The CBC has reported that since an annual grizzly hunt ended in 2006, a total of 168 of the bears have died, and 150 of those deaths are directly related to human activity. When the population is as low as 700 bears across the whole of the province, it certainly is alarming to see the deaths continue.
“We need to say that enough is enough, and get serious about managing our public lands and how much access we build into them,” Sean Nichols of the Alberta Wilderness Association said in the CBC article. “Let's not do this to their habitat, let's not fragment their habitat, let's not build so many roads and so many intrusions into their habitat.”
The fragmentation of wild spaces is also leading to the reduced populations of mountain caribou herds in Alberta, which led the province to launch a brutal and controversial wolf-kill program.
As is the case with caribou, the political leadership of the western province must decide to act to protect all residents – not just those that put money in their pockets. And with an election looming in Alberta, we have the chance to change the agenda.
Contact the candidates in your riding – and at their party headquarters – and find out where they stand on these vital environmental issues. And no matter what is going on in your life, get out and vote on May 5, 2015.
Photo by Kerri Martin Photography
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