AWA News Release: Too Many Roads in the Castle
September 20, 2016
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Global Forest Watch Canada’s newly released bulletin indicates that the proposed Castle Parks have much higher levels of disturbance than previously estimated, with over 1822.6 km of linear features (roads, trails, seismic lines) on the landscape as of 2012.
The report points to the Castle having unacceptably high levels of motorized used for what would be a protected area. In addition to 593 km of roads and motorized trails, the report estimates another 269-806 km are accessible and experience at least some level of motorized use.
“This level of human disturbance exceeds any acceptable thresholds for wildlife, with estimates that as little as 1% of the Provincial Park and 18% of the Wildland Provincial Park can be considered undisturbed,” says Andy Hurly, Vice President of the Castle-Crown Wilderness Coalition.
“Global Forest Watch Canada’s report clearly indicates that motorized use has caused a general level of disturbance on this landscape that is preventing previous disturbances, such as cutblocks and seismic lines, from recovering,” says Joanna Skrajny, Alberta Wilderness Association Conservation Specialist, “Off-highway vehicle use must end so that restoration of this landscape can occur”.
In September 2015, the Government of Alberta announced plans to designate the Castle Wilderness Area as a Castle Provincial Park and a Castle Wildland Provincial Park and management planning for the Castle Parks is presently underway.
