Less than a year into Alberta’s 10 year Plan for Parks and significant progress has already been made on the new vision for Alberta’s provincial parks:
Alberta’s parks inspire people to discover, value, protect, and enjoy the natural world and the benefits it provides for current and future generations.
– Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation
The Plan for Parks will help ensure the sustainability of our natural landscapes and enhance recreational opportunities for Albertans. The plan aligns with the province’s Land-use Framework, and is playing a key role in achieving our objectives for responsible land use in Alberta.
Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation is embarking on several initiatives over the next decade, many of which are already underway. Details on these initiatives can be found in the Plan for Parks Update, and key accomplishments since its release on April 20, 2009 include:
� Online campground reservations available at 50 provincial campgrounds across Alberta since the website launched in May 2009.
� 30 kilometres of new park trails across Alberta to allow people of all ages and abilities to enjoy recreation and physical activities to help them lead healthier, more active lives. There are plans to create another 100 kilometres of park trails in 2010-2011.
� Approximately 100 new campsites added in provincial park campgrounds in 2009 and there are plans to add more campsites in 2010/2011.
� Albertans take an active role in planning the future of Alberta parks by participating in more than a dozen online public consultations in 2009.
� Alberta scientists will play a larger role in parks research through a new Alberta Parks Division Science Strategy that supports evidence-based decision-making relating to the management of parks.
� Everyone belongs outside and work is underway on an inclusion strategy to remove physical barriers in new and existing parks facilities, as well introducing new Canadians to our provincial parks and bridging language barriers.
� Volunteer parks programs expanded with 2500 Albertans volunteering more than 100,000 hours of their time to assist with parks programs.
� Alberta students can now take virtual field trips to provincial parks through the new educational video-conference program. The interactive educational program ensures provincial parks are accessible to all Albertans.
We encourage all Albertans to take an active role in planning the future of Alberta’s provincial parks.
