Alberta ranchers to conserve huge tract of native grassland

The 72 members of the Waldron Grazing Co-op have agreed to sign a conservation easement on more than 12,000 hectares of rolling prairie and foothills that their group has owned since 1962.

Read the full story in the Calgary Herald here.

AUC rejects AltaLink transmission line proposal

The Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) has turned down a proposal by AltaLink to construct a transmission line from the Pincher Creek area to the proposed Chapel Rock substation at the interconnection with the existing 500 kV north-south line west of Highway 22.  The project is part of the Southern Alberta Transmission Reinforcement initiative.

Click here to link to a story in the Lethbridge Herald from Saturday, December 3rd. 

Click here to read the story in the Pincher Creek Voice.  This story includes a link to a copy of the Decision on the Livingstone Landowners Group website.  The decision is not yet posted on the AUC website, but should soon be available here.  Watch for Decision 2011-468.

Click here to access project information on AltaLink's website. 

Trout Unlimited Canada receives grant for Drywood Creek watershed

Trout Unlimited Canada has received a grant of $150,000 from the RBC Blue Water Project.  This grant will enable TUC to increase riparian health, and improve water quality in the Drywood Creek Watershed system in southwest Alberta. Working in collaboration with the Drywood-Yarrow Conservation Partnership and Southwest Alberta Conservation Partnership, agricultural producers will be engaged to protect sensitive riparian areas from cattle grazing by installing protective fencing and off-stream livestock watering systems.

Click here for the grant announcement on RBC Blue Water Project's website.

Congratulations to TUC and partners!  We look forward to hearing more about the project.

Consultation on South Saskatchewan Regional Plan underway

Phase 2 of public consultation on the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan is now underway. 

The public is invited to share their views on the Regional Advisory Council's Advice to the Government of Alberta for the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan, using a workbook provided by the Land Use Secretariat.  The RAC recommended a vision for the region and strategic principles to guide land use decisions.  The RAC also provided recommendations related to achieving a healthy economy, ecosystem, and communities.  

The workbook can be completed on-line or printed and submitted by mail.  Comments are due by December 19th.

Click here to download the RAC's Advice document (4.85 MB PDF).

Click here to access the on-line workbook.

Click here to download the workbook PDF (about 1.7 MB).

Click here to access the Land Use Secretariat's site for more information about the planning process, the RAC, and the region.

Public information sessions will be held in communities across the region in the fall of 2011.  We'll post dates and venues here when this information becomes available.

Alberta's river basin management plan under fire

The release of internal government documents has raised doubts about Alberta's river basin management plan. Apparently, Alberta government officials knew their plan to manage southern Alberta rivers could damage aquatic life, but they went ahead with it anyway.  Moreover, federal fisheries officials disagreed with the lack of conservation measures Alberta had set out but, said nothing publicly.

Read more in this Lethbridge Herald article from September 1, 2011.