Park Closures

[wwkayaker]

https://www.fitzhugh.ca/op-ed-cuts-t...WRuUvFOzQwwpZ8

Kenney and his party are making a huge mistake in closing parks and letting parks go private. I think the current situation highlights the need for public parks and areas where people can go and enjoy themselves and relax. Saving $5 million/year is so minuscule.


Disclaimer; I don’t know if the news of Alberta park closures is buried in the politics thread. I think it’s important enough to have its own thread.

[Envitro]

Nobody is closing parks, just switching the operating model for ones that it doesn't make sense for the province to operate.

Jason Nixon has spoken about this ad-nauseum...

So many of our provincial campgrounds are already managed by third-parties, so this isn't a significant change, more of an administrative back-end change.

[troutman]

20 parks will be closed in 2020 (9 partially and 11 fully).

https://www.alberta.ca/assets/docume...erta-parks.pdf

[aaronck]

Originally Posted by Envitro

Nobody is closing parks, just switching the operating model for ones that it doesn't make sense for the province to operate.

Jason Nixon has spoken about this ad-nauseum...

So many of our provincial campgrounds are already managed by third-parties, so this isn't a significant change, more of an administrative back-end change.

Yup, they're not selling crown land to UCP donors either...

https://globalnews.ca/news/6689873/a...land-for-sale/

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Envitro

Nobody is closing parks, just switching the operating model for ones that it doesn't make sense for the province to operate.

Jason Nixon has spoken about this ad-nauseum...

So many of our provincial campgrounds are already managed by third-parties, so this isn't a significant change, more of an administrative back-end change.

The map shows them closing...and if you believe anything Jason Nixon says at this point, I don't know what to say.

[OMG!WTF!]

They're being offered to local groups for management and operations. I'm in the running to take over one. It would be cool to supervise a trailer park..I mean, park.

[Torture]

"Alberta to sell native grassland despite government promises no Crown land would be sold"

https://globalnews.ca/news/6689873/a...land-for-sale/

Oh, and a big time UCP donor bought it? Imagine that.

https://kimsiever.ca/2020/04/02/the-...own-land-deal/
https://albertawilderness.ca/another...ld-for-460000/

[Envitro]

Originally Posted by aaronck

Yup, they're not selling crown land to UCP donors either...

https://globalnews.ca/news/6689873/a...land-for-sale/

Are you not aware that crown grazing lease land goes up for auction every year?
This is nothing new and has been a common practice for decades.

The fact that a "donor" was the winning bidder is a non-issue IMHO, unless you can provide evidence that it was not a fair bidding process.

[Envitro]

Originally Posted by Torture

"Alberta to sell native grassland despite government promises no Crown land would be sold"

https://globalnews.ca/news/6689873/a...land-for-sale/

Oh, and a big time UCP donor bought it? Imagine that.

https://kimsiever.ca/2020/04/02/the-...own-land-deal/
https://albertawilderness.ca/another...ld-for-460000/

Also to respond to this, they only time he said "Crown land wouldn't be sold" was with respect to Parks, not crown grazing leases...

[Torture]

1. Parks will have their protected area status removed

A total of 175 parks are slated to be closed and/or removed from Alberta Parks system and revert to public land (including the 20 slated for full or partial closure some of which overlap with the 164 for future “partnership”). Public lands management and vacant public land-use do not adequately protect fish and wildlife or recreation values. There is no rationale provided for removal of these sites from the system.

Sites that revert to public land without a partner organization, and closed sites would also no longer be serviced or maintained by Alberta Parks. This includes facilities such as fire pits, garbage disposal and outhouses. Elimination of these services at these parks sites would lead to greater impact on lands and waters and lead to diminished user safety and experience, including garbage, wildlife conflicts, unmanaged human waste, erosion and risk of wildfires.

2. Sites removed from the parks system would have their legal park designations removed, and could be open for alternate management approaches.

Removal of parks from the system opens the door for uses that are not currently permitted or which are more heavily regulated within our parks. For example, the following activities could be permitted on vacant public lands:

Mining
Surface mineral extraction (e.g. gravel)
Commercial forestry activities
New oil and gas development
New or unrestricted off-highway vehicle access
Random camping
New resource roads
Cultivation
Commercial facilities; such as
Resorts
Hotels
Golf Courses

https://cpawsnab.org/alberta-parks-fact-check/

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Envitro

Also to respond to this, they only time he said "Crown land wouldn't be sold" was with respect to Parks, not crown grazing leases...

I don't think it was grazing leases. They sold the plot of land, full stop.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Envitro

Also to respond to this, they only time he said "Crown land wouldn't be sold" was with respect to Parks, not crown grazing leases...

And that is also incorrect. The quote form the article above:


On March 5, Environment and Parks Minister Jason Nixon told the Calgary Herald: “We are not selling any Crown or public land — period.”

[Torture]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

They're being offered to local groups for management and operations. I'm in the running to take over one. It would be cool to supervise a trailer park..I mean, park.

Well, if they can find people to manage them. Otherwise they're stripped of their parks designation and protected status and opened up for a vast range of uses. Also, ten of them are being fully closed.

5. Ten sites will be closed to public access

The announcement includes the full or partial closure of 20 sites. Ten sites are slated for full closure where the “entire site will be closed to public access”, and 10 for partial closure where “remaining park areas will be open to public access, but un-serviced.” It is inappropriate to be barring Albertans from using park lands, and in direct contradiction to the promises made by the Minister of Environment and Parks to provide access to Alberta’s wilderness. Additionally, while these 10 sites have been identified, there has been no indication on whether full closure could apply to any of the other 164 parks on the list for removal from the park system.

Also, private operators are not responsible for protecting the land in the same way as a parks designation provides.

6. Parks facilities and assets will be sold and management authority transferred to third parties

While the Alberta Parks news release has been amended to remove the mention of sale of parks and the minister has clarified that the land itself will not be sold, park facilities and assets will be sold and management authority for the area transferred to private partners through leases or other mechanisms.

Potential partners such as volunteer organizations and municipalities already struggle to find funding and do not have the resources to properly manage and protect these important places.

Private operators are not accountable to Albertans or to maintaining conservation values and quality outdoor experience. Alberta’s parks should not be managed for profit. Commercial uses not currently permitted or promoted in parks could be developed in these areas once they become public land.

In fact, changes to the Public Lands Administration Regulation (PLAR) made in November 2019 make it easier for private partners to apply for and receive dispositions for commercial developments on public lands including hotels, lodges, shops, mini-golf, motocross tracks among others (see pages 5 and 43-48). It is also specified that this new disposition type is explicitly to provide services , in exchange for payment, to members of the public, and is intended to produce an economic benefit (see TCL description page 64).

Private management and the resulting push for the areas to be profitable could result in decreased service quality, increased costs and the commodification or loss of access to some areas.

[wwkayaker]

I haven’t seen the rules regarding how private operators have to maintain/manage the parks they operate. Public lands is very important IMO and isn’t something to be given away to save a few million.

Okay, now that I have read the changes to the management of the parks by private operators (thanks, Torture), I dislike this move even more. Potentially turning our parks into commercial operations to make profits isn’t what public lands is about. There will likely be a loss of access given the increase in costs. Also, I can see another outcome where an operator doesn’t have the funds to upkeep the facilities and we end up with decrepit facilities.

One of the biggest disappointments regarding public lands, for me, was the construction of the the Glacier Skywalk. I hate that thing. It’s just a commercial venture that takes away from the natural beauty of the area and creates more pressure on nature.

[troutman]

[CactusJack]

Originally Posted by Envitro

The fact that a "donor" was the winning bidder is a non-issue IMHO, unless you can provide evidence that it was not a fair bidding process.

That “donor” has been trying to underhandedly buy that piece of land for many years. It’s no coincidence it was the only piece of land made available and they bought it immediately upon the UCP making it available. The ONLY reason that piece of land was put up for sale was because a UCP party donor wanted it. Both the UCP and the Ypma’s refuse to answer any questions about the sale. Nothing to see here at all...

https://albertawilderness.ca/another...ld-for-460000/

[CactusJack]

[QUOTE=troutman;7463789]20 parks will be closed in 2020 (9 partially and 11 fully).

https://www.alberta.ca/assets/docume...erta-parks.pdf[/QUOTE]

Everyone also needs to keep in mind these are the parks being closed in 2020, there will more added to the list in 2021 and beyond!

[GP_Matt]

Originally Posted by wwkayaker

One of the biggest disappointments regarding public lands, for me, was the construction of the the Glacier Skywalk. I hate that thing. It’s just a commercial venture that takes away from the natural beauty of the area and creates more pressure on nature.

This makes me pretty sad. That pull out was a great spot to stop with a fantastic view. They fenced it off, undertook a large construction project and now you have to pay for the view.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by troutman

20 parks will be closed in 2020 (9 partially and 11 fully).

https://www.alberta.ca/assets/docume...erta-parks.pdf

That's too bad about Dino Park, I've been meaning to go back there.

[aaronck]

Sorry all, Matt Wolf's don't work for free, and neither do all the other guys the UCP has hired