The Alberta government is advancing legislation to open Crown land for all-season resort development, aiming to stimulate tourism. This initiative would allow resorts in areas like Kananaskis Country, positioning Alberta to attract year-round visitors with diverse recreational options, from skiing to spas. The legislation will also establish a new regulator to streamline the application process and address environmental considerations. This plan aligns Alberta’s approach with British Columbia's established resort framework, responding to concerns about tourism dollars leaving the province. Public consultation will help determine specific development sites.
Alberta is lifting restrictions on trapping wolverines, lynx, river otters, and fishers on Crown land to gather data on their populations, a move Forestry Minister Todd Loewen says will help establish informed quotas. Previously, trapping these species, particularly wolverines, was heavily limited due to insufficient population data. The last estimate in 2003 suggested there were fewer than 1,000 breeding wolverines. Loewen says that trappers' field knowledge and logbooks are vital resources that can provide large-scale ecological insights faster than a small team of biologists alone.
