alberta forestry parks and tourism mandate letter

Alberta parks mandate letter orders 900 new campsites but advocates question conservation

‘we needed to increase the number of campgrounds in alberta,’ says minister.

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Alberta's premier wants the forestry and parks minister to expand the number of campsites and campgrounds, but advocacy groups are concerned about how conservation plays into the government's plans.

Adding 900 new campsites over 10 years is one of a slew of proposals put forward last week in the mandate letter for Minister Todd Loewen. 

The UCP MLA for Central Peace-Notley headed the Ministry of Forestry, Parks and Tourism under Premier Danielle Smith prior to the election — the newest ministry designation loses tourism, although the sector still plays into his plans.

"We needed to increase the number of campgrounds in Alberta," Loewen said in an interview earlier this week. 

"We want to focus on creating these opportunities and these places for people to go when they want to get out. And also to help us with tourism with people that are visiting Alberta."

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According to the ministry, there are more than 250 campgrounds with nearly 14,000 campsites in provincial parks across the province. Random camping outside designated campgrounds on public land requires a camping pass.

Loewen said there is heavy use of public lands and parks in certain areas, which can be harmful to the environment if it isn't managed properly.

"And that's why we want to make sure that there's places to go for people when they want to enjoy our public lands and our parks."

The letter also includes investing $5 million in trail upgrades for Kananaskis Country and building new trails and campgrounds across Alberta. 

Conservation questions

Advocacy groups question where conservation fits in.

"It's really marked by what it's lacking," Tara Russell, program director for Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society's northern Alberta chapter, said of the mandate letter.

"We've got really high demand for parks and protected areas, both for recreation opportunities and nature conservation. 

"And this letter makes absolutely no mention of increasing the number of parks in Alberta, despite parks being in the title," Russell said.

Loewen said there are currently no plans to develop or expand any parks, although he referenced the spring announcement to establish Big Island Provincial Park in southwest Edmonton over the next three years.

He also points to the mandate task of bringing stakeholders together to develop a Crown lands recreation and conservation strategy as addressing environmental concerns.

"There's already plans in place that we have to abide by and regulations and everything," he said. 

"We'll be following those rules, land stewardship plans that we have existing right now."

Trail stewardship

Devon Earl, a conservation specialist with the Alberta Wilderness Association, said she was also disappointed by the lack of emphasis on environmental values.

"The emphasis in this mandate letter was really about expansion of recreation and an expansion of trails and campgrounds, which isn't inherently a bad thing. But we're really missing a step here, which is land use planning," Earl said.

She said the government should be considering scaling back in some areas with heavy use that could be putting species at risk. Off-highway vehicle trail networks are one example of a use that is degrading both the environment and the character that attracts recreational use, according to Earl.

The letter also mentions enabling expansion of trails, campsites and other public land use opportunities by Alberta entrepreneurs and other organizations. It follows the passing of the Trails Act in 2021, which allows the government to appoint partner organizations to act as trail managers.

Loewen said many organizations like Friends of the Eastern Slopes are working on campsites and those would be the kinds of partnerships they would look to expand.

"Because those organizations are there on the ground, they have good volunteer structure, and then they can help us develop and develop where and what's needed," he said, adding that they can improve trails and make them more environmentally-friendly.

But Earl said there's ongoing concern those partner organizations could include groups who do not have conservation as a top priority. 

In February, the government announced $8 million would go to the Alberta Off-Highway Vehicle Association and the Alberta Snowmobile Association to maintain and grow trail networks they manage.

"We're still waiting to see how … that plays out on the ground," Earl said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen Cook is a reporter with CBC Edmonton. He has covered stories on a wide range of topics with a focus on policy, politics, post-secondary education and labour. You can reach him via email at [email protected].

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New Alberta parks ministry to focus on tourism and opening new campgrounds

By The Canadian Press

Posted November 15, 2022 11:10 am.

Alberta’s new minister of Forestry, Parks and Tourism says his focus will be on ensuring the province’s parks are more accessible to people.

Todd Loewen has just received his mandate letter from Premier Danielle Smith.

The letter contains a heavy emphasis on developing tourism in the provincial park system.

In it, Smith instructs Loewen to develop campgrounds, recreation and tourism opportunities on provincial lands.

Loewen is expected to speed up the approval of permits and licences, establish a tourism and hospitality immigration stream, and improve tourist infrastructure in high-traffic areas.

She also tells the minister to develop ways to manage provincial forests and grasslands to store carbon.

The two-page letter contains one mention of the need to be environmentally responsible.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 15, 2022.

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Forestry and parks mandate letter targets K-Country for expansion

T he premier’s latest mandate letter to the minister in charge of forestry and parks in Alberta is heavy on expansion in Kananaskis Country and other natural areas, but lean on environmental strategy, say local experts.

In the letter, Premier Danielle Smith calls on Minister Todd Loewen to develop more campsites and trails, expand Crown land recreation access, enable public land use opportunities by Alberta entrepreneurs and other organizations, and shorten timelines for “permit and licence approvals in all areas of the ministry,” while protecting natural spaces in the province.

Devon Earl, a conservation specialist with the Alberta Wilderness Association, said she hoped to see more of a focus on environment and prioritizing conservation within the ministry.

“What we saw instead was a big focus on expansion of trails, expansion of campgrounds and cutting red tape, with environmental conservation being sort of an afterthought,” said Earl.

Smith’s letter, issued July 20, tasks the ministry to create 900 new campsites and many more comfort camping locations within the next 10 years, and to allocate $5 million for trail upgrades in Kananaskis, as well as for new trail and campground builds across the province.

The letter lacks mention of further land-use planning, which Earl stressed must occur for responsible and sustainable expansion of trail networks and campgrounds. Land use plans aim to balance environmental, economic, and cultural well-being within the regional landscape.

“That would tell us where we can expand trails and sustainably, and where – in some areas – we might have to reclaim certain trails that are negatively impacting the environment,” said Earl.

Marching orders for reviewing and establishing new land-use plans were not included in the forestry and parks mandate, but the premier directed Environment and Protected Areas Minister Rebecca Shulz to establish new and review existing land-use plans to ensure alignment with government environmental and economic policy, with relevant ministries. 

Prior to October 2022, parks and environment were managed under one ministry. Much to the criticism of environmental experts, the departments were split in October 2022 to become Forestry, Parks and Tourism, and Environment and Protected Areas. In June, tourism was also moved to a new ministry including sport. 

Smith’s forestry and parks letter directs the minister to regularly reach out to ministry-related stakeholders for feedback on issues of importance to them, including finding ways the province can “reduce burdensome and unnecessary red tape and barriers” for them to grow the economy.

Earl said that statement, combined with a lack of direction on land use planning and conservation efforts, is troubling.

“These points are concerning to me because they could result in fewer opportunities for public input in decision-making when it comes to parks and forestry operations, and also fewer environment considerations,” she said.

“Unfortunately, things like looking at the environmental impacts of forestry, doing public participation processes and Indigenous consultation … those things can be viewed by industry as burdensome and unnecessary red tape – to quote the mandate letter – but they’re so important to protect the environment and values of the public.”

In response to Smith’s letter, in a media release, Loewen said he is “privileged to lead” and provide responsible stewardship for the healthy future of Alberta’s Crown lands and forests.

“Alberta has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. Ensuring safe, reliable and broad access to our parks and public lands for work and recreation will allow everyone to continue to enjoy Alberta’s unique backyard,” he said.

“Forestry and Parks will continue to care for the places Albertans and our neighbours enjoy most.”

Banff-Kananaskis NDP MLA Sarah Elmeligi said while the letter references K-Country twice, it fails to address issues associated with visitation in one of the province’s most visited places.

“The biggest thing I find missing is any kind of strategic vision that actually gets at the heart of some of the challenges that we have in these really busy landscapes, around the volume of people coming and what a visitor use management strategy could actually look like,” said Elmeligi, who has an extensive background in conservation, wildlife biology and park planning.

Elmeligi said the letter overlooks crucial concerns impacting Kananaskis and other heavily visited areas.

“It’s kind of piecemeal, with a few little things here and there. I kind of expect mandate letters to be more forward-thinking and innovative and strategic over the long-term,” she said.

The MLA would have liked to see the ministry directed to take a closer look at issues such as vehicle congestion in Kananaskis, associated with the average four million visitors it sees annually.

“We know that Kananaskis Country is experiencing very high levels of visitation and a lot of that is associated with traffic,” said Elmeligi. “But there’s nothing in here to address the volume of traffic, there’s no programs in here to address the volume of cars on the road, but we know that’s one of the biggest challenges from an environmental but also a visitor experience perspective.”

One item in the letter the MLA said she will be keeping an eye on is the development of a Crown lands recreation and conservation strategy aimed at enhancing public access while preserving natural areas.

“I’ll be watching that very closely to see if that strategy does what it says it’s going to do, because the other bullets on the mandate letter are not strategic and don’t actually reflect direction that addresses the root of some of the problems, I think,” she said.

“What I would love to see is a bullet point that states something like ‘create a state of Kananaskis report and consult with stakeholders around a landscape plan for Kananaskis that addresses conservation and visitor use requirements and management.’”

The letter does not mention the Kananaskis Conservation Pass, which collected about $11 million in 2022 and $12 million in 2021, according to Alberta Parks.

Part of the NDP’s platform in the recent provincial election was to scrap the controversial pass if the party came into power. Elmeligi said that while the pass remains, more transparency is needed on where revenue is spent and what conservation efforts it supports, including from third-party trail groups and other organizations that receive funding from the pass.

“There is very little transparency and accountability around those dollars and how grants from the pass are distributed to groups and what objectives or reporting groups are required to meet when they receive that money. That’s all part of transparency and accountability, not just the government reporting on what they do with taxpayer dollars,” she said.

“If [the government] is granting hundreds of thousands of dollars to third parties, then those third parties should also be reporting on how they spend people’s tax dollars, and there’s no requirements for that.”

Jessica Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Rocky Mountain Outlook

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Premier Smith outlines key actions for Alberta ministers in mandate letters

It’s been just over a month since Danielle Smith became the premier of Alberta.

Since taking over the leadership position of the United Conservative Party (UCP), Premier Smith says she has made it her priority to strengthen the province’s economy and grow the “Alberta Advantage.”

As a result, she has sent out 18 letters that built on previous mandates, outlining objectives that each minister will focus on.

“The work I have tasked these ministers with is vital to ensuring Albertans and Canadians can look forward to a prosperous future,” explained Smith.

According to a media release from the Government of Alberta, some of the highlights from these letters include:

• Diversifying Alberta’s economy and attracting investment, which would provide job opportunities for Albertans.
• Advocating for Alberta’s agriculture industry and working with partners to further modernize the sector and grow Alberta’s agri-food market.
• Building on the province’s competitive advantage in traditional industries and identifying ways to improve market access to continue to be a global supplier of energy and food.

Smith went on to say, “Alberta’s economy has real momentum. More and more job creators are recognizing the benefits of doing business in our province and that leads to more jobs for Albertans looking for work.”

“We have made real progress in diversifying our economy, and we want to see even more,” she added. “By continuing that work, we will ensure that Alberta businesses, and all Albertans and their families, can prosper and benefit from Alberta’s strong economy.”

Letters to the ministers of Agriculture and Irrigation; Forestry, Parks and Tourism; Jobs, Economy and Northern Development; Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction; Technology and Innovation; Treasury Board and Finance; and Transportation and Economic Corridors were received over the past few days and can be read on the Government of Alberta website .

A final set of letters will be issued later this week, addressing Smith’s commitments on health care and skilled labour.

READ MORE: Alberta sovereignty act, protection for the unvaccinated part of Shandro’s mandate

Marlin Schmidt, NDP Critic for Environment and Parks, made the following statement in response to mandate letters sent to the Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, and the Minister of Forestry, Parks, and Tourism:

“The mandate letters issued by Premier Smith to the Minister of Environment and Protected Areas and the Minister of Forestry, Parks, and Tourism were extremely disappointing and entirely lacking in concrete plans or firm commitments. Without significant, specific direction or insight into future plans, the majority of the information within the letters focuses on things that are already happening, or maintaining business as usual.

“Alarmingly, there is no real mention of effective conservation or protection of Alberta’s wild and natural places. Specifically, the Environment and Protected Areas mandate letter doesn’t include a mandate to protect much at all, with no mention of a direction for protected areas, as well as very little direction on the same within Forestry, Parks, and Tourism.

“This lack of clarity proves that the UCP government does not care about nor understand the industry and will only cause further confusion and chaos within each sector.”

(With files from rdnewsNOW)

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Premier Focuses on AHLA Member Concerns in Mandate Letter

Premier Danielle Smith began releasing mandate letters to several cabinet ministers on November 9, including one to Todd Loewen, Minister of Forestry, Parks and Tourism. All of the letters asked the ministers to keep the inflation and affordability crisis top of mind, focus on job creation and strengthening the economy, and to address the health-care system challenges.

In the mandate letter to Minister Loewen, the Premier identified several member concerns as priorities for the Minister:

• Assess the advantages of having the full four per cent of the tourism levy invested in tourism related growth initiatives with Travel Alberta.
• As the lead, work with the Minister of Trade, Immigration and Multiculturalism to establish an expedited tourism and hospitality immigration stream.

The AHLA is thrilled to see these priorities listed as among those for Minister Loewen to focus on.

View the fpt-mandate-letter-forestry-parks-and-tourism (PDF) here. You can view all the mandate letters here .

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