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Environment & Sustainable Resource Development Policy
Our approach to environmental protection is based on five principles:
- Water is our most precious resource, and we will give priority to basic human water needs and the preservation of wetlands and instream flow needs.
- Climate change is real, and we must act in good faith to reduce Alberta’s carbon footprint.
- Powering long-term economic growth requires energy diversification, energy efficiency and conservation.
- Human health depends upon a clean environment and clean cities and towns.
- We have an ethical duty to preserve natural areas both for human use, to ensure wildlife thrives, and to protect the intrinsic beauty of the landscape.
To see how these principles shape our policy, read Clean Air, Clean Land, Clean Water, Cutting Carbon: Restoring and Protecting our Environment.
Sustainable Resource Development
Protecting Grizzlies
Alberta’s dwinding grizzly bear population - now only half as large as it needs to be to sustain itself - must be protected without delay. An Alberta Liberal administration would immediately list the grizzly as a threatened species and suspend the grizzly bear hunt indefinitely.
Land Use
The Alberta Liberal Caucus recognizes the need to develop and implement land use plans now to strike the proper balance between economic/industrial development and maintaining a sustainable, vibrant environment. This balance is needed in order to maintain Alberta’s competitive economic advantage, and to achieve the maximum future potential of Alberta’s land and communities.
Public Lands Management
Public lands are a precious resource that must be carefully shepherded by a responsible government. An Alberta Liberal administration would:
- Halt the sell-off of public lands.
- Ensure that all industries work together to minimize the impact on our natural environment, especially in sensitive areas.
- Work with the forestry sector to explore and develop new opportunities for a broader, more sustainable base for the industry.
- Halt “paid hunting” in Alberta.
- Establish conservation offsets to balance lands impacted by development.
- Immediately review existing legislation to strengthen Alberta’s parks and protected areas.
Forestry
We will work closely with forest industry operators to ease the blow from the collapsed U.S. housing market, the high Canadian dollar, and the impact of pine beetle with these policies:
- Examine a tax credit for new and recent machinery and equipment installed to improve efficiency and environmental performance.
- Support the development of biomass energy projects that use wood fiber, including electrical generation at forest manufacturing mills.
- Work with industry to streamline forest regulatory system.
Environment & Sustainable Resource Development Responses & Questions
14 February 2012
Government threatens Alberta’s natural heritage, economy by allowing logging in Castle Crown
Edmonton – Harry Chase, Alberta Liberal Critic for Tourism, Parks and Recreation, says the government’s stubborn refusal to stop logging in the Castle Crown threatens water, wildlife, tourism and Alberta’s international reputation.
02 February 2012
Logging in the Castle threatening grizzlies
Edmonton – Laurie Blakeman, Official Opposition Critic for Sustainable Resource Development (SRD), says logging in the Castle Crown Special Management Area further threatens Alberta’s tiny population of grizzly bears – a species already listed as “Threatened” under Alberta’s Wildlife Act.
31 January 2012
Statement: Sherman on pipelines
Yesterday interim federal Liberal leader Bob Rae suggested that he does not approve the construction of the Northern Gateway oil pipeline. Alberta Liberals respect Mr. Rae, but he is on the wrong side of this issue.
26 January 2012
Sherman calls on government to listen to Albertans and make the Castle Crown a provincial park
Edmonton - While PC Ministers spread out across the province to supposedly consult with the public on decisions that they have already made, Alberta Liberal Leader Raj Sherman asks why the government isn’t listening to Albertans when it comes to clear cut forestry in southwestern Alberta.
20 January 2012
Keystone failure has lessons for Alberta
Edmonton – Official Opposition Environment Critic Laurie Blakeman says the delay of the Keystone XL pipeline project gives Alberta an opportunity to get better environmental practices in place before the next round of approvals.
05 December 2011
Climate Change (December 1)
Ms Blakeman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The reality of this government’s climate change initiatives is quite different from what the minister has painted: an emission reduction strategy that won’t see reduction until 2020 at the earliest, a $15 carbon tax when experts insist that a tax has to be $75 to $150 to make a difference, and we have no plan to increase even that $15.
01 December 2011
Hydraulic Fracturing for Gas in Shale (November 30)
Ms Blakeman: Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker. Now, Alberta has more expertise in oil and gas than anywhere.
29 November 2011
Gravel Extraction Management (November 28)
Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Ground and surface water interact, and alluvial aquifers, gravel beds, are key to this interaction. These shallow-bearing gravels bind surface and groundwater into one functioning body.
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Alberta Liberal Caucus Office
Reception
2nd Floor Legislature Annex,
9718 - 107 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T5K1E4
phone: 780.427.2292
fax: 780.427.3697
liberal.correspondence@assembly.ab.ca