Castle dialogue extended
No change to state-of-trail access for a year
Off-highway vehicle users in the Castle won’t see any changes to the current state-of-trail access for the next year. The focus rather, says Environment Minister Shannon Phillips, will be on closing illegal trails and creating proper signage. Also, public consultation on the Castle parks draft management plan will be extended for an extra month, now until April 19.
Phillips made the announcements during a media teleconference call Wednesday afternoon.
She said during the next four years, more than $20 million will be used to “improve tourism opportunities and foster responsible use of this ecologically sensitive area.”
Phillips say the work is part of a broader investment in infrastructure in the Castle parks, including access routes, camping, signage, picnic areas, hiking trails and fisheries access.
“We’ve heard from many Albertans who camp, fish, hunt and hike with their families in southwest Alberta,” she said. “They want the Castle parks protected for future generations, but they also want clarity about what takes place in surrounding areas.”
Pat Stier, Wild rose Living stone Mac Leod MLA, wasn’t thrilled at Wednesday’s announcement, however. Instead of a 30-day extension, the Wildrose had asked for 60 days, he said.
“While it’s nice to see the NDP government recognize its mistake in trying to bulldoze these changes through on southern Alberta, this latest announcement doesn’t go nearly far enough,” Stier said in a news release.
“Even with 30 more days, the timeline for concerned Albertans to provide their feedback is far too short for adequate consultation to be done. A 120-day period for public feedback is the bare minimum length required for legitimate public consultation on this. Also, any expanded timeframe must be accompanied by a series of public town halls, so the people can truly be heard.”
The province will, however, be holding a series of public information sessions and stakeholder meetings in the coming months, Phillips said.
The first information session will be held March 10 and will coincide with an updated draft parks management plan for the 103,000-hectare Castle Provincial Park and Castle Wildland Provincial Park.
Phillips says the sessions will examine wider conservation and land-use issues in the southern Eastern Slopes, Castle parks and surrounding areas, including linear disturbances, off-highway vehicle use and trail planning. Recreation planning will be focused on ensuring the Eastern Slopes are better managed to protect livelihoods in ranching, forestry and recreation.
Phillips said, based on feedback so far, the revised management plan will also include the following considerations: Alberta hunters will be allowed to recover game through limited use of trail networks during hunting season; Alberta ranchers will see grazing permits managed by rangelands staff; the province will continue to work with permit holders on a formalized agreement; Alberta anglers will see Alberta’s fish populations protected through fish recovery strategies, including the threatened Bull Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout; and Albertans with mobility issues, including the elderly, will be given special consideration to ensure park access is inclusive.
Additionally, the minister said there will be increased enforcement to prevent irresponsible activities in the Castle parks, and that the revised plan will include maintaining northern access and routes into the park from the Crowsnest Pass.
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