Alberta

In Alberta, approximately 8.2 million hectares (12.4% of the province as of 2010) are designated as protected. Environment Canada maintains 8 protected areas in Alberta, including 4 National Wildlife Areas (NWAs) and 4 Migratory Bird Sanctuaries (MBSs), comprising over 58 thousand hectares of the province's protected lands and waters.

Map of Environment Canada's Protected Areas in Alberta

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List of Protected Areas in Alberta

The tables below contain information about the NWAs and MBSs shown on the map above. In addition to the name, year of establishment, and size of each protected area, the tables indicate how these sites fit into national and international networks of conservation areas. The following entities may be noted:

Ramsar: Wetland of International Importance
IBA: Important Bird Area
WHSRN: Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network
MAB: Biosphere reserve of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme

National Wildlife Areas

No.	Name	Year established	Size in hectares	Notes
1	Blue Quills NWA	1968	97
2	Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Suffield NWA	2003	45,836
3	Meanook NWA	1979	214
4	Spiers Lake NWA	1980	64	part of Chain Lakes IBA
Total:			46,211

 

Migratory Bird Sanctuaries

No.	Name	Year established	Size in hectares	Notes
1	Inglewood MBS	1968	111
2	Red Deer MBS	1924	129
3	Richardson Lake MBS	1949	10,798
4	Saskatoon Lake MBS	1948	1,150	part of Grande Prairie IBA
Total:			12,187

 

Access and Permitting

Although access to NWAs is not restricted, the primary purpose of these areas is to protect and conserve wildlife and their habitats, and therefore most NWAs are not equipped with facilities to accommodate public visitation. Unless otherwise posted, all recreational activities are prohibited within NWAs.

In Alberta, access to the Canadian Force Base (CFB) Suffield NWA is restricted. CFB Suffield NWA is administered by the Department of National Defence and located within the restricted space of the Canadian Forces Base Suffield.

Although access to most MBSs is not restricted either, the primary intent of these sanctuaries is to protect migratory birds, and therefore hunting, as well as disturbing or molesting migratory birds, their eggs, nests or habitat, is prohibited.

A permit may be obtained from the Minister of the Environment authorizing the conduct of certain activities in an NWA or MBS, if the Minister or delegate is of the opinion that the proposed activity:

• will not interfere with the conservation of wildlife; or
  
• is consistent with the purpose for which the protected area was established; and
  
• is consistent with the management plan for the protected area.

Additional information on entry, prohibited activities and permits in Environment Canada's protected areas is provided on the Management and Activities web pages of the National Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries. For more isformation on Environment Canada's protected areas in Alberta, please contact the regional Environment Canada office:

Environment Canada - Prairie and Northern Region
Canadian Wildlife Service
Protected Areas and Stewardship Unit
4999 - 98th Avenue, Room 200
dmonton, Alberta  
T6B 2X3
Toll Free: 1-800-668-6767 (in Canada only)
Email: enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca