By Charlotte Morritt-Jacobs - (@morrittjacobs on Twitter)

Wildlife Takes Huge Hit With Increasing ATV Usage In Castle Park

Sep 22, 2016 | 3:00 PM

Castle Wilderness Area – A new report based on satellite images proposes that Castle Wilderness Area, is environmentally exhausted when it comes to providing adequate habitats for the grizzly bears who live in the park.

Global Forest Watch Canada’s September 20, 2016 report highlights how human disturbance has significantly reduced wildlife habitat in the proposed Castle Parks.

The study found that there is only 1.54 square kilometres of secure undisturbed Grizzly Bear habitat, which is less than half of newly proposed Castle Wildland Provincial Park.

The report also confirms that all westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout critical habitats in both proposed parks are located in areas of high human disturbance.

Data shows that much of Alberta’s remaining westslope cutthroat trout habitat is in the two proposed parks.

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Andy Hurly, Vice President of the Castle-Crown Wilderness Coalition, said that this level of human disturbance exceeds any acceptable thresholds for wildlife.

“You can see human disturbances on the landscapes with roads and trails and cut blocks. Up until recently there was forestry and there are still some gas and oil activities there which will be on their way out with new park protection.”

The report and Hurly cite off-highway vehicles as the major contributor to habitat loss. The disturbances contribute to increased water temperature and sedimentation and the disturbances of grizzly bears in the area.

“The Alberta Government must do its part in recovering protected species,” says Joanna Skrajny, Alberta Wilderness Association Conservation Specialist.

“We have long maintained that restoration is urgently required in the Castle region and must become the focus of management planning. The GFWC report is one more critical evaluation confirming what local advocates and scientists have said for years.”

Hurly furthers this statement by stating the government should place protection as the highest priority.

“I would like to see a plan that considers the importance of habitat for wildlife and the concept of wilderness as valuable. We certainly do not need any more habitat loss.I would like to see off-highway vehicles out of there.”

The provincial government’s provincial park plans for the provincial park would still allow the machines, although no other such parks do so.

Two provincial wilderness groups have already called for a permanent ban on off-road vehicles in the newly created Castle Park back in May 2016.

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.

Management planning for the Castle Parks is presently underway.