History of the Beaver Hills Initiative
This project involves the coordination of a four-county, multi-stakeholder group to establish regional cooperation to conserve the Beaver Hills/Cooking Lake Moraine and the areas bordering it.
The Beaver Hills area (also known as the Cooking Lake Moraine) is located in central Alberta, immediately east of the City of Edmonton. It is an extensively treed, upland area consisting of rolling to hummocky terrain rich in native wetlands and aspen dominated Boreal mixed wood forest habitat. This 'knob and kettle' topography supports a high diversity of vegetation, waterfowl, mammals and birds.
Faced with increasing demands from recreational, urban, and rural residential land uses, the Beaver Hills ecosystem is disappearing and requires special consideration for conservation.
The partner municipalities recognized the valuable asset they shared jurisdiction over, and the need to preserve the unique qualities and extensive natural areas of the Beaver Hills, while still recognizing the demands for other land uses. The resulting new land management practices and policies will create balance between recreation, agriculture, industry and residential subdivision.
When the group was formed in 2000, the initial focus was on increasing awareness of the ecological uniqueness of this area and building a collaborative spirit among stakeholders. The partners then began to establish information that would contribute to informed and coordinated decision-making by municipalities, supported by their communities, which will achieve and maintain a sustainable communities approach to development within the region.
This project offers a model for others seeking to achieve similar goals on regional, national and international stages.