Dear Editor,
Re: Backcountry users not the demons they鈥檙e painted to be, Nov. 20, 2014
Ms.Klettl, thou dost protest too much, me thinks. Fact is: as described, you do live here, and your backcountry use is, indeed, recreational, ie. play.
Despite your protests, you do live and play in the Maligne Valley all winter. And despite your protests, your letter, complete with capital letters (read: screaming capital letters) comes off sounding angry.
Thus, the concern that COSEWIC expressed is exact. At least they recognize the concern of the local winter enthusiasts exits at all.
As a former resident for 15 years, and a semi-retired backcountry user, I have skied hundreds of kilometres in your boots. There was a time when I probably would have agreed with your current stance. But I moved on, I moved out, and now the cost of living is too high for me to return. But leaving did something to me: it gave me perspective. I grew up and out of the infamous Jasper bubble.
I don鈥檛 expect locals to move out, but I do suggest you take a step back and ponder the real and legislated purpose of our national parks. I guarantee, there is nothing in the legislation anywhere which assures that a few privileged locals enjoy unadulterated use and enjoyment of the park.
There is no doubt in my mind that Parks has, does, and will continue to, make mistakes in the decisions regarding wildlife management. There is a glorious history of ridiculous decisions made by Parks administrators. We could talk about shutting down the Maligne River to save the ducks, while at the same time allowing gas powered tour boats to roar up and down Maligne Lake, all profits going to the private sector. The newest and by far grossest attraction, the big boomerang (also own as the Glacier Skywalk) is another example of 鈥淧arks Gone Mad.鈥�
And it very well may be that closing winter access to certain areas is too little, too late to save any caribou. But it is not just about the caribou. It is about local attitude, that local sense of propriety over the park.
I am so very tired of some locals moaning and groaning every time Parks shuts down some portion of the park for the sake of preserving wildlife terrain. I remember when there was no Ho Chi Min trail, it had grown over and nature was doing her best to regain lost territory鈥攗ntil some locals took their saws and axes (illegally) and decided, unilaterally, that they required their own private bike trail. Now, Ho Chi Min is again on the trail map, a much used trail through formerly quiet terrain. Hmmmm. How about all the private spots locals take their dogs to year round, off-leash and illegally: Buffalo Flats and Mile Five Bridge come to mind. No one is packing out bags of dog poop from those spots, and the ground squirrel population at the Flats is pretty well gone.
From the outside looking in, Jasper locals who insist on using the park the way they want, the way they always have, does appear selfish.
Honestly, if you want backcountry access, go outside the park. If it is indeed your passion, then don鈥檛 give it up. Just don鈥檛 expect the park to be yours, and yours only. The parks are for all Canadians, but most importantly, parks are for the preservation of our nature. Parks owe you nothing. Blessed indeed are those lucky few who reside in the parks at all.
Seems selfish to insist that your passion for recreation should come before the preservation of nature.
Kaj Jensen
Hinton, Alta.
