Dear Editor,
Re: 鈥楽elfish鈥� to put recreation over preservation (Nov. 27)
Thanks Ms. Jensen for responding to my letter, as it gives me an opportunity to throw another snowball down the slope, since I鈥檓 sure there are many more out there who echo your sentiments about 鈥渆ntitled locals and selfish users.鈥�
Truthfully, I was expecting condemnation; caribou conservation/use is a red hot, and poignant topic that we all have opinions about, and everyone wants to blame someone.
To be very clear: JNP鈥檚 backcountry skiers will give up all skiable terrain for caribou conservation. We鈥檙e just incredibly sad, since it鈥檚 the end of many wonderful things in JNP... caribou and skiing. If anyone out there actually thinks and believes that we are motivated by 鈥済reed, selfishness and proud ignorance鈥� then I鈥檇 have to say that to be described as 鈥渟elfish鈥� is about as crazy as it gets.
There have been many changes in JNP since you lived here. You also 鈥渓ived and played鈥� in a park, which back then, had little restrictions or closures. Since your pilgrimage to Hinton, JNP now has large tracts of land, preserved for wildlife movement, these areas are closed to all use, (this includes the old Ho Chi Min trail). There are also numerous seasonal wildlife closures, wardens are patrolling on trails, enforcing the dogs on leash law, and most recently, restricting access into caribou habitat during certain winter months.
Throughout all these closures/restrictions, locals have learned to adjust their use, and mindset. Change and loss are not easy and take time to sink in. The majority of us locals/users accept, support and understand this, since the privilege of living in a national park knocks daily at our door, and when we gaze out the window.
I think all of us, (including you, Kai) need to grieve and try to fathom not only the loss of the caribou, but losing all the historical ski trails, the reality of a changing world, and the fact that there鈥檚 no going back. I write many stories about connection, a sense of place, and the bond that users have with our national parks. Loving something鈥攚hether it鈥檚 skiing, a trail, the animals or the mountains鈥攃omes with a price tag; a complicated, costly, but essential and emotional attachment to our parks.
Please, we鈥檙e not faceless androids; our national parks invoke and inspire many different emotions that make a memorable cocktail, how about a few a shots of empathy?
Loni Klettl
Jasper, Alta.
