National parks are for all Canadians to enjoy

Re: "Banff park plan raising alarms," Jan. 7.

Recently, there has been a flurry of negative comments about Parks Canada's desire to attempt to regain the visitors who have abandoned visiting the mountain national parks. The comments come from the same tired voices with a philosophical agenda opposed to parks and people.

Parks Canada's mandate is protection, education and experience. The national parks are for all Canadians to use so that they can understand, appreciate and enjoy their natural and cultural heritage.

The new management plans are an improvement to previous plans in that they support Parks Canada's full mandate and clearly state that visitor experience needs to be improved. The Parks Canada Agency's senior management has increased support in this direction and should be recognized as moving forward in making improvements for Canadians. Bravo. The strategy to have increases in park visits is about economic sustainability, and not unchecked growth. Businesses need to be competitive and creative, and this means they need to be economically sustainable.

Ecological integrity needs to be put into perspective; in the mountain parks, it is not a standalone statement. It comes down to protection in the parks and that translates into responsible use; that is what the national parks should offer Canadians.

Richard Leavens, Banff

Richard Leavens is executive director of the Association for Mountain Parks Protection and Enjoyment.