What worked for Castle parks will work in Bighorn
There’s a lot of ill-informed fearmongering going on, writes Phil Hazelton.
In three short years since the announcement of the new Castle and Castle Wildland provincial parks, we have learned a lot. These parks are now supporting great opportunities for camping, recreation and increased local economic benefits. Looking back on the contentious start of the Castle parks and seeing the parallel to similar uninformed fearmongering going on around the Bighorn Country proposal — it is time to put a more positive focus on what is happening locally because of the Castle parks.
Today in the Castle, hikers and equestrians still access their favourite trails and rustic backcountry campsites, hunters and anglers have access, ranchers still graze their cattle, and family campers and recreationists seeking peace and natural beauty are coming to stay in greater numbers than ever before. Careful management of recreation, tourism and visitor use in the Castle means that the backcountry and key fish and wildlife habitat are now quieter and better protected.
It is still early days for the Castle parks, but in 2017, the Castle campgrounds registered more than 5,000 camper nights. By 2018, the numbers had risen to over 9,000 — making this an 80 per cent increase in camper nights. Across all camping areas in the Castle, 79 per cent of visitors came from Calgary. This suggests an untapped market and bodes well for recreation and tourism spending in local communities adjacent to the Castle parks.
Further to this trend, a local realtor has seen an increase in the number of people choosing to purchase or build homes adjacent to the Castle area. They come for the natural beauty, ecological health and recreation opportunities in the parks, and for local community amenities. They are finding a good place to settle with their families, their businesses, or to retire. All of these trends signal increased economic diversification and a local population of newbies and
We all need to realize that recreation access is a privilege.
old-timers with strong conservation and community sustainability values. In Alberta, this is a very positive sign.
The Castle parks are open to ALL Albertans and visitors to enjoy camping, hiking, paddling, horseback riding, and cycling, among many other non-motorized activities. Motorized recreation, however, also has a need for recreation space. To accommodate this need, the government of Alberta completed an excellent public input process that resulted in the LivingstonePorcupine Hills Recreation Management Plan that considered the perspectives of all users and local residents. Sure, many of the OHV folk were not happy with designated trail systems, but it is no longer feasible to have a free-forall of unrestricted, unregulated motorized recreation use in all places in Alberta. A good portion of the OHV ridership recognizes this. Too much damage has happened to critical wildlife habitat and source water areas, and too many non-motorized recreationists are displaced or intimidated. We all need to realize that recreation access is a privilege and sound management is an important part of the answer to this gnarly problem — the vast majority of Albertans understand this.
So why does all of this matter for the newly proposed Bighorn Country parks and protected areas? As Alberta seeks to diversify its economy and plan for a renewable energy future, the more that can be put in place to help local economies weather a provincial economic transition, the better. The signals for this are apparent with the Castle parks — and this positive transition can happen for the Bighorn.
Public input to the Bighorn proposal ends on Jan. 31, 2019.