Act Now For Alberta’s Wabasca Wood Bison Herd

One of Alberta's last remaining disease-free wood bison herds is at risk of disappearing from the landscape as habitat loss from oil and gas development and logging threatens their survival.

Once a staple of Alberta’s landscape, both plains and wood bison subspecies have experienced sharp declines in their populations due to overhunting in the late 1800s. Despite significant conservation efforts, remaining bison continue to face threats to their survival in the form of habitat loss and diseases carried by cattle.

The Wabasca herd, located in northern Alberta close to Wood Buffalo National Park, is one of the few remaining disease-free wood bison populations in the province. Ten years ago, the herd was made up of an estimated 30-40 animals. Recent surveys have found as few as nine animals remaining in the herd.

For several years, CPAWS Northern Alberta and ShagowAskee Foundation have worked together to advocate for the protection of the Wabasca wood bison. Founded in the Little Red River Cree Nation, Treaty 8 Territory in Northern Alberta, ShagowAskee was developed by Elders, Knowledge Keepers, Trappers, Hunters, and Gatherers. Rooted in their wisdom, and lived experience on the land, the Foundation arose from witnessing the rapid decline of the Wabasca Buffalo herd and the changing environment.

Sub-regional plans (SRPs) are currently being drafted by the Government of Alberta with each plan having a 90-day public engagement period. While SRPs were initially intended to facilitate the recovery of endangered woodland caribou, they have become a tool for advancing the province’s goal of increasing industrial activity at the expense of species-at-risk.

Despite the Wabasca herd’s continued decline, the Red Earth SRP proposes a forest harvest timing series that would clear a large portion of land in the centre of the Wabasca range with no acknowledgement of impacts on the survival of the herd.

Wood bison and Alberta’s forests deserve to be a priority in the future of Alberta’s land use. You can be a voice at this critical turning point for the Wabasca herd. Help make a difference today and let your elected representative know that now is the time to act for Wabasca wood bison before it’s too late.

Aside from sending a letter, you can provide feedback on the Draft Red Earth Sub-regional Plan though a public engagement survey until October 26th, 2026. We have put together an ENGO Engagement Guide to help you navigate the draft plan and identify areas where you can provide input to support caribou and wood bison.

See the Letter Below

Your letter will be sent to your MLA, the Alberta Environment and Protected Area Minister, the Alberta Forestry and Parks Minister, and the Red Earth Sub-regional Planning Team. You are welcome to customize the contents of the letter. By filling out your contact details, the letter will be sent using your name and email.

{contact_data~salutation} Minister Hunter, Minister Loewen, and Red Earth Sub-regional Planning Team,

The Wabasca wood bison herd deserves habitat protection and recovery. It is unacceptable to push the herd to local extinction, which is what will happen if the draft Red Earth Sub-regional plan is implemented.

I do not agree with allowing forestry activities to proceed at the expense of the long-term survival of the Wabasca herd and the health of the boreal forest ecosystems they depend on. Bison are both a culturally significant species for many Indigenous communities, and an iconic species for Alberta. They have a very important role in their ecosystems. Despite this, the Government of Alberta has provided no evidence that the current direction set out in the sub-regional plan gives any chance for conservation and recovery of the Wabasca herd. Instead, it permits extensive habitat disturbance at grave environmental costs.

The loss of the Wabasca herd, a species at risk and one of the few remaining disease-free wood bison herds in the province, would reflect poorly on the Government of Alberta’s wildlife and landscape management. The loss of the herd could ultimately harm the industries working within the Wabasca range, through negative public and media commentary, and litigation.

I urge you to include Wabasca herd survival and recovery as a policy objective, offering real protection, restoration, and a credible path to wood bison recovery in the Red Earth sub-regional plan. This includes revising the current draft harvest timing series to provide sufficient habitat for Wabasca herd recovery.

Albertans deserve to have a future that includes wood bison.

Thank you for your consideration.

Kind regards,
{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}

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