By David Opinko

Group concerned with potential gas developments in Milk River Natural Area

Jan 13, 2021 | 12:34 PM

MILK RIVER, AB – An environmental protection group is speaking out as the Government of Alberta looks to auction off several pieces of land for petroleum-natural gas (PNG) development.

The province posted a Public Offering of Crown Petroleum and Natural Gas Rights Wednesday, which includes several pieces of property across the province.

The Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) says they have a long-standing interest in conserving Alberta’s native grasslands.

They are concerned about the negative impacts the oil and gas development has already had on prairie habitats and believe this would continue for the parcels in the Milk River Natural Area (MRNA) if development ensued there.

“Firstly, we are concerned about PNG development within the Milk River Natural Area (Lease #A0001) as it contains native grasslands and habitat for threatened populations of swift fox and Greater shorthorned lizard. While the proposed lease is subject to additional restrictions, we do not believe these are sufficient to protect native prairie and species at risk habitat.”

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The MRNA was designated a protected area in 1987 under the Wilderness Areas, Ecological Reserves, Natural Areas and Heritage Rangelands Act.

Four of the proposed leases in this area contain native grasslands but reportedly do not require any additional access restrictions.

“Given that native prairie cover within these leases is highly intact, we do not believe that merely minimizing or offsetting disturbance will compensate for the ecological loss of native prairie, especially within parcels containing endangered Northern Fescue Grasslands. Further to this, AWA does not believe the sale of these leases aligns with the management intent of the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan.”

The AWA outlined their concerns in a letter to Premier Jason Kenney, Energy Minister Sonya Savage, and Environment and Parks Minister Jason Nixon.

The group has asked these government members to remove the PNG lease rights from the public offering.

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