Councils of Athabasca County and the Municipal District of Lesser Slave River are expressing concerns about an Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) proposal to designate the Long and Narrow Lake area as a provincial park.
The AEP proposal would create a provincial park in the Long and Narrow Lake area in Athabasca County and also include Cross Lake in the M.D. of Lesser Slave River. Athabasca County council voted unanimously to send a letter expressing concern to AEP during a May 8 council meeting.
M.D. of Lesser Slave River council also voted May 23 to send a letter to AEP expressing that the municipality wants to be "kept in the loop" and have more information on this proposal, according to Reeve Murray Kerik.
"Out of nowhere, comes this idea of a mega park," Kerik said in an interview, adding the municipality is neutral on the proposal but wants more information. "They haven’t presented anything."
Origin of proposal
The AEP proposal came after the Long and Narrow Lake Stewardship Society (LNLSS) sought to have the area designated as a natural area, according to society president Doug Frost.
Frost said the society originally sought to have a natural area designation to help protect the waters while working with the various user groups.
"We want to be there and working with all the users who are using it," Frost said in an interview.
The society put forward an application for a natural area designation January 2017, Frost said, getting support from multiple stakeholder groups including Athabasca County. AEP liked the proposal and started assigning planners to it in August 2017, Frost said, before evaluating the proposal and deciding a provincial park might work best in the area.
Alberta Environment and Parks communications advisor Kimberly Van Nieuvenhuyse said the AEP determined a provincial park designation would best meet area conservation objectives.
“Following a comprehensive screening by Alberta Parks, it was determined the conservation and recreation objectives would be best met through a Provincial Park designation," Van Nieuvenhuyse said in an emailed statement.
Mixed views
Frost said the society has not yet taken an official stance on the AEP proposal and remains split on it.
"There's many of us who believe natural area parks are really important because it gives us ability for conversation, gives us the ability to do education and research," Frost said, adding there are other members of the organization who feel working under a provincial park designation could be more beneficial. "Some of the resources that can be given to a provincial park are very valuable."
Kerik questioned how many trap lines and oil and gas development would get swallowed by the provincial park designation.
"Seems to me like somebody got a little ambitious for no reason," Kerik said. "How many trap lines are in there, how much oil and gas development is in there, lumber rights and everything else (in) this area they just want to swallow for no real reason."
Coun. Christi Bilsky said during the May 8 meeting she wanted to be proactive in opposition to the proposal, before later making the motion for Athabasca County to send a letter to AEP.
"I'd rather put that in there now. We already know, we got an inkling of what we're hearing you're going to do, we don't support that," Bilsky said.
Van Nieuvenhuyse said there would be a public consultation process about the AEP proposal for the Long and Narrow Lake area.
"It’s just a proposal at this stage and the public and stakeholders will have the opportunity to provide feedback during the public consultation process," she said in an email.
A request to AEP asking for additional details on the public consultation process and for comment on the Athabasca County letter was not returned before publish time.
