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Preamble:
WHEREAS rural municipalities are responsible for protecting roads, culverts, bridges, drainage systems, and other infrastructure from damage caused by beavers, muskrats, badgers, and other problem wildlife;
WHEREAS timely wildlife control may be necessary to prevent flooding, road failure, infrastructure damage, road closures, and risks to public safety;
WHEREAS section 51 of Alberta’s Wildlife Act generally prohibits the discharge of a firearm from, along, or across a provincial highway or a paved, oiled, graded, or regularly maintained municipal road, including specified portions of the road right-of-way;
WHEREAS the current exemptions do not provide a clear and practical province-wide process for trained and authorized municipal employees or contractors conducting problem-wildlife control within rural municipal rights-of-way;
Operative Clause:
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Rural Municipalities of Alberta advocate that the Government of Alberta amend the Wildlife Act or its regulations to establish a limited exemption allowing trained and authorized municipal employees or contractors to discharge an appropriate firearm, subject to appropriate safety requirements, from the non-travelled margin of a municipal road right-of-way when such measures are necessary for problem-wildlife control and municipal infrastructure protection.
Member Background:
Rural municipalities regularly manage wildlife that damages municipal infrastructure. Beavers can obstruct culverts and drainage channels, while muskrats and badgers may undermine roads, slopes, and related infrastructure.
Municipal employees may be unable to safely or effectively address wildlife located within or immediately adjacent to a municipal right-of-way. Delayed control can result in flooding, road washouts, emergency closures, costly repairs, and risks to motorists and municipal employees.
Rural municipalities and Agricultural Service Boards have previously identified the need for practical wildlife-control authorities that reflect the operational responsibilities of municipalities. Increasing flooding and drainage pressures have highlighted the importance of timely inspections and wildlife-control activities. Municipalities require a clear exemption rather than relying on uncertain or case-specific authorizations.
Section 51 of the Wildlife Act restricts firearm discharge on or across roads and defines the road to include parts of the right-of-way. Section 51 also includes specific exceptions, including wildlife predation control programs authorized in writing by the Minister. The proposed exemption should be subject to appropriate requirements respecting training, authorization, firearm type, safe direction of fire, traffic control, notification, documentation, public safety, and compliance with all other applicable legislation. This legislative amendment would create a narrow municipal exemption with appropriate safety controls that would support rural municipalities in their efforts protecting roads, culverts, bridges, drainage systems, and other infrastructure from damage caused by beavers, muskrats, badgers, and other problem wildlife.
RMA Background:
RMA has no active resolutions directly related to this issue.
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