Albertans can provide input on the draft vision of the plan
Alberta livestock producers are encouraged to participate in a public comment period related to the Ghost-Kananaskis Sub-regional Plan (SRP).
This plan for the area west of Calgary along Alberta’s eastern slopes in the South Saskatchewan region, “will establish guidance for environmental management, recreation, industry, and tourism in the area,” the provincial government says while acknowledging the area provides grazing opportunities for livestock.
The Ghost-Kananaskis region has an area of about 6,897 square kilometres, or more than 1.7 million acres.
Albertans can take an online survey until June 5.
Written submissions can be sent to ghost-kananaskis-srp@gov.ab.ca.
The survey asks participants to indicate how strongly they feel towards draft plan outcomes. These outcomes include ensuring the natural resource economy of the area is sustained, and that wildfire risk is mitigated.
Livestock producers in the area should use this opportunity to advocate for their herds, said Lee Irvine, a director with Alberta Beef Producers (ABP).
“We need to consider how livestock grazing is prioritized in the region,” he said on the organization’s website. “This consultation is an important opportunity for producers to speak up, have their voices heard, and reinforce the value of grazing and the rights of those who steward these landscapes.”
ABP also warns that the outcome of this public consultation process could affect livestock operations.
Livestock grazing plays a role in the area.
More than 50 per cent of the Ghost watershed in the region is designated as public or Crown grazing lands, the Ghost Watershed Alliance Society, a non-profit group dedicated to protecting the Ghost River Watershed, reported in 2018.
The public comment period is the first part of the planning process.
Phase two will begin later in 2026 once the draft plan is developed.