Fees for camping on Crown land to begin June 1

Albertans will have to pay a fee to pitch a tent overnight on public lands on the Eastern Slopes starting June 1.

The government announced new camping fees Monday, including a three-day pass that will cost $20 per adult for a three-day pass or $30 per person annually, once Bill 64, the Public Lands Amendment Act is passed.

In a news release, the government said amendments to the Public Lands Act, introduced Monday, will enable the government to collect fees for recreation on public lands.

That cash would be used to upgrade infrastructure, improve public education, fund conservation officers on the ground, enhance public safety and ensure better environmental and waste management, the government said in a news release.

Environment and Parks Minister Jason Nixon said the move will ensure sustainable funding for recreation on Crown lands.

“Alberta's Crown lands are the foundation of our province's rich, natural heritage and are used for recreation, conservation and economic development,” said Nixon in the release.

Paul Hamnett, Nixon's press secretary, said in an email the fee would be collected in the same way fishing and hunting licences are bought and paid for.

While representatives of the Alberta Snowmobile Association and Alberta Fish and Game Association endorsed the move, Alberta NDP environment and parks critic Marlin Schmidt said camping was a coveted, accessible escape for Albertan families and called out the UCP for hiking camping fees in the middle of a pandemic.

“The UCP are once again doing everything they can to hammer household budgets,” said Schmidt, noting that campsites are seeing record attendance numbers.

“I'm concerned that this trend from the UCP means that they'll continue to nickel and dime Albertans every chance they get,” he said.

Chris Smith, parks co-ordinator for Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) Northern Alberta, said Monday it is important that Albertans still be able to access public land, and a user fee is another form of taxation.

“It shouldn't prevent low-income Canadians to be able to go out camping,” he said, adding the move raises questions about transparency.