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Groups concerned about the ecological health of the
Castle wilderness say random campers are causing damage in the region,
including cutting the branches off trees to feed campfires.
Photograph by: Gavin Young, Calgary Herald
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Off-road
users and campers causing damage in Castle area
Environmentalists and locals say
more enforcement needed
Part 3 of 3
By Colette Derworiz, Calgary Herald
October 23, 2012
The area, which includes lands south of Crowsnest Pass and north of Waterton Lakes National Park, is a watershed for dozens of downstream communities and provides critical habitat for grizzly bears and wolves.
But it’s also a hot spot for random camping and off-road enthusiasts — leading to problems similar to Ghost-Waiparous near Cochrane and McLean Creek near Bragg Creek, where off-road vehicle damage and littered campgrounds led to tough new management strategies.
“A lot of the off-road vehicle abuse is in the south Castle,” said Wendy Ryan, outreach and stewardship co-ordinator for Castle-Crown Wilderness Coalition, a citizens group concerned about the ecological health of the area. “Since we have no enforcement on the land anymore, unless someone calls the RCMP or the conservation officers, the forest guardians cannot do anything.
“All they can do is educate,” she said.
Read more here
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