The Alberta Wildlifer
Winter 1999, Vol. 10, No. 1
Editors: Laurie Hunt and Daniel Farr
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The Alberta Wildlifer |
Winter 1999, Vol. 10, No. 1 |
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Editors: Laurie Hunt and Daniel Farr |
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| Previous Newsletters |  |
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Beth MacCallum
This February I was involved with a transplant of 40 bighorn sheep from Alberta to Hell's Canyon in Idaho (20 sheep) and to Custer State Park in South Dakota (20 sheep). We are fortunate in Alberta to have contiguous sheep range as compared to many states in the U.S.A. whose habitat has been fragmented by settlement and whose sheep populations have been devastated by the introduction of domestic livestock diseases.
This particular transplant is the sixth involving a total of 196 sheep taken from the reclaimed portion of the Cardinal River Coals Ltd. mine near Hinton. Beginning in 1988, 76 sheep have been transplanted to the Ruby Mountains in Nevada, 49 to the Snake River in Oregon, 31 to Plateau Mountain in southern Alberta and 40 sheep to Idaho and South Dakota. Transplants are necessarily labour intensive and this occasion brought many people together with the inevitable questions of Awhat do we get from this? Perhaps surficially not a lot, but the states pay for the cost of the organization, lab testing, permitting, transporting etc. and we get to reflect on the basis of wildlife management on the North American continent. As a result of the excesses of the last century during which the fauna of the continent was devastated, a number of laws were passed in both Canada and the United States so that now we enjoy wildlife managed in the public trust (as opposed to private ownership of wildlife so prevalent elsewhere in the world), wildlife removed from the market economy (with some exceptions), sophisticated laws governing allocation of wildlife, and wildlife recognized as an international resource to be managed cooperatively. These policies produced a public that cares strongly about its wildlife resources, numerous conservation societies, a fledgling wildlife profession (thanks to Aldo Leopold), peer-reviewed journals for publishing wildlife-oriented research, international treaties, and cooperative management plans. On a pragmatic level, Alberta has been the recipient of wildlife transplanted from the United States including elk from Yellowstone, bison from Montana and swift fox from Wyoming.
As we think about the past and present, it is appropriate to wonder about the challenges for maintaining abundant wildlife into the future. I'm not going to answer that question here but make a few observations based on reflection from the sheep transplant. The capturing process was temporarily interrupted by wolves chasing the sheep off the bait site. The presence of large carnivores on this site would likely never have happened if all 450 miners and their families lived nearby. As it is, home for the miners is a 50 km bus ride away to Hinton. Last year in Hinton a cougar and a grizzly bear were killed because they wandered too close to town. The result was an injured dog, a frightened dog owner, an upset leaseholder and 2 dead large carnivores. It is very difficult for humans and large carnivores to cooexist. Concentrating human habitation allows carnivores the space to hunt and live, and gives us to ability to work and recreate in the same space without the need to punch a hole in the carnivore population (as invariably happens around every town or settlement).
Participating in a capturing process which requires literally hands on work also highlights the widening gulf between biologists applying a field approach and a modelling approach to wildlife management. The concern isn't so much about techniques, given that technology has provided us with wonderful tools for collecting, analysing and presenting data, but that there seems to be little connection between the two approaches. As the 1999 annual conference approaches I look forward to hearing and discussing your views on the challenges for biologists in the 21st century.
Just in time for the New Millennium, The Alberta Chapter has arrived on The Information Highway. Check out our website at www.albertadirectory.com/actws, or contact Troy Sorensen, Troy.Sorensen@telus.net
Many Thanks to Global Webwalkers Inc.,
www.albertadirectory.com/globalweb
for donating the webspace.
DO renew your membership today!
DON’T delay or you’ll miss important news!
Membership dues for 1999 were due in January. If you're late, please send your renewal now to
Jack Nolan, Alberta Environmental Centre,
Bag 4000, Vegreville, AB, T9C 1T4.
Membership fees continue to be $10.00 for a regular membership and $5.00 for students (must be accompanied by verification of student status).
Your Chapter is busy preparing for our Annual Meeting, March 12-13, 1999 in Nisku Alberta, across from the Edmonton International Airport.
Look in this issue for the preliminary agenda.
Hope to see you there!
Have you got news from the Alberta wildlife front? Organizational changes, project status, current wildlife issues? Anything that you think would be of interest to your fellow members is welcome.
Contact: Laurie Hunt or Daniel Farr
Newsletter Editors
Box 6275, Hinton, Alberta, T7V 1X6
ph 780-865-8376(w) or 780-865-6162(h),
fax 780-865-8371
laurie.hunt@telusplanet.net or dfarr@telusplanet.net
| Name | Position | Work | Home | Fax |
| Beth MacCallum | President | 865-3390 | 865-4906 | 865-4906 |
| Ian Ross | Past President | 217-8215 | ||
| Mike Dorrance | President-Elect | 467-4396 | 467-4396 | 436-9540 |
| Jon Jorgenson | Secretary-Treasurer | 678-2373 | 949-4311 | 678-5505 |
| Dave Hobson | Director, Newsletter | 723-8518 | 865-3246 | 723-8502 |
| Arlen Todd | Director, Nominations | 778-7115 | 778-4066 | 778-7234 |
| Steve Brechtel | Director, Membership | 422-9535 | 438-7259 | 422-9685 |
| Doug Collister | Director, Conservation | 246-2697 | 240-1635 | 246-2697 |
Registration
$35.00 Regular; $20.00 Half Day; $15.00 Student
Nisku Inn, Edmonton International Airport, Edmonton, Alberta
Phone 780-955-7744
Fax 780-955-7743
Toll Free 1-800-661-6966
Rooms $79.00 + tax (single or double)
To receive the Conference Rate, be sure to make reference to "The
Wildlife Society".
The Nisku Inn has just remodelled and expanded its conference and banquet facilities. The
hotel is located south of Edmonton on Highway 2, just east of the Edmonton International
Airport interchange.
Did you always want to contribute to ACTWS activities but find your schedule keeps you too busy? Here’s your chance!
Stop by a local camera, book, outdoor equipment or any other type of store that may be interested with an ACTWS pamphlet. Describe our worthwhile student scholarship fund in order to obtain a donation for our annual auction.
We publicize the names of companies that donate to our scholarship fund and the donation is a tax write-off for the organization.
Get the creative juices flowing and build a masterpiece for us to marvel over and inevitably bid against one another in order to own.
Perhaps you possess a special skill that other ‘wildlife folks’ would be interested in learning and participating in.
Remember a little time and effort goes a long way.
Each auction item contributes to our student scholarship fund and makes for a more amusing evening.
***Please contact Dee Ryerson (415-1335) or Ken Crutchfield (427-7763) for ACTWS pamphlets or more information.
Alberta Chapter of The Wildlife SocietyTenth Annual MeetingNisku Inn, Nisku, AlbertaFriday, March 12, 1999
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Student Travel Subsidy The Alberta Chapter offers a subsidy to students travelling to the Annual Meeting from outside the local area. Grants will be in the amount of $15 per student, to a maximum of $1,500, available on a first-come, first-served basis. Eligibility To be eligible, you must be enrolled in an educational institution in Alberta, outside the Edmonton area. Contact Please co-ordinate applications through a student or faculty representative, and contact Ian Ross, 403-217-8246, iross@canuck.com, or see him at the meeting. |
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| 11am - 1pm 1:00 - 1:10 1:10 - 5:10 |
Registration and Poster Setup Opening Address Beth MacCallum, President, ACTWS Plenary Session Endangered species protection and management Chair: Chris Shank, Alberta Environmental Protection |
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| 1:10 - 2:00 | Keynote address: How to go extinct. Dr. David M. Green, McGill University; Chair, COSEWIC |
| 2:00 - 2:30 | Legislation and programs for species at risk. Loney Dickson, Canadian Wildlife Service & Steve Brechtel, Alberta Environmental Protection, Edmonton |
| 2:30 - 2:50 | Break - Coffee and Posters |
| 2:50 - 3:20 | Conservation of burrowing owls in Alberta. Dr. Gord Court, Alberta Environmental Protection, Edmonton |
| 3:20 - 3:50 | Conservation of rare species in a managed landscape - The Milk River area. Cliff Wallis, Cottonwood Consultants, Calgary |
| 3:50 - 4:20 | Endangered species in protected areas. Peter Lee, World Wildlife Fund, Edmonton |
| 4:20 - 4:50 | Wrap up. Dr. Fiona Schmiegelow, University of Alberta |
| 4:50 - 5:10 | Questions and discussion |
| 5:10 - 7:00 | Break - Dinner on Your Own |
| 7:00 - 8:00 | Guest Speaker: Dr. Ian Stirling Polar bear conservation and biology |
| 8:00 - 11:00 | Cash Bar, Social and Auction |
| 8:00 - 9:20 | Session 1 |
| 8:00 - 8:20 | The effects of timing of cattle grazing on amphibian and bird abundance and diversity in and around central Alberta ponds. Norine E. Ambrose and C. A. Paszkowski. Dept. of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Alberta Student |
| 8:20 - 8:40 | Can we manage reproductive output in burrowing owls by managing their prey? Troy.I. Wellicome, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Alberta Student |
| 8:40 - 9:00 | Northern pike management in Alberta. Dee Ryerson and M.G. Sullivan. Alberta Environmental Protection, Edmonton |
| 9:00 - 9:20 | A resource management plan for an "endangered" species in Banff National Park. Dwayne A. W. Lepitzki and Charlie Pacas. Wildlife Systems Research, Banff; Banff National Park |
| 9:20 - 9:40 | Break - Coffee and Posters |
| 9:40 - 11:00 | Session 2 |
| 9:40 - 10:00 | Use of stable isotopes to characterize aquatic food webs and assess diets of red-necked grebes. Beverly A. Gingras and Cynthia A. Paszkowski. Dept. of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Alberta Student |
| 10:00 - 10:20 | Potential effects of small fish on amphibian communities in the western boreal forest.Brian. R. Eaton, C. Grekul and C. A. Paszkowski. Dept. of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Alberta Student |
| 10:20 - 10:40 | Distribution of woodland caribou in response to industrial development. Simon. J. Dyer, S. M. Wasel and J.P. O’Neill . Dept. of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Alberta; Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries , Boyle Student |
| 10:40 - 11:00 | GPS tracking of grizzly bears in northeastern British Columbia. Ian Ross, John Paczkowski, Rob Serrouya, Doug Heard, Dale Seip, Glen Watts, and Charles Mamo. Parsnip Grizzly Bear Population and Habitat Inventory Project, British Columbia Fish and Wildlife Branch |
| 11:00 - 12:00 | ACTWS Business Meeting |
| 12:00 - 1:45 | ACTWS Luncheon and Awards Presentation |
| 1:45 - 3:45 | Session 3 Habitat Management |
| 1:45 - 2:05 | Habitat suitability index (HSI) models: A GIS approach. Corey J. De La Mare. Geographic Dynamics Corp., Edmonton |
| 2:05 - 2:25 | Beyond habitat: Exploring the effects of landscape heterogeneity on furbearer distribution. Jason T. Fisher and Stan Boutin. Dept. of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Alberta Student |
| 2:25 - 2:45 | Long-term effects (1956–1996) of clearcut logging and scarification on structure and biota in spruce, mixedwood, and pine forests of west-central Alberta. John G. Stelfox, J. Brad Stelfox and W.C. Bessie. Vernon, BC; Forem Consulting Ltd, Bragg Creek; Golder and Associates, Calgary |
| 2:45 - 3:05 | The response of small mammals to downed wood in wildfire and harvest stand in the mid-boreal forest. Lui Marinelli and Phil Lee. Alberta Research Council, Vegreville |
| 3:05 - 3:25 | Habitat associations of black-backed and three-toed woodpeckers in the boreal forest. Jeff. H. Hoyt and S.J. Hannon. Dept. of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Alberta Student |
| 3:25 - 3:45 | Fire history - terrain relationships in the Little Rancheria caribou herd winter range: Implications for forest management planning in southeastern Yukon. Shawn R. Francis, V. Loewen and R. Florkiewicz. Applied Ecosystem Management Ltd.,Whitehorse; Yukon Renewable Resources, Whitehorse |
| 3:45 - 3:55 | Wrap Up |
Acknowledgements |
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Minutes of the 1998 Business Meeting |
Jon Jorgenson |
Financial Statement |
Jon Jorgenson |
Chapter Deliverables (1998-99) |
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| ACTWS Newsletter | Dave Hobson |
| ACTWS Annual Meeting/Conference Student Scholarships Chapter Awards |
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Committee Reports |
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| Conservation Membership |
Doug Collister Steve Brechtel |
Discussion Items |
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| Open Forum | |
Election Results |
Arlen Todd |
Remarks of Past President |
Beth MacCallum |
Remarks of President |
Mike Dorrance |
In 1997, Premier Klein appointed Tom Thurber, MLA, Drayton Valley-Calmar to lead a review of public lands policies in the White Area with emphasis on grazing lease issues. Public land in the White Area covers about 6% of Alberta or 10 million acres. Mr. Thurber and a committee of MLAs held public meetings, received oral and written comments and produced a final report in November, 1998.
Salient points of the report are summarized below:
The review was based upon the following assumptions (referred to as 'goals' in the report):
- Albertans do not have an unrestricted right to use all public land because some rights have been granted to leaseholders.
- The primary use of public land in the White Area should be for agricultural purposes, although other uses will be encouraged.
- The leaseholder should be a 'steward' of their disposition.
- Livestock grazing is essential in maintaining the biodiversity and productivity of grasslands in the White Area.
Recommendations include the following:
Sale of public land - Public land should not be sold, with the exceptions of a) cultivated land with no conservation value, and b) small pieces that are inefficient to manage and too small to have conservation value.
Public access - Recreational users must seek permission from leaseholders to access
grazing leases.
Environmental protection - A stewardship code of practice will be developed for leaseholders and other users of public land.
Grazing leases will be audited every 5 years by provincial agrologists.
Privately-owned lands more suitable for conservation will be acquired through trade of saleable, less sensitive public land.
Riparian areas on public land will be a priority for management.
Wildlife management - "The protection of wildlife habitat is important. However, because of the transient nature of wildlife movement, the management of wildlife becomes a larger issue. The protection or enhancement of wildlife habitat on public land, with the joint cooperation of the agricultural disposition holder, should be supported."
Grazing of bison - "... the Public Lands Act could be amended to expand the definition of 'livestock' providing this 'new' type of livestock is proven not to place new limits on the multiple use of these areas. Fencing of grazing dispositions should not impede wildlife movement."
Timber harvest - "When logging on a grazing lease occurs under a sustained-yield timber program, up to 40 per cent of the productive upland will be considered for conversion to permanent pasture."
A new woodlot disposition should be created to manage and harvest timber for up to 20 years on small parcels; e. g. 1-2 sections.
A planning mechanism is required to determine how much land in the White Area should be designated for long-term timber production.
Compensation for industrial activity - Leaseholders will continue to receive compensation for 10 years for surface disturbance from existing oil and gas development. Leaseholders will no longer receive compensation for new developments. Some revenue from new agreements will be used for conservation and resource management including partial funding of resource enhancement, resolving multiple-use conflicts, education, research and monitoring of dispositions.
Lease tenure - Good stewards will be rewarded with 20-year leases. First-time lease terms should be 10 years.
Copies of the complete report are available from Alberta Agriculture, phone 427-3595.
The report is also on line at:
www.agric.gov.ab.ca/ruraldev/publands/aglease/index.html
Prepared by:
Mike Dorrance
My first introduction to prairie conservation came through the first Prairie Conservation Action Plan (PCAP) that was released in 1988 by the governments of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and World Wildlife Fund Canada. The PCAP was a five year initiative aimed at prairie wide efforts to conserve and manage native prairie. The Prairie Conservation Coordinating Committee was initiated in Alberta in 1989 to carry out the PCAP. In 1995 the Committee was reconfirmed and renamed the Prairie Conservation Forum (PCF). The PCF does not have legislative, management or program authorities or responsibilities and is consultative and advisory to member organizations.
The Forum is a large, multi-party body consisting of approximately 40 member organizations representing agricultural and conservation groups, industry, academia, land and resource managers, federal and provincial agencies, and local authorities. The PCF has three broad aims, to:
The PCF released the Alberta Prairie Conservation Action Plan (PCAP): 1996-2000 early in 1997. This plan provides a vision, principles and management strategies for conserving Alberta’s remaining native grassland and parkland ecosystems. Efforts are presently underway to implement this plan.
The PCF typically meets three times a year in various locations within prairie and parkland Alberta. Member organizations are expected to cover the costs and expenses incurred by their staff when attending Forum meetings. All members are encouraged to attend scheduled meetings, contribute their expertise, share information on matters of interest to the Forum and, wherever possible, contribute resources for initiatives that are undertaken to achieve the Forum’s aims.
Three strategic priorities are currently being undertaken which relate directly to objectives found within the Alberta Prairie Conservation Action Plan; Prairie Ecology Research Committee, PCF Communications Strategy and Topics in Prairie Conservation Course.
A Plan is just another document sitting on a shelf collecting dust unless the are organizations and individuals willing to take the lead and implement some the goals and objectives. As professionals we can take a lead role in relating our efforts to the prairie and parkland landscapes of Alberta. For more information on the Alberta Prairie Conservation Action Plan contact Dave Scobie (403-793-8500), check out the website at www.rr.ualberta.ca/profs/lmorgant/praicons.htm or an Environment Canada site that has info on the PCAP for the prairie provinces at www.mb.ec.gc.ca/ENGLISH/LIFE/WHP/pcap.htm.
Submitted by:
Dave Scobie, Avocet Environmental Inc., Brooks, AB
The first electronic issue of "Remotely Wild," the newsletter for the GIS/RS and Telemetry Working Group of The Wildlife Society, is now online! Peruse the various articles, check out links to related sites,
or download the newsletter in PDF format. Members and non-members can learn about the activities and events for this working group.
http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/tws-gis/
For more information, please contact Stacy McNulty at smcnulty@vt.edu, ph 540-231-7348.
March 1-4, 1999, Vancouver, British Columbia
Contact: info@gis99.com, ph 203-445-9265.
March 3- 4, 1999, Calgary, Alberta
This conference will look at various topics (vegetation control and management, forestry,
fish & wildlife, reclamation and project planning) that have impacted the vegetation
management industry over the last 21 years and how the industry is preparing for the
millennium.
Contact: Kevin Ellis, ph 403-290-7237, kevin.ellis@pipe.nova.ca
March 12 & 13, 1999, Nisku, Alberta
Contact: Mike Dorrance, mathdorr@telusplanet.net
March 15-16, 1999, San Diego, California
University of California Berkeley and Western Section, The Wildlife Society
Population Viability Analysis (PVA) has become an important tool for assessing risks to
endangered species, but has been criticized for the unrealistic ways that models have been
applied in management and policy decisions. This conference will focus on issues in the
development and application of demographic and genetic PVA models for conserving
threatened and endangered species. Themes of conference sessions include conceptual issues
in the development of PVA models, integrating theory and practice in the use of PVA,
applications of PVA to conservation problems, and the future of PVA.
Contact: William Hull, ph 510-465-4962, whull@cgbd.org,
http://www.cccweb.com/tws-west/pva.
Environmental and Outdoor Education Council of the Alberta Teachers Association
April 22-24, 1999, Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta
Contact: Caroline Wieser, ph 403-381-0807, fax 403-329-7311, hscc@city.lethbridge.ab.ca, or Keith Roscoe,
Conference Director, ph 403-329-2446, fax 403-329-2252, keith.roscoe@uleth.ca. http://www.teachers.ab.ca/conference/index.html
June 22-25, 1999, Wolfville/Greenwich, Nova Scotia
Contact: Kate Moir, Nova Scotia Department of the Environment, ph 902-424-3617, email: moirkm@gov.ns.ca
June 28 – July 2, 1999, Gödöllö, Hungary
Themes for the five-day congress are (1) Sustainable Development and Wildlife
Conservation; (2) Landscape Linkages: Ecosystem Science and Management; (3) Issues in
Wildlife-Human Conflicts; (4) Education, Outreach, and Human Dimensions in Wildlife
Conservation; and (5) Techniques for Monitoring Wildlife.
Contact: W. Daniel Edge, daniel.edge@orst.edu
August 8-11, 1999, Seattle, Washington
American Society of Civil Engineers
This conference is ASCE's annual specialty conference to present and discuss a wide range
of technical and practical issues relating to the fields of hydrology, hydraulics, and
irrigation & drainage.
Contact: conf@asce.org
September 7-11, 1999, Austin, Texas
The meeting will include symposia, workshops, and contributed papers and posters.
Contact: The Wildlife Society, ph 301-897-9770, tws@wwildlife.org
September 13-16, 1999, Edirne, Turkey
Contact: Dr. Cengiz Kurtonur, Trakya Universitesi,
ph +90-284-213-5271, cengizk@aix.trakya.edu.tr,
http://www.trakya.edu.tr
October 19-22, 1999. Snowbird, Utah
This is an international conference to bring together scientists and land managers
involved with habitat modeling, with a focus on the future of modeling to support
multi-scale landscape planning efforts for wildlife conservation and management.
Contact: Mr. Mike Scott, ph 208-885-6960 or Dr. Patricia Heglund, ph 208-885-2665 or Ms.
Kathy Merk, 208-885-2750.
http://www.ets.uidaho.edu/coop/1999_symposium.htm
Ms. Beth McCallum
President
Alberta Chapter of the Wildlife Society
Box 4990
Edmonton, Alberta
T6E 5G8
Dear Ms. McCallum:
Thank you for your letter dated August 28, concerning federal endangered species legislation. I apologize for the delay in responding.
In February and August, the federal, provincial and territorial governments jointly hosted public workshops on the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk. The Accord represents the umbrella under which the many elements of federal, provincial, territorial and non-governmental programs are linked together. The workshops examined ways to implement the Accord. They also updated participants and solicited their advice on various aspects of the Accord. I have enclosed copies of the reports from those workshops for your information.
In October, the federal government hosted a multistakeholder workshop to seek advice on the essential elements for federal endangered species legislation. The workshop gave participants a better understanding of the various perspectives pertaining to these essential elements, and provided the federal government with recommendations for drafting the legislation. We have included your name on our distribution list and will ensure that you receive a copy of the report from the October workshop as well.
The Wildlife Ministers' Council of Canada met recently in Victoria to discuss the national endangered species program. You will be pleased to know that one of the highlights of our meeting included agreement on the work plan for implementing the Accord. We also agreed to continue consultations with interested Canadians on the roles that governments, stakeholders and individuals can play in protecting endangered species. Effective protection for species is the bottom line.
In addition to conventional means of communication such as mail and facsimile, we have
developed and electronic forum to facilitate the consultations. I invite you to access the
forum at the "Endangered Species in Canada" web site
http://www.ec.gc.ca/cws-scf/es/endan_e.html
I assure you that I am committed to the introduction of new federal endangered species legislation and expect it to be ready in the coming months. Your continued interest in this important initiative is greatly appreciated.
Yours sincerely,
Christine S. Stewart
Minister of the Environment,
Ottawa, Canada
K1A 0H3
Enclosures
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