Outdoor Recreation Coalition of Alberta approves of Porcupine Hills and Livingstone plans

Outdoor Recreation Coalition of Alberta - Various groups of outdoor recreationists, comprising of climbers, skiers, ice climbers, hikers, mountain bikers, and others, approve the draft Porcupine Hills and Livingstone management plans.  The groups and individuals supporting the Outdoor Recreation Coalition of Alberta (ORCA) are supportive of low impact and sustainable activities within the Alberta landscape.

Alberta Government touts Livingstone-Porcupine Hills capital planning investments

New bridge over a water crossing in Livingstone-Porcupine Hills

Government of Alberta - The Government of Alberta is investing in capital planning to support safe and sustainable recreational opportunities in the Livingstone-Porcupine Hills area. About $5 million in funding over four years will be used to improve and rebuild trails, install bridges over water crossings, protect fish habitat and enhance staging areas to improve access to these public lands for recreational pursuits.

Comment: In favour of sustainable recreational use of Porcupine Hills/Livingstone Range

The Porcupine Hills Coalition held a press conference/stakeholder presentation on April 10 at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre in Lethbridge to "highlight the diverse support for the plans and process" of the recently released draft Linear Footprint Management Plan and Recreation Management Plan for the Livingstone-Porcupine Hills. Presented below are the written texts of presentations from Crowsnest Pass landowner Carol Ostrom and retired provincial Fish and Wildlife biologist Lorne Fitch.

Province’s plan for Porcupine Hills/Livingstone Range well-received by group of rural Albertans

Porcupine Hills Coalition - A group of diverse stakeholders gathered in Lethbridge this Tuesday April 10 to express their excitement for recently released land plans for the Porcupine Hills and Livingstone regions. The Porcupine Hills Coalition formed to address concerns about land use and overuse of public lands in Southwest Alberta. Members joined together to congratulate the government on the release of the comprehensive Land Footprint Plan and Recreation Management plan drafts.

Diverse coalition of Albertans praises draft land use plans

Porcupine Hills Coalition - Drafts of two new land-use plans, released March 27 by the Government of Alberta, are being welcomed by a wide variety of stakeholders, from ranchers to recreationalists to conservation organizations. The plans stem from the 2014 South Saskatchewan Regional Plan which committed to the development of a Land Footprint Management Plan (LFMP) and Recreation Management Plan (RMP) for the Porcupine Hills and Livingstone regions. The region is located an hour and a half south of Calgary, along Highway 22, also known as the Cowboy Trail, and is considered some of the most iconic landscapes in southern Alberta.

Alberta government asks for public feedback about Livingstone-Porcupine Hills management plans

The Porcupine Hills (Alberta Wilderness Association photo)

Chris Davis - Today (March 27) the Alberta Government released draft plans for managing the impacts of off-highway vehicles (OHVs) on public land in the Livingstone-Porcupine Hills region of southwestern Alberta, which is part of Alberta’s eastern slopes and includes the Porcupine Hills, Crowsnest Pass, the Whaleback, and the Upper Oldman River. The area is identified in the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP) as a priority for Land Footprint and Recreation Management planning. Public input is invited.

Busy Monday for first responders

Toni Lucas - Pincher Creek Emergency Services (PCES) attended three separate fires around the Pincher Creek area on Monday, June 10. All three happened in rural ares, two may have started due to lightening strikes, while one fire came about because a bailer caught fire. Deputy Fire Chief Pat Neumann said there were no injuries at any of the fires.

There is a burn restriction in effect. No new burn permits are being issued in the Town or the MD of Pincher Creek. Permits are still being issued for in-town fire pits, and the forestry is only allowed in approved engineered fire pits, usually found in campgrounds.

AUC denies LLG request for review of Castle Rock Ridge to Chapel Rock transmission line

Christian Davis

A request from the Livingstone Landowners Guild (LLG) for a review of the proposed Castle Rock Ridge to Chapel Rock electricity transmission line was denied last month by the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC), which is the regulatory body for the utilities, natural gas, and electricity markets in Alberta.  LLG represents concerned landowners in the Oldman River watershed north of Highway 3 and east of the Livingstone Range into the Porcupine Hills.  In their application for review LLG questioned whether there was still a need for the transmission line, which is part of the Southern Alberta Transmission Reinforcement Project.