Residents are being asked to provide input on the provincial government's $40-million Bighorn Country proposal, which involves a vast wilderness area along the Eastern Slopes of the Rockies.
The proposal would see the creation of a mix of parks and protected areas, including a new Ya Ha Tinda Provincial Park west of Sundre.
Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre MLA Jason Nixon says public input through the proposal’s online survey and planned open houses may be vital to the long-term future success of the plan area.
“I encourage everyone to participate in that process to make sure their voices are heard,” Nixon told the Gazette. “We will be watching it closely. Take the survey and make sure your views are heard.
“It’s important that we have a clear record of what the community wants, so we can make any adjustments if mistakes are made.”
The Bighorn Country proposal includes new, expanded and amended parks, protected areas and public land use zones.
The changes would add almost 400,000 hectares of protected land, increasing overall protection in Alberta from 14.6 per cent to 15.2 per cent.
The changes would also include the refurbishment of 240 existing campsites and the construction of more than 150 new campsites.
Minister of Environment and Parks Shannon Phillips said the changes would benefit all stakeholders.
“This mix of parks, recreation areas and public land-use zones has the potential to be the greatest tourism development opportunity the area has ever seen,” said Phillips. “We know how much Albertans value nature and time spent outdoors. This proposal will create new jobs, enhance mountain recreation and preserve the wilds of the Bighorn backcountry for generations to come.
“This system of public lands is intended to provide a range of opportunities that suits the settings and demands of the region.”
The proposed parks and protected areas include Bighorn Wildland Provincial Park, David Thompson Provincial Park, Ya Ha Tinda Provincial Park, Bighorn Dam Provincial Recreation Area, and Shunda Provincial Recreational Area.
Each proposed park and area would provide varying options for land uses, investment opportunities and resources for facility development, she said.
“Wildland parks and provincial parks focus on conservation while also offering a wide range of recreation options from remote backcountry to highway-accessible services and facilities,” she said.
“Provincial recreation areas enhance the ability to develop recreation and tourism opportunities and allocate resources for supporting public and private facilities in a natural landscape.”
The plan also includes the creation of a new West Country Public Land Use Zone east of the current Bighorn Backcountry management area.
The online survey – which can be found at talkaep.alberta.ca – will collect public input into the overall Bighorn Country proposal until Jan. 31, 2019.
The survey asks for input on such things as the use of the area, including agriculture, camping, and off-highway vehicle traffic.
As well as the online survey, public information sessions on the proposal are scheduled across the region, including at the Sundre Community Centre on Jan. 14 from 6 to 9 p.m.
After the survey results are compiled, the province plans to hold further consultations with stakeholders, municipalities, Indigenous peoples and the public, said Phillips.
Asked if he believes the Bighorn Country proposal may end up leading to job losses, MLA Nixon said, “That’s one of the main concerns. We need to make sure that there will not be job loss because of this and know what the possible economic impacts could be.
“We haven’t seen anything from the NDP on that. They tell us that forestry will not be affected, but we’ve seen in other areas where it was. It is reasonable questions for us to be asking as a community.
“Hopefully now that we are going to be having open meetings we can at least evaluate the plan with all the information.”
Sundre Forest Products and other companies have logging operations in the plan area.
The Bighorn Country proposal region includes the headwaters of the North Saskatchewan and Red Deer rivers, which provide drinking water to more than one million Albertans.
