Wilderness coalition waitsfordetails

FIRST IMPRESSION OF CASTLE PLAN IS FAVOURABLE

While the new Castle Provincial Management Plan is being given positive reviews by the Castle-Crown Wilderness Coalition (CWCC), the longtime advocacy and conservation group is still not sure of all the details of the plan, and is urging the provincial government to take a science-based approach to iron out its usage policies.

“I hope the science continues to prevail in all the decisions that are made regarding management of the park as it goes forward; so if some activity is noncompliant with those principles then it is not allowed,” says Andrea Hlady, the group’s president. “Some of the things in the management plans are not firm decisions yet. For example, they say they will continue to monitor grazing and winter motorized use, as well as the tourism which will be coming into the area, (before enacting policy).”

Hlady acknowledges the provincial park designation could come with a whole other set of ecological problems due to an influx of tourists in the Castle area, as has occurred in other parks such as Waterton, Banff and Jasper. She says it is important for the government to get the balance right from the getgo.

“I think at Castle Park we benefit from being a brand new park,” she says. “We are inviting people in, but I hope we now have the foresight to see this is what works in a park, and this is what doesn’t. And we can use that to make the experience really good, and something which finds that balance between tourism dollars and ecological sensitivity.”

Hlady also acknowledges that governments do change, and while the current NDP government has been largely sympathetic to her group’s aims, it may be a different story if another party takes power in the future.

“I am pretty realistic in the sense I am aware politicians change, governments change, and the bureaucrats change; so I agree that the work (in Castle) is not done,” says Hlady.

“We have been an advocacy group much longer than the NDP has been in power. That’s what we will continue to do because we have reached a stage where the provincial and wildlands park are recognized as protected under legislation. We are happy with the decision, but I don’t know if all our hopes and dreams are fulfilled with this because we know the work isn’t finished for us ... We see his (park) as a great first step, and let’s keep it going so the principles of conservation are upheld and this is the best sciencebased approach that can be made.”

Hlady also hopes those who have enjoyed the area in the past on OHVs will return to enjoy the region again in a different way.

“Those who love the area are welcome, and I think they would not lack for any experience coming into the park,” she says. “They are valuable Albertans, and they are valuable conservationists. We hope they can come and enjoy the park as much without their quads as they did with their quads.”

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