News

Benchmark Report Released on Biodiversity in South Saskatchewan Region

Posted August 23, 2011 by LSC

EDMONTON, August 23, 2011 – The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) released its Core Report entitled “Status of Biodiversity in the South Saskatchewan Planning Region – Preliminary Assessment 2011” which serves as a benchmark for the environmental health of the region.

The report states that 49% of the South Saskatchewan Planning Region (SSPR) has been directly altered by human activities including agriculture, urbanization and energy operations. When considering only the Grassland Region of the SSPR, 57% of the landscape has been directly altered by human activities.

The report concludes that the overall status of native biodiversity is 54% in the Grassland Region of the SSPR. In addition, non-native weeds were found across 100% of the region.
“Biodiversity is fundamentally to the health of our economy, communities, and to the stewardship our environment,” says Kirk Andries, ABMI Executive Director. “This report sets the baseline health of living resources in one of the busiest regions in our province. These results will be used to support regional planning and resource management practices by tracking how the environment is changing in the decades to come.”

The SSPR represents 13% of Alberta’s land area and is home to 45% of the provincial population. This region is expected to continue experiencing significant agricultural, urban, and energy related land-use pressures in coming decades. As watershed and land-using planning continues to mature in Alberta, the status of biodiversity will be fundamental to setting regional ecological benchmarks and objectives, and to providing the foundation for evaluating the future outcomes of resource management across the province.

Over the next few years, the ABMI will broaden its assessment of biodiversity in the SSPR to include the status of mammals, wetlands, lichens, and mosses. With time, these same assessments will be available for all other land use planning regions as well as customized regions throughout the province.

“The work the ABMI is doing, and the scientific data we are collecting, will play a significant role as the province implements a cumulative effects approach to managing the environment and ecosystem,” adds Andries. “With this program Alberta can be proud that it is a global leader in monitoring environmental health.”

For more information about ABMI and to download the report and supporting documents visit the ABMI website.

Media inquiries can be directed to:
Jim Herbers
Director, Information Centre
Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
Telephone: (780) 492–5766
Email: jherbers@ualberta.ca

Waterlution Workshop for Young Professionals

Posted August 16, 2011 by LSC

Waterlution is looking for young professionals (age 20–35) to participate in a unique workshop on a “hot water topic” across North America – natural gas, shale gas, hydraulic fracturing and water use in North East British Columbia. The workshop will take place in Fort Nelson, BC on September 14–16, 2011 and is open to anyone across Canada.

The purpose of this three-day residential workshop is to engage young Canadian leaders in resource management and related fields in dialogue about water and natural gas development. The workshop will explore issues specific to natural gas extraction and the use of water and protection of groundwater.

There is space for 20 individuals between the ages of 20–35 to participate in the workshop. There is a $100 participation fee. All participants are expected to attend the full length of the workshop in order to facilitate, discuss and encourage growth throughout the experience.

The deadline to apply is August 23, 2011.

For more information and to apply visit Waterlution’s website.

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