Castle Rally in Edmonton

In solidarity with those protesting the logging of Castle Special Place, concerned citizens in Edmonton and Calgary turned out on February 14 to show their support for Castle wilderness area. The photo above shows Interim Director for SC Prairie, Chelsea Flook, addressing the crowd.

Castle is an ecologically sensitive area that provides a vital refuge to Alberta's grizzly bears, an already endangered species. The larger Castle region is also an important natural area for local residents and outdoor enthusiasts. 

The Forest Managment Agreement which permits Spray Lake Sawmills to clear-cut over 3700 truckloads of trees will, by some estimates, generate a mere $100, 000 in stumpage fees for the Alberta government. Furthermore, only 60% of the timber removed can be turned into dimensional lumber leading some to contest that nearly half of these trees will be turned into fence posts. More on this issue from Andrew Nikiforuk's blog is here.

Actions you can take can be found here.