WHEREAS wildlife and environmental groups are seeking grants under the Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP) to purchase land for ‘wildlife habitat’;AND WHEREAS municipalities support in principle the concept of designating and developing wildlife habitat sites, providing these are done by leases/caveat with landowners;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the AAMDC advise the Government of Alberta that rural municipalities do not support CFEP grant applications from wildlife or environmental groups for the purpose of purchasing land.
The general feeling among rural municipal governments and their ratepayers is that wildlife habitats must be developed in cooperation and conjunction with area landowners. There is a concern with the possibility of large tracts of land being set aside exclusively for wildlife habitat. Experience indicates that projects integrating wildlife with the existing agricultural use of the lands have met with greater success and acceptance in the rural community.
The AAMDC has no resolutions currently in effect with respect to this matter.