The Government of Alberta is drafting the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan that will determine the future of this region, including the Castle Special Place. As a Special Place, there are no laws that protect the Castle from the allocation of more of its public land to resource extraction or private development. Nor does its current legal status require it to be managed primarily for protection of the watershed, outdoor recreation and protection of the natural environment, including wildlife habitat. Without the legal framework of a legislated protected area, the Castle area will continue to deteriorate under un-regulated OHV traffic and clear-cut logging by Spray Lakes Sawmills. The level of cumulative impacts is not sustainable. The Castle-Crown Wilderness Coalition is working with CPAWS, the AWA, Crown of the Continent Conservation Initiative, Y2Y and many others to have the Castle designated as a Wildland Provincial Park.
Don’t know about the Castle? Check out their Facebook page and see the Castle-Crown Wilderness Coalition’s recent press release listed below for information about the area and issues that dominate the conversation around its needed protection.
An on-line petition calling for the Castle to be designated as a Wildland Provincial Park can be found by clicking here.
