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By Curtis Galbraith

Alberta

Grazing leases to play role in carbon sequestration, options for more parks and campgrounds to be looked at says Loewen

Nov 24, 2022 | 6:00 AM

Alberta’s new minister of forestry, parks, and tourism says grazing leases will play a role in carbon sequestration.

One of the things contained in Premier Danielle Smith’s mandate letter to Central Peace-Notley MLA Todd Loewen for his new role is to look for nature-based ways to do this.

Loewen says they want to “maintain a healthy balance on the landscape.”

“And make sure that we continue to graze appropriately and make sure that happens. Leaseholders are good stewards of the land, and we want to continue that relationship.”

“Also, with our forestry companies, they do good work with (being) stewards on the landscape too, so we need to keep working with them.”

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The letter also asks Loewen to work with industry to use forestry and grassland management to maintain the health and biodiversity of lease lands and to come up with environmentally responsible ways to develop more campgrounds, recreation and tourism places on provincial land.

“Not sure of a number at this point. It’s a little too early to come up with numbers but we do have the department looking at options that we have and we’re going to be looking at both expanding some existing campgrounds and possibly creating some new ones.”

Loewen says this can have people stay closer to home and attract more visitors to this province.

“And not just to the normal places where people go it seems, like the national parks and things like that. We have a lot of provincial parks across Alberta and just a lot of great area all through Alberta, in rural Alberta and up in the Peace Country.”

“I think there’s just a great opportunity to have more tourism so that there is money being spent across the province.”

The letter also asks Loewen to make sure fees that come from national parks stay in Alberta for improvements in the parks. Loewen says his side will have to meet with his federal counterparts and work with them. He adds it makes sense that the money generated here stays here.

The letter also asks Loewen to make sure campgrounds and trails are both high quality and low cost.