EDMONTON — Alberta is suspending portions of its draft plan to protect threatened woodland caribou, saying more research needs to be done and that Ottawa needs to help out. Environment Minister Shannon Phillips told the house Monday the province is acting on concerns about the economic impacts of the protection plan. “The federal Species at Risk Act is an extremely inflexible instrument that has already had negative economic consequences (in Alberta),” said Phillips. Phillips is urging the federal government to help Alberta come up with a workable solution rather than have Ottawa impose an environmental protection order. A statement issued by McKenna’s office late Monday said Ottawa is determined to support the protection and recovery of caribou.

Source: National Post March 19, 2018 22:24 UTC