Page 12 - Canadian Wilderness spring summer 2017

FEATURE

FREE PARKS PASS
What’s the real cost to nature? BY ÉRIC HÉBERT-DALY
When the federal government announced that entry
to national parks would be free in 2017 to celebrate Meanwhile, many parks are already bursting at the seams due
Canada’s 150th anniversary, we had mixed feelings to skyrocketing visitation in recent years, linked at least in part
to the low Canadian dollar. In some parks, wildlife are already

about it. On the one hand, it is an opportunity to encourage paying the price. For example, last year in Banff, the number

more Canadians to experience the natural wonders of our of incidents of human-wildlife conflict rose dramatically and,

parks, and help nurture a stronger conservation ethic, and since tragically, two wolves were killed by park staff after they

the federal government is covering the cost of the program, ate human food that wasn’t properly stored, and began to

park management budgets shouldn’t suffer. On the other hand, aggressively search for more in a campground. Traffic gridlock

there is a risk that the expected influx of visitors could harm on busy summer weekends is also jeopardizing the quality of

park wildlife and potentially compromise the quality of visitor visitors’ experiences. Thus our quandary about the free passes.

experiences if not managed carefully. What needs to be done to make sure parks can cope with the

The sad reality is that nature in our national parks is struggling. increased visitation expected this year?

A recent Parks Canada report shows that almost half of First, the increase in visitation must not drive more
park ecosystems are in fair or poor condition. Yet, in spite infrastructure development. Incremental development
of their legal mandate to prioritize the ecological integrity already poses a serious threat to the precious and crowded
of our national parks in all aspects of park management, in valley bottom habitat in Banff and Jasper National Parks that
recent years Parks Canada has shifted its attention away from sensitive wildlife like grizzly bears rely on for their survival.
conservation and towards tourism, marketing, infrastructure For example, Parks Canada’s latest proposal for a new $86
development, and revenue generation. Science and conservation million paved bike corridor in Jasper would run right through
programs have been cut by one third since 2012, education endangered caribou and grizzly bear habitat in one of the parks’
programs have been gutted, and development pressures have most important and most developed wildlife corridors. This
increased, particularly in parks like Banff and Jasper.

Spirit Island at Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park Gros Morne National Park protects western Newfoundland’s coastal
lowlands and Long Range Mountains. Photo: Michael Burzynski

12 • Canadian Wilderness • SPRING/SUMMER 2017 www.cpaws.org