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6TuesdayJuly82014FirstNationscriticalofoilsandsbiodiversityreportEnvironmentOilsandsByMARIACHURCHAreportshowingplantandanimallifeintheoilsandsregionisourishingatmorethan80percentcomparedtoundisturbedareasisraisingeyebrowsamongthosecon-ductingaFirstNationscom-munitymonitoringprogramdownstream.ArecentlypublishedreportfromtheAlbertaBiodiversityMonitoringInstituteABMIshowsanaverageof88percentofanimalandplantpop-ulationsintheoilsandsregionisintactwhencomparedtoanareauntouchedbyhumandevelopment.BruceMacleanresearchcoordinatorfortheMikisewCreeFirstNationandheadofFortChipewyanscommu-nity-basedwatermonitoringeffortssaidthereportdoesnotaccuratelyreectwhatshappeningonthegroundinFirstNationscommunitiesdownstreamoftheoilsands.Idontthinktheirmeth-odologyisreectiveinanywayofthevastknowledgethattheeldersandlandusershaveofwhatsreallytrulygoingoninthedeltaMa-cleansaid.Youcantyinhelicoptersandlookatacoupletracksinthesnowwithsomegradstudentseverymonthandtrytotellusthattheyknowwhatsgoingonhesaid.Theydhavemuchmorevalueindoingsomethinglessquantitativeandmorequalitativebyworkingwitheldersinthecommunity.Takethemonthelandandaskthemwhatthingshavechangedwhatthingsthathavedeclined.TheABMIreportistherstofitskindfromthenot-for-protmonitoringinstitutetolookatbiodiversityintheentireoilsandsregion.Datacollectedfrom2003to2012accountsforhumandevel-opmentfromagricultureforestryandenergysectorsintheoilsandsregionsofAthabascaColdLakeandPeaceRiver.JimHerbersinformationdirectorfortheABMItoldTheJournaltheinformationtheyareprovidingisseparatefromtraditionalknowledgebydesign.Weretryingtobeverycarefulnottobepro-con-servationpro-industryorpro-governmentoranyoneperspectivejusttotellthetruthstraightupinthebestwaywecanhesaid.BiodiversityhighdevelopmentlowreportAccordingtothereport13.8percentoftheregionisvisiblycoveredwithindustryupfrom11.3in1999.Thema-jorityofthatgrowthisintheforestryindustrywithenergyaclosesecond.Nativebirdsarethemostaf-fectedbyhumandevelopmentthereportsayswithanaver-ageof80percentintactcom-paredtoanundisturbedarea.Herberssaidthedataisaveragedwhichmeanseachspecieshasitsownuniqueresponsetothegrowthofdevelopment.Thereshundredsofsto-rieshereaboutindividualspeciesandhowtheyre-spondaboutwhattimesoflanduseareaffectingtheecosystemcomparedtooth-ershesaid.Somespeciessuchastheblack-throatedgreenwarblerwhichareincludedontheAl-bertaSpeciesAtRisklistareonly50percentintactintheregionthereportstates.Ontheipsidethe88percenttotalincludesaspikeinthenumberofanimalsthatthriveindevelopedareassuchascoyotesandmagpies.WoodlandcaribouwerestudiedatlengthbytheABMIdespitelittleavailabledataontheirnumbers.Accordingtothereportthereissomeev-idencethatthesixcariboupopulationsintheregionaredecliningatanevenfasterratethantheincreasesinhumanfootprintintheregion.ResearchcomingonextentofimpactsWhilethereportsdatashowsthehumanfootprintintheoilsandsregionismuchlowerthanintherestoftheprovinceitexcludesthetypeofimpactthefootprinthasHerberssaid.Ourscientistsarelook-ingatthatrightnow.IcantyetsayLooktheimpactofenergydevelopmentishavingthiseffectwhileagriculturehasthiseffectandforestryanotherbutIexpectthatinafewyearstheresearchwillbeenoughtthatIcanpointtowhattherelativecontri-butionofeachoneofthosefootprinttypesareonbiodi-versityhesaid.ABMIwillcontinuemon-itoringtheoilsandsregionindenitelyandasresearchmethodsmatureandmoredatacomesinwillbeabletoprovideamorecompletestoryHerberssaid.AlbertaresearchhasnotraditionalknowledgeWhileheappreciatesthatABMIhasaroletoplayMacleancalleditsreportan-otherexampleofscienticre-searchexcludingtraditionalknowledge.HealongwithmanyotherFirstNationsadvocatesareconstantlypushingforresearchontheoilsandstoincludeAb-originalknowledgebuthavebeenmetwithacompleteanduttercloseddoorhesaid.AnothersorepointforMa-cleanisthatABMIispartiallyfundedbytheJointOilsandsMonitoringJOSMprogramafederalandprovincialmoni-toringinitiativefromwhichallFirstNationsintheoilsandsregionhavewithdrawnaftercallingitafrustratingandfu-tileprocess.ThefactthatwewereprettymuchostracizedfromJOSMwearegoingtostartseeingproblemsbecausetheresearchandpublicationscomingoutofitnoneofthemhaveanyFirstNationsinputMacleansaid.ToreadthefullABMIreportvisithttpabmi.caabmiaboutabmiaboutabmi.jspcategoryId30showNewstruenewsId595AcrewfromABMIconductsaterrestrialmonitoringexercisenearFortMcMurray.PhotocourtesyofCaitlinWillierABMIPoliticsElectionByDALICARMICHAELInalongweekendfederalby-electionConservativecandidateDavidYurdigawasabletoholdontothetradi-tionallyTory-strongFortMc-Murray-AthabascaridinginnortheasternAlbertawhiletheLiberalpartysawoneofitsbestturnoutsindecades.Yurdigacaptured47percentofthevotewithLib-eralcandidateKyleHarriethatrailingonly12pointsbehindintheJune30by-electionaclosegapforaridingthathasbelongedtotheConservativessinceitsinceptionin1968.ThenewConservativememberofParliamentattrib-utedhiswintohison-the-groundcampaignapproachtravelingalmost15000kmtovisitwithvotersthroughoutFortMcMurray-Athabasca.ThewholecampaignwasaboutgettingoutandmeetingthepeoplegoingdoortodoorgoingtocommunityeventsYurdigasaid.Thiswayyougetabetterunderstandingofeachcommunityandwhattheyneedandwhatthepeoplearesayingaboutwhattheydliketoseeinthefuture.Yurdigacelebratedhisvic-toryonCanadaDaybutsaidhewantedtostartworkingonridingissuesrightaway.OneofhisimmediategoalsisaddressingtheTemporaryForeignWorkerprogramwhichwouldreducethenum-berofavailablelabourersintheprovinceandaccordingtocriticsnegativelyaffectmanylocaleconomies.ObviouslyupintheNorthhereitsarequirementanditsverydifcultforbusinessesinourcommunitiestostayopenwithoutthehelpofpeoplefromtheprogramhesaid.Healsoplanstocontinuetouringtheridingmeetingwithmunicipalitiesandchambersofcommercetolearnabouttheneedsofcom-munities.AsaformerreeveandcitycouncillorforAtha-bascaCountyhebelievesgettingtoknowthemunici-palgovernmentsisthebestwaytodohishomework.MybackgroundbeingamunicipalleaderinmycommunityIunderstandtheimportanceofmunicipalgovernmentsYurdigasaid.Theyareonthegroundtheytalktoeveryonetheyreinthecommunitiesandtheyreoneofthebestpeopletotalktogetafeelfortheircommunity.Oneofthemajortopicsdis-cussedbycandidatesofallstripesthroughoutthecam-paignwasthelackofinfra-structuredevelopedinnorth-ernAlbertacommunitiesdespitethebillionsofdollarsithascontributedtothena-tionaleconomythroughoilandgasindustries.Yurdigasaidunderstandingtheneedsofmunicipalitieswillbetterpreparethemtohaveshovel-readyprogramssotheycancapitalizeonmunicipalfund-inginitiativeslikethenewBuildingCanadaplanquicklyandefciently.LowvoterturnoutTheFortMcMurray-Atha-bascaridingisnotoriousforhavinglowvoterturnoutandthisby-electionwasnoexcep-tion.Only15percentor12708oftheavailablevotingpopula-tionof115372peopleturnedoutonelectionday.Inadditiontotheridingshistoricallyle-thargicfranchiseconstituentscelebratingtheextendedCan-adaDaylongweekendmighthavebeentooxatedontheirfestivitiestovote.Theby-electionsawNDPcandidateLoriMcDanielcap-ture11percentofthevotefol-lowedbyGreenPartycandidateBrianDeheerwith3.5percent.ThersteverLibertariancan-didateTimMoennishedlastwith2.9percentofthevote.LiberalsupportontheriseLiberalcandidateKyleHarriethamanagedtocap-ture35percentofthevoteresultinginthebestLiberalturnoutsince1968.NowreturningtoworkasgeneralmanagerofFortMc-MurrayMtisLocal1935HarriethacongratulatedhisopponentbutsaidheexpectsYurdigatofollowuponhiscampaignpromises.WellalsobelookingtoseeifthisConservativegov-ernmentnallymovestoad-dresstheissuesthatcameupthroughoutthiscampaignHarriethasaid.Theresbil-lionsandbillionscomingoutofthisregiontheresnothingcomingbackinandIthinkalotofpeopleeventhosewhodidntvoteinthisby-electionarewatchingclosely.IfthisConservativegovern-mentcontinuestotakeeasternAlbertaforgrantedIexpectthattheyllsendanevenstrongermessageinthegeneralelec-tionhesaid.Thenextelectionissched-uledfor2015whentheFortMcMurray-Athabascaridingwillbedividedintotwosmallerareas.Almost70percentoftheridingwillberedistributedintoanewridingofFortMcMurray-ColdLakewhilealmost20percentwillbemovedintoaPeaceRiver-Westlockriding.Harri-ethahasannouncedhewillruninFortMcMurray-ColdLakewhileYurdigaisundecidedbusyhesaidfocusingontheworkathand.ConservativesholdFortMcMurray-AthabascaLiberalcandidateseesbestridingresultsinoverfourdecadesThewholecampaignwasaboutgettingoutandmeetingthepeoplegoingdoortodoorgoingtocommunityevents.Thiswayyougetabetterunderstandingofeachcommunityandwhattheyneedandwhatthepeoplearesayingaboutwhattheydliketoseeinthefuture.DavidYurdigaMPFortMcMurray-AthabascaPhotocourtesyofDavidYurdiga