SERVE AND PROTECT
CAPITALIZING ON TOURISM WHILE CONSERVING WILDERNESS A BALANCING ACT FOR THE PROVINCE
Jeff Samson, a guide in the mountain parks, loves wildlife. A grizzly bear with cubs, a moose or a herd of elk are often the highlight of his hiking or snowshoe tours in the Bow Valley.
Samson worries, though, that they aren’t considered in a draft land-use plan for southern Alberta.
“I care a lot about the wildlife,” he said. “If there’s one thing this plan lacks, it’s about wildlife.”
Samson, who relies on tourism for his livelihood, is not alone in his concerns.
The draft South Saskatchewan Regional Plan, which will guide future decisions on development, recreation and conservation in much of southern Alberta, notes the area accounts for approximately 34 per cent of annual tourism spending and calls it an anchor for Alberta’s tourism industry.
It acknowledges that a wide range of fish, wildlife and plant species exist in the region.
But conservation groups suggest there’s a disconnect between growing the province’s tourism industry and protecting the wildlife for which the area is famous.
“What’s attracting tourists to actually come here? It isn’t business as usual,” said Karsten Heuer, president of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. “It’s what makes this place truly unique and different, which is the fact that we have all of the native wildlife that were here when the explorers first arrived.
“We have big, wild open spaces where people can still go out and connect in ways that are becoming increasingly more difficult everywhere else in the world.”
Heuer’s colleague, conservation planner Sarah Cox, says more studies are showing protected areas provide major economic benefits both to the surrounding community and the wildlife that live there.
The benefits extend beyond tourism, often attracting people to live in areas for the quality of life.
A 2009 report by the Canadian Parks Council found that the spending related to parks brought $3.46 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product. Of that, $1.42 billion was generated in Alberta’s provincial and national parks.
It also generates labour income, employment and tax revenue.
Provincial officials have acknowledged the benefits in a plan released earlier this fall, suggesting it wants to grow Alberta’s tourism industry by one-third before 2020.
The new Alberta Tourism Framework, a strategy for turning the $7.8-billion industry into a $10.3-billion industry, was developed in con- sultation with Travel Alberta and industry representatives.
It aims to build on Travel Alberta’s successful “Remember to Breathe” marketing strategy, convincing more travellers to seek out the Alberta experience.
One of several outlined priorities is expanding the province’s supply of tourism attractions, especially in national and provincial parks and on Crown land near water, mountains or other natural attractions.
Bev Yee, Alberta’s stewardship commissioner who’s responsible for overseeing the land-use plans, says the tourism strategy will have to align with the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan.
“Ultimately, this plan gives direction for what will happen in the region,” said Yee, an assistant deputy minister with Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development. “We will work with Tourism, Parks and Recreation to make sure what is proposed in the tourism plan aligns with the objectives that we are trying to meet.”
Yee says it will ultimately require a balance.
“I would say that we need to be sure that land stewardship and land conservation are critical components of any tourism activity and tourism proposal,” she said. “It doesn’t necessarily equate to more protected areas, but it could. There could be other tools as well.”
The draft plan suggests the province will continue to work with municipalities, recreational communi- ties and others to better manage the pressures in those areas.
Mike Norton, a councillor with the Kananaskis Improvement District, says expanding recreation areas would help address growing demands.
“We are all about increasing tourism numbers,” he said, noting they are pleased with the proposed expansion of campgrounds and recreation areas. “All of this stuff is tourism dollars, but at the same time we’ve got to respect the parks and the wildland side of things as well.”
The plan does set out the expansion of wildland provincial parks such as Don Getty, Bow Valley and Bob Creek and protects part of the Castle wilderness area in southwestern Alberta.
It also allows for up to 1,000 more campsites and new trail systems — both in Kananaskis Country, which suffered major damage to its facilities and trails during the June floods, and at other campgrounds across southern Alberta.
“We want to make sure we can provide the whole range of recreational experience that people are looking for,” said Yee. “In doing that, we have to make sure we are managing the impact on the land.”
For Samson, who moved to Canmore from Montreal six years ago, he hopes it also means taking care of the province’s wildlife.
“I want to make sure the next generation will be able to see these animals that are always a highlight of my tours,” he said.