Overview
We gathered input from Albertans on the plan to expand Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland Provincial Park and the expansion has now been finalized.
The original area was established as a wildland provincial park in March 2019 and is located south of Wood Buffalo National Park, and adjacent to the Birch River and Richardson Wildland Provincial Parks. The plan for the expansion was to add 143,805 hectares to the existing 161,880 hectare wildland provincial park.
After learning about the Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland Provincial Park expansion, a new oil sands leaseholder (Burgess Canadian Resources) offered to support the expansion by voluntarily surrendering Crown mineral agreements in the middle of the area. An additional 8,665 more hectares will be included to create a greater contiguous wildland provincial park and bring the total expansion to around 152,000 hectares.
Timeline
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Open
Survey from February 11 to March 15, 2021
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Results under review
March 2021
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Completed
Winter 2022
Who is listening
Ministry of Environment and Parks
Input received
Online survey
Albertans shared their feedback through an online survey from February 11 to March 15, 2021.
Input was also gathered by phone and through public correspondence.
Stakeholder meetings
Stakeholders met virtually with government officials from February 11 to March 15, 2021.
We met with Burgess Canadian Resources, a new oil sands leaseholder with Crown mineral agreements in the middle of the Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland Park expansion area. After learning about the park expansion, Burgess Canadian Resources committed to supporting the expansion by voluntarily surrendering their Crown mineral agreements. The new expansion area can be seen in the map attached.
Indigenous consultation
We met with Indigenous communities between February 11 and March 15, 2021.
Resources
Learn more about the Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland Park engagement:
- Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland Expansion Fact Sheet (January 2022)
Outcomes
Albertans’ feedback helped inform decisions related to the expansion of the Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland Park, managed under the Provincial Parks Act.