An at risk species is growing in numbers on old oilsands land
Alberta - January 20, 2020
Bison, now considered at risk or threatened depending on the chart you read, once roamed North America in astonishing numbers of about 40 million.
Pushed to the brink, by centuries of overhunting by settlers, disease, development, and natural disasters like floods and fires, these ecologically critical creatures are making a comeback. Slowly. Reclamation plans, which are required by the Alberta Energy Regulator when companies apply for an energy development project, play a role in returning bison herds to the plains of Alberta.
Syncrude celebrated 25 years since it moved 30 wood bison to its reclaimed site near Fort McKay, pictured above, in 2018. Since then, the herd has grown to 300.
Luke Spencer, Writer