It’s not just American states which sell or lease their patrimony to the highest bidder. The province of Alberta is doing the same thing with land that scientists say is critical to caribou habitat. Consider that a recent study (really recent, as in earlier this month) asserted:

This population is endemic to Canada and occurs in 10-11 extant subpopulations in east-central British Columbia and west-central Alberta in and around the Rocky Mountains. The current estimate for the population is 515 mature individuals and it has declined by at least 62% over the past 3 generations. One subpopulation in central British Columbia may be extirpated, and an additional one in Banff was confirmed extirpated in 2010. All extant subpopulations are estimated to contain fewer than 250 mature individuals, with 7 of these having fewer than 50. Two recognized subpopulations in 2002 have since split due to lack of dispersal within former ranges. All subpopulations have experienced declines of about 60% since the last assessment in 2002, and declines continue for all but one subpopulation. Surveys have shown consistently high adult mortality and low calf recruitment, accelerating decline rates. Threats are continuing and escalating.

But does that give Alberta Energy pause when it considers disposition of its land? Not hardly.

“There aren’t any plans at this time for any further moratoriums,” Alberta Energy spokesman Mike Feenstra said Thursday.

A lease auction that began Wednesday included 1,700 hectares in northwestern Alberta used by the Narraway and Redrock-Prairie Creek mountain caribou herds.

Feenstra said that, so far, leases on 181 hectares of caribou range have been purchased for $4,830.42, or $26.63 per hectare.

Is the company telling me that Alberta Energy is so desperate for funds that it needed that $4800 this week? What, you couldn’t meet payroll?

Ravaging the environment is nothing new to Alberta, but this just seems to be either mindless or a deliberate thumb in the eye of pointy-headed scientists.