Suffield National Wildlife Area
Encyclopedia
National Wildlife Area
A National Wildlife Area is a conservation status for a geographical region in Canada that restricts most human activities on that region. However, land use permits may be issued "for activities that are compatible with conservation". Such areas are established and managed by the Canadian Wildlife...
located within the boundaries of CFB Suffield
CFB Suffield
Canadian Forces Base Suffield , is the largest Canadian Forces Base and the largest Commonwealth military training base in the world...
in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
SNWA was formally created on the 19th of June, 2003 when it was officially gazetted under Canada Wildlife Act Regulations. The Department of National Defence
Department of National Defence (Canada)
The Department of National Defence , frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for all matters concerning the defence of Canada...
(DND) was delegated authority to administer and control the NWA. The Base Commander is responsible for operations, management, and permitting in the SNWA.
CFB Suffield
CFB Suffield
Canadian Forces Base Suffield , is the largest Canadian Forces Base and the largest Commonwealth military training base in the world...
itself was created in 1971 when control of the Suffield Block
Suffield Block
The Suffield Block is an area located within Cypress County, southern Alberta, Canada approximately bounded by Highway 884 on the west, Highway 555 on the north,the South Saskatchewan River on the east and the Trans-Canada Highway on the south...
was transferred from the Defence Research Establishment Suffield
Defence Research Establishment Suffield
The military research facility located north of Suffield, Alberta, operated under the name of the Defence Research Establishment Suffield from 1967 to its renaming to DRDC Suffield in 2000.-History:...
as part of the reorganization to support the mechanized training activities of the British Army Training Unit Suffield
British Army Training Unit Suffield
The British Army Training Unit Suffield is a British Army unit located at the vast training area of Canadian Forces Base Suffield in Alberta, Canada...
on the northern two-thirds of the area. The 2960 km² area of the Suffield Block
Suffield Block
The Suffield Block is an area located within Cypress County, southern Alberta, Canada approximately bounded by Highway 884 on the west, Highway 555 on the north,the South Saskatchewan River on the east and the Trans-Canada Highway on the south...
was expropriated by the Province of Alberta during the Second World War on behalf of the Canadian Federal Government. The land was leased to the Federal Government for ninety-nine years at a cost of one dollar per year to support the operation of the Experimental Station Suffield
Experimental Station Suffield
The military research facility located north of Suffield, Alberta, operated under the name of the Experimental Station Suffield from its inception into 1941 to its renaming to the Suffield Experimental Station in 1950....
. Upon the termination of the Second World War, ownership of the British Block (or Suffield Block
Suffield Block
The Suffield Block is an area located within Cypress County, southern Alberta, Canada approximately bounded by Highway 884 on the west, Highway 555 on the north,the South Saskatchewan River on the east and the Trans-Canada Highway on the south...
) was transferred from the province to the federal government in exchange for a large number of army and air camps and building from the Dominion Government (War Assets Corporation).
The portion of the Suffield Block
Suffield Block
The Suffield Block is an area located within Cypress County, southern Alberta, Canada approximately bounded by Highway 884 on the west, Highway 555 on the north,the South Saskatchewan River on the east and the Trans-Canada Highway on the south...
that is now the National Wildlife Area was zoned for environmental protection and included three parts: the Middle Sand Hills, the Mixed Grass Prairie zone, the South Saskatchewan River
South Saskatchewan River
The South Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada that flows through the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan....
zone.
In 1974 Canada and Alberta signed a surface access agreement for the purpose of developing petroleum reserves on CFB Suffield
CFB Suffield
Canadian Forces Base Suffield , is the largest Canadian Forces Base and the largest Commonwealth military training base in the world...
. Since that time there have been over 14,000 oil and gas wells drilled at CFB Suffield
CFB Suffield
Canadian Forces Base Suffield , is the largest Canadian Forces Base and the largest Commonwealth military training base in the world...
. Most of this activity was conducted by the Alberta Energy Company (AEC), which is now EnCana Corporation
EnCana Corporation
Encana Corporation is one of North America's largest natural gas producers, with about 95 percent of its production being natural gas. Its strategy is to be the lowest-cost, highest-growth senior natural gas producer in North America. The company produced approximately of natural gas in 2010.The...
. The company has drilled 1,163 natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
wells within the SNWA, all prior to the creation of the SNWA. EnCana has proposed an additional drilling of about 1,275 more natural gas wells over three years. This shallow-gas infill drilling program is the subject of an environmental assessment http://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/050/Viewer_e.cfm?SrchPg=1&CEAR_ID=18709.