Wildland park expansion will improve traditional life, make difference in climate change battle

A significant expansion of the Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland Park in northern Alberta adds to the largest connected area of protected boreal forest in the world and helps deliver on a vision from Elders and land users.

“This is an area that deeply matters to us,” said Chief Peter Powder of the Mikisew Cree First Nation. “The health of this area is directly tied to the health of a culture, of our way life.” 

The total area of the park is now more than 775,000 acres, about six times the size of Waterton Lakes National Park.

Powder was part of a virtual announcement Feb. 2 that included federal government ministers, but not ministers from the province, although the work is being touted as a collaboration between the two levels of government and Indigenous communities.

“The importance of this area goes beyond just us. It matters to all Canadians,” said Powder.

The expansion area is located between the Birch River Wildland Provincial Park and the existing Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland Provincial Park, south of Wood Buffalo National Park. Kitaskino Nuwenëné was established by the provincial government in 2019 with more than 400,000 acres of land just south of Wood Buffalo National Park.

The expansion of Kitaskino Nuwenëné marks a milestone in Canada’s goal of conserving 25 per cent of land and oceans in Canada by 2025 and working toward 30 per cent of each by 2030, said Environment and Climate Change Canada Minister Steven Guilbeault.

Expanding conserved and protected areas around the world is one of the most important actions countries can take to curb the ongoing loss of nature and biodiversity, and mitigate the worst effects of climate change, says the federal government in a news release.

The park expands the largest connected area of protected boreal forest in the world. It increases the protection of waters flowing into the Peace-Athabasca Delta, a globally recognized wetland and one of the largest freshwater deltas in the world.

The newly protected area will expand protected habitat for species at risk, including the threatened Ronald Lake wood bison herd and boreal caribou, as well as the endangered whooping crane.

Through $5.3 million in funding under the Canada Nature Fund, the Mikisew Cree First Nation and the province were able to expand the park’s existing western border.

“The Prime Minister asked me to ensure this work remains grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge, and local perspective,” said Guilbeault.

“Helping expand Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland Provincial Park clearly falls within that mandate. It demonstrates that the government of Canada’s dedication to work in strong partnership with Indigenous communities to honour and protect the land,” said Guilbeault.

Powder said the work to expand the park was done with the “spirit of partnership” that included collaboration not only with governments and Indigenous communities, but also with industry.

“For years our lands, our waters have been suffering from all manner of development and made worse by climate change,” said Powder.

To make the park and expansion happen, leases and tenures were relinquished by Teck Resources Ltd, Imperial Oil, Cenovus, Athabasca Oil, Burgess Canadian Resources, Value Creation, Alberta Pacific Forest Industries, and Northland Forest Products Ltd.

“The lasting legacy of Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland Provincial Park is an example of how Alberta’s energy companies and Indigenous communities, working together, can help achieve desired outcomes on Alberta’s Crown lands,” said Alberta Environment and Parks Minister Jason Nixon in a news release.

Working to support the Mikisew Cree were the Athabasca Chipewyan and Fort McKay First Nations; the Fort McKay and Fort McMurray Métis; the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Association; and the Alberta Wilderness Association.

Local Journalism Initiative Reporters are supported by a financial contribution made by the Government of Canada.