Minister Ted Morton to Receive Urgent Call to Protect
The Alberta Foothills Network
A collaboration of international voices that are committed to the protection, restoration and the establishment of Protected Areas, and socially and ecologically sustainable development in the Endangered Foothills Natural Region of Alberta
What is the Alberta Foothills Network?
The Network is made up of citizens, local organizations, provincial, national and international non- governmental organizations who love and value Alberta’s Foothills and natural heritage. The members of the informal network vary in the activities they do, the campaigns and tactics that they use and in their specific areas of interest. This variety, and the coordination and shared communication between Network Members, will, we hope, ensure that Alberta’s Foothills and the animals that depend on them, will be around for future generations.
What Are Endangered Forests?
Some of our remaining forests are so valuable for their biological diversity, species habitat and wilderness that they must be protected from industrial development so that their contribution to our global community can be maintained. Based on certain criteria such as degree of original state, presence of threatened species, rareness and uniqueness, all of which are surrounded by highly altered and degraded areas ecosystems, these forests are defined as endangered and represent the best of what is left of the world’s forests.
Why the Alberta’s Rocky Mountain Foothills Endangered Forests?
The Rocky Mountain Foothills are an endangered natural region in Alberta with less than 2% protected from intense industrial use including forestry, petroleum and agriculture. The Endangered Forests identified, the Bighorn, the Little Smoky and the Kakwa, are the last and best areas that still remain relatively intact. Protection of these sites and improved forest management in the remaining area (to the standard of FSC or Forest Stewardship Council certification) is considered necessary to maintain the biodiversity of Alberta’s Rocky Mountain Foothills.
What is FSC or Forest Stewardship Council certification?
Forest certification is an independent way of evaluating whether forests are being well managed. Forest Stewardship Council certification is the only system widely supported by aboriginal peoples, environmental groups and progressive segments of the forest industry. It is unique in that it is internationally recognized, and it requires protection of identified core habitat for fragile species. None of the companies operating in the Rocky Mountain Foothills are seeking Forest Stewardship Council certification for the public forests they manage. FSC certification by these companies is the best hope for forestry and ecological values to co-exist in the foothills. For more information, visit www.fscus.org
Companies and Sourcing of Wood Products
Concern about the loss of natural forests throughout the world has led to the development of an international forum involving environmental groups and leaders in the wood products industry. In the last three years over 400 companies, including Home Depot, Lowe’s, IKEA, and Staples have publicly announced their commitment protect the world’s intact, old-growth and/or Endangered Forests by not sourcing wood from those areas. The list of companies continues to grow.
Focal Species in the Rocky Mountain Foothills Endangered Forests
As the foothills are the link between the Rocky Mountains and the Boreal Forest, it is rich with biodiversity from both the mountains and the forest. Scientific studies, Provincial and Federal government reports and common sense, predict that without the establishment of legally protected parks in the foothills, the following species will suffer detrimental effects. The most serious of them all is the Woodland Caribou, which are facing extinction.
