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HomeContact the BHI

Mission

Vision

Principles

Partners

The Beaver Hills Initiative

Rapid growth in population and increased economic activity throughout Alberta and no less in Alberta’s Capital Region are placing unprecedented pressure on the Beaver Hills landscape.

The Beaver Hills Initiative (BHI) developed in 2002 from a collective recognition among all levels of government agencies, academia, industry and locally-active environmental groups, particularly the land trust community that for this ecosystem to remain sustainable, growth and development must consider these shared resources, and their sensitivity to development. Currently 30+ organizations and growing, participate in the BHI, through the BHI Board, and working groups consisting of :

  • Sustainable Tourism Assessment Working Group… more to come

Projects are defined through strategic business planning processes by input from the working groups to the BHI Board.

The BHI Vision is: The Beaver Hills Initiative values the region for its natural beauty and quality of life, and supports co-operative efforts to sustain the quality of water, land, air, natural resources and community development.

To achieve their Vision the BHI’s Mission: Working together for a sustainable region through shared initiatives and coordinated action.

Key BHI Objectives: Facilitate collaborative land management efforts between land use decision makers, managers and stakeholders in the Beaverhills/Cooking Lake Moraine by:

  1. Data sharing
  2. Research and monitoring resulting in land use and management recommendations
  3. Partnership Building
  1. Communication and Education.

 

To implement the Vision, Mission and key Objectives the BHI has:

  • Successfully developed a Business Plan and The Beaver Hills Initiative_Phase I and II Land Management Framework that integrates the environment with social, economic and cultural factors and provides land use decision makers and managers with science based information, incorporating conservation planning strategies that will lead to the conservation of the ecological integrity of this unique landscape.

The land management framework guides all business planning and land conservation strategies of the Beaver Hills Initiative. It promotes science based research, partnerships and collaboration, awareness building and integration of regional and provincial plans, including model development for a Transfer of Development Credit ( The Beaver Hills Initiative _TDC Project ) program and Alberta’s Beaver Hills Region Sustainable Tourism Opportunity Assessment.

The successful work completed to date has set the BHI on a course for international recognition as a Biosphere Reserve ( Biosphere_Reserves_in_Canada_A_community_guide)

The partnership cooperation and coordinated efforts have also been demonstrated through the updating of management plans of the federal and provincial protected areas, the local municipal development plans and land use bylaws of the partnering municipalities and most recently through the land trust community by successfully acquiring the last working ranch, Golden Ranches ( Golden_Ranches_Information_PDF )in Strathcona County. The conserved sections of land not only preserve a cultural and historic element to the region but enhance a critical habitat link connecting the north and south portions of the Beaver Hills that will ultimately benefit wildlife movement through the core federal and provincial protected areas.