Dean Biggins (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
EDMONTON — Alberta says it is restoring caribou habitat at a record pace as the province expands efforts to repair legacy industrial disturbances and support recovery of the threatened species.
The provincial government says more than 6,100 kilometres of former seismic lines have been assessed and treated since 2019, a sharp increase from earlier years, as part of its Caribou Habitat Recovery Program. The work includes replanting trees and restoring forest areas altered by past oil and gas exploration and other industrial activity.
Officials say restoration efforts are aimed at helping caribou populations recover while supporting local employment and economic activity. The province says recent surveys show most caribou herds in Alberta have stabilized or are beginning to increase after decades of decline.
Alberta has also signed agreements with energy companies to support continued restoration work. The deals include nearly $12 million in contributions to help rehabilitate habitat in the Richardson and Little Smoky caribou ranges.
The government says the program relies on partnerships with Indigenous communities, industry and federal agencies to coordinate large scale restoration rather than relying on separate projects.
Since launching the recovery program in 2019, Alberta says more than $90 million has been invested in habitat restoration, with additional funding announced last year aimed at planting millions of trees and continuing work across key caribou ranges.
Officials say the long term goal is to restore disturbed landscapes, strengthen wildlife habitat and ensure caribou populations can continue to grow while balancing conservation and economic activity.
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