A new area of Alberta may soon be protected and it's stunning
Alberta has plenty of natural beauty, and now a spot in the province is being eyed to become a new protected area.
The area, situated along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains just southwest of Calgary and near the community of Longview, is known as Pekisko, which is part of a landscape of native grasslands, foothills and forested uplands.
The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) Southern Alberta celebrated the move on a post to its Facebook page, adding that the grasslands are “some of the most biodiverse — but least protected — regions in our province.”
Laine Mitchell/Daily Hive
“The Pekisko is a key grasslands landscape of rolling foothills, is home to grizzly bears and bull trout and is at the heart of Alberta’s First Nations and ranching heritage. Legal designation of this area as a Heritage Rangeland ensures the protection of these values for generations to come,” CPAWS Southern Alberta Executive Director Katie Morrison said.
The draft Pekisko Heritage Rangeland Management Plan, released this summer, states that the plan is to conserve and sustainably manage Alberta’s intact native Crown rangelands on the Pekisko Heritage Rangeland, through existing grazing disposition leases, stewardship collaboration and balancing other compatible land uses.
The draft plan mentioned that the Pekisko Heritage Rangeland (34,292 hectares/84,737 acres) designation reinforces the importance of conserving these remaining native grasslands, maintaining the ecological integrity of the area, and contributing to the long-term protection of one of Alberta’s largest remaining contiguous blocks of native foothills fescue grassland.
Government of Alberta
The notion to try to protect the area has been in the works for quite some time. In 2014, the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP) directed the development of a management plan for the Pekisko Heritage Rangeland. In 2016, the grazing lessees within the current Pekisko Heritage Rangeland boundary came together to request that the land they graze remained protected into the future.
To support this initiative, the key stakeholders formed a multi-stakeholder working group and drafted the first management plan for the Pekisko area. The draft management plan was reviewed and revised, keeping the core recommended objectives and outcomes. Current conditions and government direction also inform how the area will be sustainably managed for the future.
The plan will be implemented by the Government of Alberta. An Advisory Committee may be established, involving members from the local grazing lease holders, municipalities, and other partners as determined by the Government of Alberta, to support collaborative, land stewardship implementation of this management plan.
You can view the full Pekisko Heritage Rangeland Management Plan online.