Frustration mounts as OHV Clubs organize meetings to protest potential Castle parks trail closures

LETHBRIDGE – The Crowsnest Pass Quad Squad will be hosting a town hall -type meeting next week, for those who are concerned about the potential phase out of Castle Parks trails to OHV enthusiasts.
 
The group’s President, Gary Clark,  says the meeting has now been set for 7:30pm at the MDM Community Centre in Bellevue.That’s where they’ll  try and figure out a game plan to communicate their concerns to the provincial government.
 
“We already have a wonderful trail system down in the parks area, and that is what we want to do. To continue to use them, and not  as Premier Notely announced for the parks, that they wanted to build new trails somwhere else to alleviate a problem. Our question is, why build new trails and spend millions of dollars, when we now have a very good system in the park itself?”
 
Clark says his group and others, have been rehabilitating a number of trails.
 
“I mean, we’re concerned about the loss of the trails. In the area, the trails have been refurbished the last few years through the generosity of approximately $3 million of federal money spent and administered by the province through the back country rehabilitation program.”
 
And rehabilitation is what Environment Minister Shannon Phillips advocates, emphasizing that any management plan must consider the scope of recreational activities. Those include protecting environmentally sensitive areas, and narrowing what takes place, and where.
 
“The draft plan we have considers several…. possibilities. One is a three to five year plan to phase out off highway vehicle use, with reclamation of unauthorized trails throughout the parks.”
 
Phillips goes on to say, “finding balance doesn’t always mean easy conversation, but ones that are nevertheless important for our kids and grandkids. There are other places some of these recreational activities might take place in the region. That’s why it’s important to look to recreation management planning and appropriate infrastructure develpment in the Crowsnest Pass and elsewhere.”
 
Still, there is anger and frustration, from not only OHV groups, but from at least one Town Council. Pincher Creek Councillor Garry Marchuk maintains that the two Castle Parks lands are public and belong to everybody, not to a few.
 
“This setting aside everything for future generations has got to quit. We have national parks, we have provincial parks all over the province. We need to address the issues and the needs of today’s Albertans.”
 
Another point of contention is what Marchuk believes was a lack of notification the province gave to local councils.
 
“I think that they had enough time….. to let some of their friends and organizations down here know that this was happening, but they didn’t have the courtesy to let us know that it was happening.”
 
But the Environment Minister says over the next 60 days, the province does want to hear from all Albertans.
 
In addition to the Village of Cowley meeting, a rally is being organized by the Lethbridge area Rocky Mountain Trail Blazers on February 11th, at Galt Gardens.