Banff wardens root out illegal campers
Effort aims to limit habituation of troublesome Bow Valley wolf pack
Banff National Park wardens weren’t happy campers last year.
New numbers show officers there handed out 471 illegal camping violations and 105 citations for messy campsites in 2016 — more than double the number in 2015.
Supervisor Terry Willis said it’s a new high-water mark for a department that began operating in 2009.
Willis said it’s due in large part to increased vigilance for offenders in an effort to limit the habituation of the troublesome Bow Valley wolf pack. Improperly-stored food attracts wildlife, which can result in a series of problems.
“We spent a lot of extra time and efforts; we used a dog quite a bit, which is very effective in finding those campers. As well, we had an extra staff member last year and we’ll have that extra staff member again this year, so there’s more of us out there,” he said. “Also, more people are aware of this, so we’re getting more people reporting it and more people know how to get a hold of Banff Dispatch or to get a hold of wardens ... and we get there sooner, so there’s more of a chance of us finding the illegal campers, or the people with food left out.”
People responsible for these offences face large fines in Banff National Park, ranging from $300 to $700. The more serious incidents, which usually entail wildlife getting into human food, are brought before a court.
In June, two pack wolves — including the alpha female — were destroyed after boldly approaching campers at the Tunnel Mountain and Two Jack Lake campgrounds.
Another member of the pack, a grey yearling, raised concerns in September after he was spotted several times in the townsite of Banff.
Rooting out illegal campers isn’t a walk in the national park — campers often hide or run from wardens — and searching such a vast area at night isn’t easy.
Reg Bunyan, vice-president of the conservation group Bow Valley Naturalists, said illegal camping and messy campsites not only impact the wolf pack, but are “also a recipe for bear habituation and subsequent destruction.”
“We’re very concerned about the high number of documented incidents, but given the small number of staff and the summer workload, it’s likely only a fraction of what is actually occurring,” said Bunyan.
“It’s also our belief that Banff National Park is reaching a peak visitation tipping point, where it becomes progressively harder to reach visitors with appropriate messaging,” he says. “Long lineups at the park gate and campgrounds limit the amount of time for messages and even roving interpreters can only reach so many visitors when venues become overcrowded.”
Bunyan added that there is no easy solution to reduce the number of violations in the park, but traditional methods by which messaging is passed along to visitors likely needs to change.