nature strategy needs input and co-operation from landowners, Indigenous communities, conservation organizations, wildlife experts, and municipalities. It must respect private property. It must be cost-effective. Ideally, a made-in-Alberta nature strategy will build off current successes, innovate, and provide us with new methods to improve results.

One approach worthy of imitation is Manitoba’s GROW program, short for GRowing Outcomes in Watersheds. GROW pays farmers through local watershed districts via long-term contracts to maintain shallow wetlands, which are vital to nesting ducks and countless other species. It even permits farming the wetlands in dry years so long as the wetland isn’t permanently drained. Manitoba farmers and conservation organizations both love the program. There’s no reason that something similar couldn’t work to encourage Alberta producers to keep shallow wetlands in place. It could also be adapted to preserve grasslands. This direct payment approach could join conservation easements and other incentives needed to build a nature strategy that leads North America.

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This is an opportunity to demonstrate to Ottawa that co-operation with landowners and respect for the provinces will always produce better results than top-down decree. A made-in-Alberta approach could lead the country and actually reverse habitat losses while also accommodating agriculture whenever possible. So, let’s get moving. We owe it to our grandchildren to leave things better than we found them. That’s what it means to be a good steward. It’s the right thing to do and it’s the Alberta way.

Cedric Gall is a member of Delta Waterfowl, a conservation organization, and is a keen duck hunter and conservationist. He lives in Lloydminster, Alta. 

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