Thread by @stevedurrell

Thread:

Since the UCP announced the lifting of regulations on foothills surface mining of coal I’ve been looking at maps of the impacted regions.

#ableg #abpoli

google.com/amp/s/globalne…

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It could just be coincidence, or irrational fear, but these region maps look a lot like another map we've recently seen: maps of sites proposed to be removed from the Alberta Parks System.

#ableg #abpoli

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The Government plans to find third party managers for 164 sites, but if no third party can be found: “will lose park status and revert to general Crown land, which can be sold.”

#ableg #abpoli

google.com/amp/s/globalne…
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Now, the UCP have said they don’t plan to sell any of the parks after there was significant uproar at the idea from Albertans

#ableg #abpoli

google.com/amp/s/globalne…

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But one has to wonder if that statement can be trusted. The UCP already promised once they would not sell off Crown land, and yet, on March 31 a section near Taber went up for a starting bid of $440k

#ableg #abpoli

google.com/amp/s/globalne…

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Further, back in 2018, when Kenney was building the UCP, he said he was considering selling Crown land in an ill-conceived plan to use a one time payout to hide deficits

#ableg #abpoli

google.com/amp/s/edmonton…

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It’s not even speculation, it’s just a fear I have, but I can’t help look at the broken promises, and maps above, and wonder: do any of those sites in danger of being removed from the parks system have desirable coal resources in them?

#ableg #abpoli

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It may never happen, but it’s a sad day when I can actually see a path where the AB Gov could sell our parks to be strip mined for coal.

What does that say about the state of our system that I can’t even trust our Gov that says they won’t sell our parks?

#ableg #abpoli

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It may not happen, the gov even has clearly said they won’t sell this land, but I can’t even ask them for assurances in this specific situation, because they have already proven they can’t be trusted on this very file.

#ableg #abpoli

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@threadreaderapp unroll, please