North Saskatchewan Region plan – Bighorn Backcountry Areas - Land use planning - potential closures / reduced access - Y2Y agenda
 

The Alpine Club of Canada is noting that there is a good possibility of more restrictions being placed on backcountry access for the Clearwater / Ram PLUZ, Job/Cline etc. They are concerned about even hiking access to get to various climbing locations etc. This is not to mention the restriction of OHV’s likely coming as well.

The proposed NSRP may potentially affect access for recreational use in the Bighorn Backcountry, where many of our Albertan section members practice low impact, self-propelled recreation. It may also affect access for other user groups who recreate in the Bighorn. At this time, the ACC is seeking to document our member’s use of the area so that we can contribute positively and concretely to any future consultation processes about recreation in the Bighorn.

http://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/blo...n-backcountry/

The alpine club is generally very well informed on environmental issues and have a pretty respectable track record of mixing access with being sustainable. For example, their network of ACC huts in the backcountry is a great service and opportunity for those that are able to access these places.

If ACC is concerned about the regional plan, perhaps other outdoors enthusiasts might want to take a look as well.

http://aep.alberta.ca/recreation-pub...ap-Jul2017.pdf

https://landuse.alberta.ca/RegionalP...s/default.aspx


Looks like what happened down south in the Castle is going to happen here as well. Don’t just take my word for it, but have a read at the attached links. Note that the ‘Alberta Wilderness Association’ is behind a lot of this. If you read their position statements, this will tell you what you need to know about their thoughts on hunting, trapping, and fishing. They want OHV’s banned in areas they deem to be ‘prime protection and critical wildlife zones.’

The attached map shows these 'prime protection areas' that they've designated.

https://albertawilderness.ca/issues/...on-statements/

Thanks for posting this AD. You are 100% correct, this thing is very real, and likely going to happen. These 'tree huggers' are gaining traction, and definitely have the ear of the current government. Y2Y is heavily involved as well. Anybody ever heard of them? It's pretty telling when even a group like ACC is concerned. It's also sad to see a thread like this get no interest on a board full of "outdoorsmen", the same guys that will be saying "how could this have happened?" "where can I ride my quad?" when it does. Far too much apathy. Now get back to talking about religion and gas prices everyone. :snapoutofit:

That's impossible! So many people, right here on this forum, promised it wouldn't happen. I don't believe it.

I didn't include the Y2Y links because often times when I reference them on here I'm called an alarmist or conspiracy theorist. That said, for your reference....

http://www.reddeeradvocate.com/news/...roups-unhappy/

https://y2y.net/work/what-hot-projec...-regional-plan

After all of the Castle discussions I think folks are fairly well set in their opinions so haven't bothered to post on this issue. The reason I posted it is that I know there are lots of folks that read AO, but don't necessarily post, so I think it's worth noting so that people can see for themselves about what is going to happen.

I know for myself, I'm going to adjust my plans to spend some time in that area in the next year, because I doubt after that I'll be able to back country random camp or access some of these areas. (I'm not an OHV user BTW)

This ^^

Yuppers, times is a changing.

We seen these documents 30 some years ago "by mistake."

I didn't post any information on it since the writing was on the wall in 1978 ish,,, the major draft to this came in 2001/2 if I recall.

All land use activists will change my friends, it's just the way it is since Canadians them selves don't have the final say.

I wish it wasn't this way, but what's a person to do.
Bow hunting in Kananaskis is also under a review since a request to ban it has been submitted just lately.

Shannon Phillips office is soon to look into it.

Don

Where's bighorn river aka Kevin Van Tighem to tell us this is all about conservation and we should be thankful? :rolleye2:

More Banff!! More Banff!! We need more Banff!!!!

Shannon Phillips and her Y2Y buddies are going into high gear before the election.

Wait for it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,told you so.

He will be along shortly I’m sure. He’s busy right now working on trying to get wolf hunting and trapping shut down across Alberta.

Shut down wolf hunting/trapping and we can kiss game animals good by.

It's the beginning of the end my friends! They would never close down hunting thou, cause LKILR and his little compodere Taco Del Mar said so.

Please Stop bitchin about losing hunting privileges unless it actually happens. It makes you look uneducated. Maybe read the article before you comment.

Then take a look at the photo from the RDA and tell me that ATV use does not leave a footprint.

And what percentage of the area in question has said “footprint”? That logic is akin to banning all shotguns because one was used to murder someone.

Anyhow, we know what is coming, and we know what type of people to thank.

Your welcome. Again you should educate yourself before commenting. When we remove the vegetation on hills that recieve large amounts of precipitation it causes severe erosion. Now I will reiterate to you the bighorn is the headwaters to NSR. The same river that a million people rely on for water. So maybe we should protect it from people damaging the landscape that runs down into the river? Or hell who cares about Edmonton anyway. Why don’t we have a free for all and everyone head west with ATVs and rip it up.

Why do you resort to extremes? Nobody is calling for a free for all. And before you blame ATVs for whatever issues you are upset with, I'm pretty sure what you call damage was done by resource extraction industries. Do you want to shut that down?

What is your goal? Shut all forestry down to everything other than foot traffic?

As a hunter my main goal is conservation. This is what hunters should be most concerned about. Or else our hunting privileges are at risk. Limiting motorized vehicle use on the eastern slopes would reduce the footprint left behind by people that use these areas. Setting land aside from over use is also conservation. What are your goals Newview? I’ve been practicing conservation for over fourty years. I’ve seen the transformation of outdoor enthusiasts who used to walk the creek to fish it. Now they drive the atv up down and across it to access the fishin hole.when they can’t get through the big mud hole they created they just cut a new path to get around . Then again and again. How long you been an outdoors man? And what have you done to conserve?

Its easier to ban the small user groups then it is industry which is leaving the big footprint. The only uneducated one here is LKILR pull your head out of your arse.

Oh my you are a charm. Did you read all the articles? When they log an area roads are built with ditches to control erosion. Then they deactivate them and reclaim the land.A few years later a new forest appears. When they drill a well the same thing happens. When recreation users drive motorized vehicles up and down old cut lines with no erosion control year after year then the footprint is permanent. With no one held accountable.

So you would wait until privileges are taken away before you would "bitch"?

No but I would wait until there is evidence of it coming. Nothing has been mentioned of reduced hunting privileges.

I am young, but I can tell you that being able to take my kids quadding is just as important as taking them hunting. There are places in AB where both function well in the same area.

You and your cohorts always focus on the worst possible scenario to further your agenda. Without a doubt, there are some issues when it comes to OHV users. But the best solution, taking into account all user groups, is not banning them.

The unwillingness to enforce the existing laws clearly shows an unwillingness to deviate from the agenda. And I have yet to hear a single argument from your type of people that justifies a complete ban.

Now, you said your reason for the ban is to preserve hunting. What about the OHV users who want to preserve their activity? They don't count?

Slowly squeezing the peasants off the Queen's land.

I never thought, most of us never thought that the days would come when access to Alberta crown lands in our Province "would or could" become a issue,,, puzzle as I refer to it.

Who seen the 3 Wilderness Areas like Ghost, Suffer and The other one. All of a sudden the huge FLUZ in the Black Stone, time restrictions in the Big Horn, now the Castle Area.
Who would of guessed that K country is tabling a draft plan to shut down bow hunting out side it's designated area.

Yuppers, 30, 40, or 50 years ago it wasn't even a thought that "ALL" out door activities would be looked at by our GOA.

Times are changing, theres 3 sides to every story,,, the others are hidden in dark corners of the past.

I see where its coming from, but still blinded by my own ignorance, I hear it said yet my listening skills are turned off, I'm guilty yet still free. I do know where I'm at even though I'm lost.

This same idea is Alberta building plans going forward.
Lots of turns and ups and downs.
Some win, some lose, some are just left standing in the middle.

I'd sure like to know what's going on, all of us would like to know what's going on.
The Government of Alberta would like to know what's going on.

Out side influences are at our gates, we either follow suit or get, or get. Hummmmm. Or get to remain the same,,, nothing wrong with this,,, but sooner or later as the population increases and there is no plan in place,,, then look out.

Open the gates or man them, 2 options. Neither one is right, neither one is wrong.

Would it be possible to come up with a fair plan for everyone, hummm, looks like the puzzle is on going from here on in.

Fences are built, lines are drawn. Purhaps the planet would run smoother less the human kind.

Oh well, at least we're not paying taxes on the sun, water, and air we use,,, hey wait a minute.

That's a different topic for another day.

The Eastern Canada idea wil most likely show up here.
Cash strapped Alberta will sell of the last remaining urban areas of crown lands, then slowly turn the closer areas where population is into wilderness areas, then over time into parks.

None of us know this since we haven't got there yet.
30, 60, 100 years from now if humans are still on the planet.

None of us thought it would ever happen, the younger generation can say this now,,, only thing is,,, they will see this change first hand.

Always more wrong then right

Don

The people at the top who are pushing for the changes are not pro-hunting.

This has been my beef all along. Enforce existing laws. Raise fines even to pay for the enforcement! I spend a fair amount of time out in the 'eastern slopes' and every time I speak with law enforcement (As recently as three weeks ago) they always say they are stretched thin and aren't able to be proactive.

Rather, the powers that be spend huge $$ on research, campaigns, misinformation sessions, and then make more laws on top of laws that just simply shut access down.

I don't think anyone here is against not looking after our crown lands in a responsible way. Mitigating OHV damage (same as feral horses should be mitigated btw) and enforcing existing laws absolutely needs to be addressed, but that's not what Y2Y and other groups want. They want an eco utopia that doesn't involve people getting in there, and only supporting aboriginal hunting because it's too politically incorrect not to.

The scale of ATV erosion is minuscule and blown way out of proportion by misinformation and fear mongering. Here is a timelapse of the area that I like to ride my ATV and if you can tell me that I am causing erosion that is destroying the rivers, give your head a shake.

https://earthengine.google.com/timel...,latLng&t=0.00

Where did I post I support full ban? I said limit and reduce. There needs to be some accountability for the actions of SOME users. If we can’t get it together and make it work and weed out the bad apples then I do support a ban.

One small example lol. I can show you ruts four feet deep on 45% grade that are caused by dirt bikers. These run directly down to the old man river carrying sediment that is know to be harmful to spawning fish. Do you support this kind of activity?

please keep all informed on what can be done, open houses, petitions, letter writing, on line surveys, et. I'm assuming AOHVA knows about this? let all know what needs to happen to have our voices heard.