By Scott Hayes Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Legislated protections for the natural world were among some of the key concerns of 2023 to the Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA). “I feel like the first question we’re always looking at is, `does the province have in place the appropriate legislation, regulations and protocols to protect the environment and the public’s best interest?”’ said AWA conservation specialist Kennedy Halvorson. “For example, when you look to the forestry sector, the AWA has long been advocating for reform of the Forestry Act, as its current purpose is to maintain sustainable yields of lucrative tree species rather than actually protecting the forest ecosystems as a whole.” The law isn’t based on either Indigenous knowledge or Western science, she continued. It allows for management practices that destroy…