Alberta’s environment minister has broadened the province’s interpretation of “protected lands” to counter Ottawa’s nature strategy. This move comes in response to Canada and 195 other nations committing to safeguard 30 percent of their land by 2030, known as the 30×30 initiative.
Grant Hunter, Alberta’s minister of environment and protected areas, stated in a press release that the province already safeguards 60 percent of its land under its unique definition. He criticized federal reporting methods for not encompassing the full scope, focusing on limited definitions of protected land.
Alberta diverges from the national approach by considering all publicly owned and regulated lands, including those shielded from development, as protected. In contrast, Canada plans to protect an additional 1.6 million square kilometers of land in the next four years to achieve the 30×30 goal, with $3.8 billion in federal investments and private sector contributions.
Hunter emphasized Alberta’s rejection of Ottawa’s uniform conservation approach and demanded acknowledgment and provincial authority over all national conservation targets. However, Kecia Kerr, executive director of Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) Northern Alberta, expressed concern over Alberta’s assertion of meeting the 30×30 commitment, calling it “disingenuous.”
Under federal guidelines, protected areas include conservation-focused territories like national and provincial parks, wildlife areas, and Indigenous protected lands. Despite Hunter’s claim that Alberta’s protected lands encompass Crown land used for forestry, oil exploration, and mining, CPAWS reports that only 15 percent of Alberta’s land is officially classified as protected, contradicting the minister’s earlier statement.
Professional biologist Cliff Wallis criticized defining public land as protected when it allows activities like helium, oil, gas development, and forestry. Wallis highlighted Alberta’s conservation history, citing a shift from former Premier Peter Lougheed’s era of environmental protection to current challenges in safeguarding endangered ecosystems.
Wildlife Conservation Society Canada’s president, Justina Ray, emphasized the importance of species and ecosystems as indicators of conservation success. She pointed out declining populations of grassland birds, amphibians, reptiles, and caribou facing threats from factors like deforestation caused by seismic lines.
While acknowledging the federal government’s $3.8 billion commitment to conservation over the next four years, Kerr raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest from relying on philanthropic organizations and private industry funding. Ray stressed the significance of nature for security, well-being, and the economy, urging jurisdictions to prioritize safeguarding nature amid other societal goals.