S.O.S. Save Our Slopes! Stop Crowsnest Mines and Protect Our Eastern Slopes
The Eastern Slopes of Southern Alberta's Rocky Mountains are being threatened and need our voice.
Mar 30th Update:
The UCP's Coal Consultation process misses the mark entirely by failing to address the issues that Albertan's have consistently maintained are critical, such as water conservation, wilderness protection, recreation, tourism, and treaty rights.
“Albertans have been clear that any consultation on the future of Alberta’s Rockies should not just be about where and how new coal mines can be developed, but around the bigger values of the Eastern Slopes as a region and if new coal mines are even acceptable or appropriate anywhere on this landscape,” says Katie Morrison, Conservation Director with CPAWS Southern Alberta.
“Albertans have stated they want more protections for the Eastern Slopes and the majority oppose ongoing exploration and new future mines,” adds Morrison. “The process and outcome of these consultations must accurately reflect the views of Albertans.”
Recent polling by market research firm Leger indicates 76% of Albertans want more protection over more industrial development on the Eastern Slopes of the Rockies. Taken from CPAWS Southern AB Website: https://cpaws-southernalberta.org/new-government-coal-consultation-misses-the-mark/
The UCP continue to destroy hopes of trust with Albertan's as coal exploration and development continue to occur during the "consultation" process, eradicating any hope of good faith with Albertan's.
The Alberta Government’s new Coal Policy survey is the 1st step in the consultation process, however the survey gave limited options when it came to voicing real concerns over the status of our Eastern Slopes. It is critical that the values of Alberta’s landscape are considered from step one of this process to understand how important they truly are to Albertans.
Despite the shortcomings of this survey, we still urge all Albertans to voice their concerns, not simply by only responding to the questions that are asked, but also the ones we know and believe needed to be asked.
Feb 7th Update:
This month Clearwater County councillors will be voting on the removal of the Coal Policy that previously our Eastern Slopes from Open Pit Coal mining. The link below will take you to contact page for these councillors and make sure you let them know you do not support the desecration of our mountains and short sighted selling of coal leases in our mountains. There are also links to @cpaws_nab page with more info on the Bighorn area threats. So many of us fly anglers recreate throughout this area. The Ram rivers are extremely important pristine west slope cutthroat trout watersheds and positioning them with selenium from coal mines is not the legacy we want to leave for all future generations. We urge each of you to reach out to the councilors and make your voice heard. Beyond that try reaching out to friends, family and neighbours OUTSIDE of fly fishing and engage other stakeholders in the area who hike, camp, hunt, ride and recreate in these areas. We need everyone’s voice together, not just fly anglers and ranchers. We must come together and make our voices heard.#SaveOurSlopes
Here is the link for the CPAWS Northern Alberta Page: https://cpawsnab.org/coal-in-clearwater-county/
Feb 4th Update:
Die Cut & Rectangular Flag Stickers available with 100% of all proceeds going to CPAWS (Canadian Parks And Wilderness Services)
Jan 18th, 2021 Jason Kenney and the UCP made a big announcement about "listening to Albertans". They suggested this grandiose gesture involving the cancellation of 11 Coal mines and leases, in an attempt to appease the advocates of the eastern Slopes. This was little more than a predictable PR stunt that needs to be put into perspective:
-The 11 mine cancellations are 1800 hectares of the 840 000 total hectares of coal mines and leases in our eastern Slopes.
-That is less than half, of 1/2 a percent. They canceled 0.02% of the coal mines and expect that to appease Albertans and make advocacy groups go away.
-Will a 0.02% concession buy your silence?
Make your voice heard, contact your MLA and MP now
"June 1st, 2020 the Coal Association of Canada and Alberta Energy Minister, Sonya Savage, cancelled the former Coal Policy that has protected Alberta’s Eastern slopes for the past 45 years. The heart and soul of Alberta - our mountains - are now vulnerable to open pit mining by domestic and foreign corporations. Open pit coal mining pollutes our rivers, kills our wildlife, poisons our drinking water and will destroy our unique mountain ecosystem for future generations.
We must unite as a community to reinstate the former Coal Development Policy for Alberta. And tell the current Alberta government through our petition that Albertan’s want our Eastern slopes preserved forever." Excerpt from: https://www.stopcrowsnestmines.org/
We understand that Alberta is dealing with unprecedented economic times, with Oil taking a big hit and the COVID pandemic, but coal mines in our pristine Rocky mountains are NOT an acceptable alternative. The headwaters of the Oldman would surely see major impacts and the area propose for the mine is one of Alberta's most popular and heavily utilized outdoor recreation areas.
Our Eastern Slopes need your voice!
Help Save Our eastern Slopes
Writing or contacting your MLA and MP's are the most important things we can do to have our voices heard. Online petitions can help, but letters and contacting our elected officials is one of the most important things we can do. Here is a a combined list of action items, letter writing campaigns and petitions you can utilize to help make your voice heard. In under 10 minutes you can visit and sign all of these petitions and letter writing campaigns.
Please help Save Our Slopes
Click each of the links to go directly to those sites:
CPAWS Letter to Federal Minister of Environment and Climate - Stop Grassy
Backcountry Hunter's Letter to your MP & MLA - TAKE ACTION AGAINST COAL MINES IN THE ALBERTA ROCKIES
Postcard to Federal Minister of Environment and Climate - No Coal Mines on Niitsitapi Land
Change.org Petition #1 - Stop Open-Pit Mining from happening around the Canadian Rockies!
Change.org Petition # 2 - Stop the Alberta Government from selling our Mountains
A big thanks to Tanner, who was good enough to put together a consolidated list of the petitions and action items we've listed above in one place to save everyone time: https://albertacoal.squarespace.com/ Thank you for your time and effort Tanner.
We're asking and urging everyone to please take the time to make your voices heard as outlined above. The Oldman watershed is near and dear to the hearts of so many of us, and as we saw with the recent success of the No Pebble Mine campaign in Alaska, we need to be the voice for our watersheds. We use and enjoy the outdoors, now is when we need to stand up and advocate for them! Please join us before its too late.