Defend Alberta's Parks!

2021 Update: In December 2020, the Government of Alberta announced that they would no longer delist or close 175 of Alberta's parks. However, the laws that protect our parks and public lands are being changed. Please visit our new action page for more information and to send a letter.

New Defend Alberta Parks Action

Alberta Parks need your voice, now more than ever. In March, the Government of Alberta announced the removal of 164 parks and the closure of 20 campsites and day-use areas, impacting a total of 175 parks and provincial recreation areas. CPAWS Northern and Southern Alberta chapters have been pushing for this decision to be reversed, but protecting Alberta’s parks is not possible without you!

164 parks have been identified to have their protections removed and opened for private partnerships.
Other impacts include closing busy visitor centres, discontinuing grooming of popular cross-country ski trails, shortening the operating season for many campgrounds and increasing camping and service fees at all sites.
17 of the 20 originally closed sites will now be operated temporarily for summer 2020 - meaning Albertans are being heard! However, they are still slated for closure in 2021. It is important that you ask your MLA to keep our parks protected permanently!

What’s at stake? Sites without interest from a private partner will revert to vacant public land – This could lead to these areas being used for industrial resource extraction instead of conservation such as, sale for agricultural uses, forest harvest, or coal mining.

This will result in the loss of 37% of all parks in the province, mostly impacting campgrounds (including 32% of all of our provincial campsites - a potential loss of almost 4,500 campsites in the province), but also including several areas expressly meant to provide wilderness education and conservation of the land. The closure and removal of parks poses a serious threat to our quality of life, natural heritage and economic recovery. These changes were made without any public consultation. Many of these parks have provided reliable camping areas for Albertans to safely enjoy and make memories with friends and family for decades.

Click here to see which of your favorite camping locations are included, and here to see a map showing all of the impacted parks across the province.

Write to your MLA and tell them how important properly protected, public provincial parks are to you. This government must listen to Albertans who love and know these areas the best.

Use the letter tool below to let your elected representatives know that you care about your public parks and want them to be protected and public permanently. We encourage you to personalize your letter and add your own story on why parks are important to you.

Honorable

Rebecca

Schulz

Environment and Parks, Alberta

Dear Minister Nixon,

I do not support the removal of the provincial parks, recreation areas and natural areas from Alberta’s parks system or any of the associated closures, sales or transfers of infrastructure at these areas to third party managers.  Alberta’s parks should remain publicly managed, open, and protected under the Provincial Parks Act. I am deeply concerned over the fate of parks and conservation in Alberta and urge you to take immediate action.

To recover from the drastic impacts of Covid-19, it is crucial that parks in Alberta remain open, and protected from resource extraction, and commercial development. These parks contain ⅓ of our public campsites in the province. Alberta needs more safe camping and recreation opportunities, not less!

To aid the recovery of our economy and specifically the tourism sector, the government must invest in a strong public parks system, to provide jobs, support rural communities , and allow everyone access to the benefits that time in nature provides.

The value of parks goes much further than the in-hand revenue of the government. While a study by the Canadian Parks Council shows that for every dollar invested in parks $6 is generated back in GDP, parks hold much greater value than an economic bottom line.

These are the key areas that:
Contribute to our quality of life and provide opportunity to experience the outdoors, held in trust for our children and grandchildren
Provide key ecosystem services such as clean water
Protect our fish and wildlife species and habitats

Alberta is known for its outdoor recreation opportunities. The government should not be removing their protections and offloading the responsibility of managing our provincial public parks and recreation areas to third party operators. Potential partners such as volunteer organizations and municipalities already struggle with finding funds and may not have the resources to properly manage and protect these important places resulting in public lands taken over by for-profit private enterprises, deterioration of management and facilities or closed for access to Albertans. This exposes our protected areas to inappropriate commodification and development and removes the accountability to Albertans of management of these protected places.  Additionally, much of the infrastructure, to facilitate recreation and outdoor experiences in nature for Albertans was paid for by the public, to now give that public investment to private interests is a breach of trust.

The sites are located across Alberta. By eliminating them you will be compromising the ability of rural Albertans and those from smaller centres to camp, hike and fish with their families close to home.

Removing natural areas and provincial parks such as Greene Valley Provincial Park also puts at risk key wildlife areas. An irresponsible act in the midst of a biodiversity crisis.

Jeopardizing parks through the transfer of assets, delisting, and closures removes safe, enjoyable recreation areas and is contrary to your commitment to protect 17% of Alberta, intention to double tourism revenue, and make life better for Albertans.  While the commitment to re-open 17 of the previously closed sites is relieving, all parks sites, including the 164 slated for delisting,  should remain open, and protected permanently. Albertans always care about their parks, not just during a pandemic.

Alberta Parks provide immeasurable benefits to present and future generations of Albertans, and therefore it is critical these areas are managed publicly through long-term approaches. The Alberta government must acknowledge that government protection and management of natural areas is necessary to support outdoor recreation, tourism, biodiversity, and preservation of natural heritage in our province.

I urge you to reverse this decision. Do not close, transfer the assets of, or delist Alberta's parks and recreation areas.

Sincerely,
{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}

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