Boreal Forest Largest in the World

Alberta is now home to the largest area of protected boreal forest in the world, following an announcement Tuesday that set aside more than 13,600 square kilometres of land across much of northeast Alberta.

The Provincial and Federal governments, the Tallcree First Nation, oil sands giant Syncrude and the Nature Conservancy of Canada announced the creation of new protected areas at a news conference in Edmonton.

"It is very rare that you can announce a protected area network that is globally significant in such incredible size," said Bob Demulder, the NCC's regional vice-president for the Alberta region. "These things don't happen very often."

The province will formally establish four new parks — Kazan, Richardson, Dillon River and Birch River — and expand the Birch Mountains Wildland Provincial Park.

All of the parks, except Dillon River, border on Wood Buffalo National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site.

 

This is good news for nature lovers like us. I am saddened by what I am seeing in our country. If you have heard of Boracay, a beach resort in the Philippines, there was a hill that was flattened for plans to put up a condominium building. Fortunately the work had stopped and an investigation is ongoing.