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These conservation gains hold national and global significance. Canada committed to protecting at least 17 per cent of lands by 2020 as part of the international response to the alarming rise in animal and plant extinctions. Canadian governments endorsed this commitment, and Alberta offers an effective model of how action at home can contribute to shared global efforts to sustain the diversity of life for generations to come.

Our country has a special responsibility to lead.

Scientists have documented the dramatic rise in extinctions around the globe. The Earth is currently losing species at a speed of up to 10,000 times the natural rate. Each lost animal or plant species tears at the fabric of ecosystems, weakening their ability to maintain life. This has far-reaching implications, for the same places that support wildlife also support people with food, medicines, clean water, fresh air and a stable climate.

Here in Canada, we still have healthy landscapes on a sweeping scale. Bighorn Country, for instance, is an essential stretch in a larger migration corridor, contributing to the genetic vitality of grizzlies, wolverines and other species and offering the best chance for them to move and adapt in the face of climate change.

By protecting places like the Bighorn, Alberta is conserving wildlife and maintaining clean waters on a significant scale. The province’s plan for a network of new parks and recreation areas will make it possible for people to continue hiking, camping and exploring these lands and ensure animals have healthy habitat far into the future.