Alberta plans huge lease sale on caribou range

EDMONTON — The Alberta government is selling off more energy leases on endangered caribou habitat and this sale is more than 10 times the size of previous ones.

Bidding is to close next Wednesday on 21,000 hectares in an area of northwest Alberta that is home to the Red Rock-Prairie Creek herd.

That’s one of the herds that both the federal and provincial governments have promised to protect.

At least half the range for that herd is already disturbed — well over federal guidelines.

It’s the latest in a series of sales of caribou habitat, although previous offerings have been smaller than 2,000 hectares.