Locals are part of the problem in Castle wilderness

Fresh snow blankets a cut block and a stack of waste lumber in the Castle Wilderness Area of Southern Alberta on Wednesday October 3, 2012. Photograph by: Gavin Young , Calgary Herald

Locals are part of the problem in Castle wilderness

By Vic Urban, Calgary Herald October 25, 2012

Re: "Recreation leaving scars in Castle wilderness, groups warn," Oct. 23, "Tensions linger over Castle wilderness logging," Oct. 22, and "Battle for the Castle," Oct. 20.

I have been following your series of articles and was expecting Karl Giesler's assertion that outsiders are causing the destruction. I take exception to that because I have been visiting the area since the 1980s and have repeatedly seen locals building outhouses over the river, shooting clay pigeons over the river, and committing multiple acts of drunken idiocy.

Last summer, my wife and I went to the Castle Falls Recreation Area and witnessed a group of youths drinking beer and throwing the empties into the river. An officer with Sustainable Resources Development came by and attempted to ticket them; they were from Bellevue.

The most astonishing event occurred when the father of one of the youths showed up, asked that the group be let off, and when the officer denied his request, the father replied: "I know your boss; you don't know who you are dealing with."

Logging, oil and gas exploration and other industrial activities do have an impact in the area. However, I believe the biggest impact is the sheer volume of people utilizing, and in many cases, abusing, this beautiful and unique place.

Vic Urban, Calgary