DON’T FRET ABOUT OUR PARKS
They need us as we need them, Casey Peirce says
Re: “Should visitors be capped for stressed Banff National Park?,” Aug. 27.
The article stating Banff National Park needs a holiday from humans is ludicrous.
More and more, we have been hearing this propaganda in the news. It’s past time that we acknowledge that visitation to our beautiful mountain destinations happens to be to see one or more of the most famous and desirable national parks in the world, and that we are well equipped to support this tourism.
Banff is a world-class destination with world-leading conservation standards.
Did you know that the vast majority of visitors — we’re talking 90 per cent of patrons — never leave the pavement in Banff National Park?
That means that, of the four-million visitors a year to this region, more than 3.9-million people experience the park via organized tours, the main street of Banff, paved pathways (including Johnston Canyon) and the exceptional ski areas in the parks.
The impact to the natural environment of this region, given the attraction to visitors from around the world, is extremely minimal.
Banff and Jasper are vastly made up of protected wilderness areas. Despite having highways and townsites within that have existed for more than 100 years, let us emphasize the word wilderness. Ninety-nine per cent of Jasper National Park is untouched by development and 97 per cent of Banff National Park is wild in forest, rivers, mountains and animals.
This vast area of more than 17,000 square kilometres is so largely made up of unpopulated nature that it is laughable that these regions are referenced as being “loved to death.”
Parks Canada and the Rocky Mountain national parks are world leading in wildlife conservation through our highway overpass and underpass structures along the Trans Canada Highway. It’s true; many popular national parks around the world look to Banff National Park to model the structures we have in place to mitigate wildlife-human interaction in significant wildlife corridors.
As Canadians, we should be proud in how we are leading the world in protecting ecology and wildlife in our national parks.
The bottom line is this: Canada’s Rocky Mountain parks are a world-class destination. We are a desired bucket-list locale. Ninety per cent of the local GDP is based on tourism. People will keep coming with or without marketing. The word is out that this region is incredible for biking, climbing, sightseeing, hiking and camping and, yes — by the majority — shopping and skiing. We need to ensure that the visitor experience is the best, most sustainable and healthy that it can be, so that we can all celebrate this beautiful destination in our backyard.
The beauty and benefits speak for themselves — all 97 per cent that is wild, untouched, natural and accessible for us to enjoy.
Many projects are underway to ensure this protection is everlasting.
Mass transportation from Calgary to the mountains and within the region is innovative and well used, new and exciting experiences for guests that disperse crowds from two or three main attractions are being created, environmental-impact assessments are consistently undertaken by scientific experts and world-class hospitality venues continually educate the visitor on the importance of respecting these special places.
Federal law in the National Parks Act states that “the national parks of Canada are hereby dedicated to the people of Canada for their benefit, education and enjoyment, subject to this act and the regulations, and the parks shall be maintained and made use of so as to leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”
A very smart man and beloved Canadian, Rex Murphy, recently said that “Parks need people just as much as people need parks.”
The concept that we are “loving our parks to death” is simply not true. Conservationist David Attenborough, of Planet Earth narration fame, speaks the truth when he says that “No one will protect what they don’t care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced.”
No one will protect what they don’t care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced.
Conservationist David Attenborough, of Planet Earth narration fame