The CBC reports that, “(A government of Alberta) plan would permit a 20 per cent increase in logging over the next 20 years on a strip of land between Waterton Lakes National Park and Kananaskis Country, a provincial recreation area.”
The Stelmach government argues that the logging will help prevent the spread of the pine beetle, but conservationists say the logging plan is not targeted on finding infected trees and are skeptical about the ‘getting ahead of a possible outbreak’ justification being used for this logging.
The CBC adds that, “The land contains a crucial watershed that supplies drinking water to communities in southern Alberta…” The watershed provides water for communities including Pincher Creek, Lethbridge, and Medicine Hat.
Alberta is already facing a water crisis and more logging and possible damage to this watershed will not help. For more on Alberta’s water crisis, please go to http://canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=3278 and http://canadians.org/water/issues/markets/index.html.
The full CBC article is at http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2010/07/31/cgy-logging-plan-draws-fire.html#ixzz0vYUXPvHd.
