In the past, Parks Canada has been criticized in this space for engaging the public for the sole purpose of crossing public consultation off its decision-making to-do list.
But that can’t be said of the agency’s latest decision. Last week, with the release of the decision on the delayed winter access areas, Parks showed that not only can it listen to feedback, it can also take it into account and make an informed decision that placates everyone.
Parks sat down with “the brown baggers of the park”—as Loni Klettl referred to herself and other backcountry users—and listened to their input and it also listened to tourism agencies, the municipality, and environmentalists.
And then it created a new proposal that could be agreed upon by everyone.
Of course, the agency didn’t give in to every desire, but it did allow for boundary changes that will allow recreationalists to continue using the areas they so love, without impeding critical caribou habitat, and it also promised to create more recreational areas at Decoigne and Pyramid Lake.
This decision, which will see the Brazeau and A La Peche caribou ranges closed until Feb. 28, is somewhat surprising, if you consider the state of the debate last winter.
At that time, any opposition to the proposal was viewed as opposition to the conservation of caribou—an argument few people voiced. If you looked at comment threads on stories written by provincial or national media sources, it made Jasper’s recreationalists sound like pitchfork wielding caribou killers.
But here we are with a decision that resulted in positive words from the superintendent of Jasper National Park, the executive director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s Northern Alberta chapter, the interim CEO of Tourism Jasper, the executive director of the Association for Mountain Parks Protection and Enjoyment and local outdoor enthusiasts.
The chances of such a wide acceptance for a decision that had caribou conservation pitted against backcountry users, seemed unlikely a few months ago, but Parks somehow found a cozy middle ground for everyone.
For that, the agency, and the working group who spent countless hours on this decision, deserve credit.
We hope that Parks will take the lessons it learned during its latest public consultation process into its next one, when it discusses Maligne Tours’ proposal to develop overnight accommodation at Maligne Lake.
It would be nice to again see a decision that clearly reflects the community’s input, as this latest decision has.
