New provincial park protects over 150K acres in northern Alberta

Central mixed woods, commonly found in Gipsy-Gordon Wildland Provincial Park (Monica Dahl)

The province has allocated over 150,000 acres of land for Gipsy-Gordon Wildland Provincial Park southeast of Fort McMurray near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border.

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The park includes the former 86,000-acre Gipsy Lake Wildland Provincial Park, changing the name to Gipsy-Gordon Wildland Provincial Park.

“This park will help protect our forests, preserve important habitat for wildlife and provide recreation opportunities for Albertans, all while supporting the exercise of Treaty rights by Indigenous peoples,” said Rebecca Schulz, minister of Environment and Protected Areas, in a statement Wednesday.

New industrial and commercial land disturbances – including oil sands and mineral development – are prohibited in the park. Existing agreements will continue to operate.

Forestry is also prohibited, except for management of wildfires, insects and disease.

The park includes ranges for 28 provincially or federally designated species at risk, including 18 bird species, one fish and one amphibian species, five invertebrates and five mammals.

The park was originally established as a conservation area under the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan, which guides future resource decisions while considering environmental, social and economic impacts.