Who are BCEC and what are they up to? And why now?
Bragg Creek/Redwood meadows is our special place in the woods. For those who grew up here and for those who have come to live here later in life, it represents many things. Some of those things are in urgent need of protection.
We all know how the presence of wildlife in our midst affects our lives, delighting many of us and requiring us to do things differently than we would if we lived elsewhere. The animals, birds and insects are here because of the ecosystem that exists around us, though. And in order for this place to continue to be special we need to pay attention to more than the animals themselves.
The native trees and other plant life, the soils and the river and so on – as well as many quiet natural spaces – make this a unique place for all to thrive. Without those supporting elements the wildlife won’t stay. In the last few years Bragg Creek Wild (BCW) has done an amazing job drawing attention to the presence of wildlife locally, reducing the number of WVCs* and educating visitors/residents about such things as fawning/rutting seasons, how to avoid encouraging unwanted visits from wildlife by removing attractants etc. However, we need also to pay attention to what supports the wildlife that live here.
An article in Bragg Creek Wild’s January 2023 newsletter described how the only other place on Earth besides Bragg Creek with such biodiversity and rich wildness close to more than a million people is Nairobi National Park, Kenya.** So this place is even more special than many of us had realised.
Bragg Creek Environmental Coalition (BCEC) was originally founded in 1995 and was instrumental in the 2007 Bragg Creek Area Structure Plan, as well as limiting the Kananaskis clearcuts of 2012 – enabling Bragg Creek Trails to maintain a forested network of trails. BCEC has been revived now in the light of current developments that will almost certainly affect our ecosystem here.
We hope to guide and inform sustainable growth and ensure the maintenance of a greenspace “Trailhead Community”. We want to widen the focus of conservation work to include East Kananaskis and the Elbow River/Upper Jumping Pound watersheds on which we rely. In doing so we hope to work in tandem with BCW as well as such other organisations as Bragg Creek Trails, TASK***, WildSmart, The Tsuu T’ina Nation, Canada Parks and Wilderness Society, Alberta Wilderness Society, and conservation groups in the Diamond Valley/Ghost River areas.
Projects that we foresee:
- creating an environmental reserve within the important habitat along the Elbow River floodway upstream from Balsam Avenue bridge,
- continuing to monitor wildlife sightings and animal movements in the greater Bragg Creek, Redwood Meadows and 762 areas,
- campaigning to limit clear-cutting in the East Kananaskis area used primarily for non-motorized wild land recreation,
- mapping old-growth forest “refugia”
- mapping wetlands in the greater Bragg Creek area to better understand our resiliency to drought and floods going forward
- advocating for a more modern legal structure that shift the emphasis on natural areas in Alberta from exploitation to sustainability.
Over the years the monitoring, research, and policing functions that were once part of provincial governance of our wild lands have been defunded and left to private citizens and non-profits. This comes at a time when increasingly extreme weather is stressing our ecosystems and requires our education and preparation. BCEC wants to better understand our Foothills landscapes and connect with the lives of all that share this place. We want to communicate that connection with our children, neighbours, and government. We welcome your passion and hopes for our collective landscape.
There are many ways you can help. If you’re passionate about living in this landscape and want your children and grandchildren to have these same experiences, we need you! Please consider becoming a member of BCEC.
You can contact us at this email address: info@braggcreekenvironmentalcoalition.ca
*WVCs = Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions
** Dr Brad Stelfox (UofA Adjunct Professor) Pers.Comm. 2022
***Take a Stand for Kananaskis
