Alberta’s parks and public lands are still at risk.

We know our voices make a difference

We live in a province where people are extremely passionate about enjoyment and protection of our beautiful outdoors. Just last year, thousands of Albertans successfully stood up to defend our parks against a decision to remove and close up to 175 sites from the parks system.

New legislative changes could affect many more than the 175 sites we fought to protect in 2020 - they could affect our entire parks system. The fight is not over yet, and Albertans will defend our parks for as long as we need to. Together, our voices have made a difference and they can continue to do so.

Use our letter-writing tool below to let the Government of Alberta know what you want to see for the future of our parks and public lands.

This letter will be sent to your Member of the Legislative Assembly, the Premier of Alberta, the Minister of Environment and Parks, the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, the Minister of Energy, and the Environment Critic for the Official Opposition.

Dear {contact_data~title} {contact_data~lastName},

The Crown Land Vision, released late in 2020, indicates that your government intends to update protected area legislation in the coming year. Any updates to protected area legislation should strengthen and increase the protections for our parks and protected areas, not weaken them.

Alberta’s parks and protected areas provide millions of Albertans and visitors with rich recreational opportunities and the peace of mind that our province’s iconic wilderness and wildlife will be safeguarded far into the future. These areas are important to me, and I would like to see the laws and legislation that protect them strengthened and brought in line with international conservation standards.

The majority of Alberta’s existing parks and protected area laws already fall short of international standards for conservation and protection needed to safeguard our province's natural heritage.

I support strengthening our protected areas laws to achieve the environmental and recreational outcomes expected by Albertans while meeting internationally recognized standards for conservation. If we are to be taken seriously as a jurisdiction that claims to have world class environmental protections, we need to be meeting these standards of conservation in our parks and protected areas and in all the ways that we manage our public lands.

As part of a legislative review, I would like any changes to ensure the following:
- Our protected area laws are strengthened to achieve environmental and recreational outcomes, while meeting International Union for Conservation of Nature standards for conservation.
- Protections or protected area status is not removed from any currently protected sites.
- There will be no new industrial development or commercial forestry in parks, and the current ability for dispositions for industrial or commercial development to be granted within parks at the Minister of Environment and Parks’ discretion be removed.
- Transparency in decision making and changes related to our parks and protected areas is increased.
- Commitments to the conservation objectives of our parks, including but not limited to the conservation of species at risk and protection of critical habitat are increased.
- Conservation of ecological integrity of parks and protected areas is the primary objective of protected area legislation.

I do not support any weakening of protected area legislation, nor the Crown Land Vision’s process resulting in the loss of any currently protected sites.

Thank you for considering my concerns as they relate to updates to the laws meant to conserve Alberta’s environment for future generations.

Sincerely, 
{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}

CC:
Premier of Alberta
Minister of Environment and Parks 
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry 
Minister of Energy
Environment Critic for the Official Opposition

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