Alberta conservation group seeks to overturn oil and gas leases

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) said Thursday that conservation groups will try to overturn the Alberta government's sale of oil and gas leases in the Bighorn Wildland Recreation Area (WRA).

Sept. 21, 2001

2 min read

By the OGJ Online Staff

HOUSTON, Sept. 21 -- The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) said Thursday that conservation groups will try to overturn the Alberta government's sale of oil and gas leases in the Bighorn Wildland Recreation Area (WRA).

The Bighorn Country Wildlands Coalition -- which includes CPAWS and other naturalist groups -- said the government pledged in 1986 it would not lease parts of the Bighorn WRA.

It said Mike Cardinal, Alberta's minister of sustainable resource development, recently said "the bulk of the remaining land is protected from significant industrial disturbances through Forest Land Use Zoning [FLUZ] and the Eastern Slopes Zoning policy."

But the coalition said Murphy Oil Corp. has bought petroleum rights in the Blackstone-Wapiabi FLUZ. It has written Cardinal and Gene Zwozdesky, the minister responsible for provincial parks and recreation areas, asking that construction of roads and drilling pads not be allowed, and the lands be returned undisturbed. The coalition said the province was not required to notify the public before issuing leases.

Bighorn WRA is in the upper Foothills and Rocky Mountains region west of Sundre and Rocky Mountain House. The Blackstone-Wapiabi FLUZ is in the northeast part of the WRA.

Dianne Pachal, a CPAWS consultant, said, "Clearly the area is not as protected as the government and its local advisory committee have told Albertans. Either that, or a huge mistake has been made in selling these leases."