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Reaching 40,000 rural and urban readers in 45 communities throughout East Central Alberta for a decade! April 10, 2012
36
Coronation
12
Consort Veteran
Vol. 10, Issue 5 FREE
Long time love affair fuels conservation passion Michelle Pinion Editor - Lamont Leader
Glen Lawrence's love affair with Beaver Hills started long before his association with the Beaver Hills Initiative (BHI), but his association with the regional conservation group has sparked new ideas and fueled his passion for this special landscape which encompasses just over 1,500 square kilometres. The Ministik area resident, and chair of the BHI, talks excitedly and enthusiastically about the non-profit organization's mission to work together for a sustainable region through share initiatives and co-ordinated action. His vision, and BHI's vision is to value the region for its natural beauty, quality of life, and co-operative efforts to sustain the quality of water, land, air, natural resources and community development in the Cooking Lake Moraine. Currently, over 30 organizations are affiliated and support the BHI, including the municipalities of Lamont County, Strathcona County, Beaver County, Leduc County, and Camrose County. Co-operation and teamwork, say Lawrence, are the two key components in the success of BHI's which marked its 10th anniversary in 2012. "This is the last remnant of this very unique area," adds Lawrence, of the diverse knob and kettle topography that was originally created by glacial retreat. It consists of dry mixed wood boreal forest, rich wetlands, high biodiversity, and higher elevations with a cooler and wetter climate. While BHI has "grown out of its original purpose," Lawrence says there are many new initiatives planned over the next three years. Some of those initiatives include: reviewing and updating of the BHI land management framework, web
Glen Lawrence shares a vision with the Beaver Hills Initiative, to sustain the quality of water, land, air, natural resouces, and community development in the Cooking Lake Moraine. based mapping and data accessibility for planners, matching citizens to science measuring and monitoring of research, and sustainable tourism development, to name a few. One of the most ambitious initiatives will be the submission of the Biosphere Reserve designation nomination, slated to happen sometime this year.
Lawrence says BHI is in a very good position in terms of its application to UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.) Lawrence says there are only two biosphere reserves in Alberta. They are Waterton National Park and Banff National Park. In total, there are15 bios-
pheres in Canada, and 553 in 107 countries. Touring throughout the Beaver Hills area, Lawrence says there are many beautiful vistas to behold. "It's a very diverse piece of the world which has remained fairly intact during its 100 year history." See CONSERVATION P2
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