Province seeks input on proposed new park legislation
Albertans to have more say about what happens in their parks
Edmonton… The province is proposing new park legislation to align with Alberta’s Plan for Parks and ensure provincial park classifications are easier for the public to understand.
The proposal is to simplify the parks classification system into two categories, provincial parks and heritage rangelands, and use zoning to classify park land according to its highest and most logical use (i.e. recreation, conservation, or a combination). The proposed legislation will not change the way Albertans and visitors enjoy their parks. Parks will remain a key tool in ensuring Albertans have access to natural spaces to recreate, and the province’s unique natural and cultural heritage are protected. Additional notification will be held before any proposed re-classification of a park.
“Last year, in the Plan for Parks, we committed to updating the park legislation,” said Cindy Ady, Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation. “Park visitors have told us our existing classification system is confusing, and the changes we are proposing with the new legislation will make it easier for people to understand what they can do in their provincial parks.”
The proposed legislation will require a mandatory advance public notice for establishing, removing, or changing boundaries of provincial parks or heritage rangelands. Changes to the parks land-base would continue as the park system evolves, but would not be the result of the proposed legislation. The proposed legislation will allow for the creation of a future Parks Conservation Foundation and a Parks Advisory Council, to meet commitments in the Plan for Parks; and it will allow for the protection of sensitive lands and enable identification of tourism and recreation development opportunities, where this is consistent with the classification, zoning, and intent of the site.
The province is proposing to streamline three pieces of existing park legislation, the Provincial Parks Act, the Wilderness Areas, Ecological Reserves, Natural Areas, and Heritage Rangelands Act, and the Black Creek Heritage Rangeland Trails Act into one simplified act. The proposed new legislation would not apply to Willmore Wilderness Park, national or municipal parks, or municipal conservation areas. This is the first comprehensive review of parks legislation in 27 years.
Public consultation is a key step in the process to develop this new legislation. Albertans are invited to complete an online survey regarding the proposed classification and zoning structure at www.albertaparks.ca/legislation, or mail in a completed survey to:
Parks Legislation Review
2nd Floor, Oxbridge Place
9820 106 Street
Edmonton, Alberta, T5K 2J6
Feedback must be submitted by July 17. Public comments will be reviewed and considered in guiding the development of the new legislation, which will be drafted to align with Alberta’s Plan for Parks, and may be brought forward to government as early as this fall.
