WHEREAS municipalities have general jurisdiction respecting the safety, health and welfare and the protection of people and property; and WHEREAS the Wildlife Act and Wildlife Regulation (143/97) set out the requirements for game bird shooting ground license entitlements; and WHEREAS this Act and Regulation does not make provisions to ensure that adjacent landowners are notified and adequately protected from the game bird shooting ground license activities;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties urge the provincial government to review the Wildlife Regulation (143/87) to ensure provisions are incorporated into this Regulation to:1. Provide for notification and communication between the license holder and adjacent property owner(s) prior to the issuance of the game bird shooting ground license.2. Ensure that there is an adequate buffer zone around the property of the license holder so that the adjacent landowner(s) are not adversely affected.3. Stipulate what type of firearm is to be used by the license holder when hunting under the game bird shooting ground license.

A commercial pheasant release and hunt business was established on a property within the municipality. No on-site assessment was performed by the governing body issuing this license (Alberta Fish and Game). Adjacent landowners were not advised of this license and notified less than 30 minutes prior to the commencement of the hunting/shooting. The location of the hunting/shooting is directly adjacent to inhabited dwellings, cattle and a primary road. Shotgun pellets from the hunters landed on adjacent property and posed a safety hazard to the adjacent property owners.

The AAMDC has no current resolutions or background on this issue.

Alberta Sustainable Resource Development noted that current legislation already prohibits the discharge of firearms unless permitted by the occupant, where the projectile will pass within 200 metres of an occupied residence. Further, SRD encouraged those witnessing violations to report them to the appropriate authorities. The AAMDC finds this response to this resolution to be unsatisfactory. The governments response does not address communication between the seeker of a license and adjacent property owners prior to the issuance of a license nor does it address the type of firearm. The Association will continue to include this issue in the formal ministerial meeting submission for Alberta Sustainable Resource Development.