The province is moved forward with plans proposed to help restore caribou habitat in northern Alberta. It is partnering with the oil and gas industry to plant trees along 10,000 kilometres of land that was previously cleared for seismic lines in the Little Smoky and A La Peche rangelands. Work is scheduled to start next spring, and will take place over five years.
Caribou are considered a threatened species both provincially and federally. The Alberta government has been mandated to manage 65 per cent of the province’s caribou habitat by October 2017.
A report released in June suggested the full cost of restoration could be as high as $40 million. The amount of money industry is contributing has not been released.