Speak up for Banff's grizzly bears!

Mount Norquay, a ski area in Banff National Park, provides important habitat for wildlife. In 2011, Parks Canada announced its intentions to allow large-scale summer use of Mount Norquay. CPAWS is opposed because we're concerned that allowing thousands more summer visitors to the area will cause harm to grizzlies and other wildlife that rely on it as important summer habitat. Currently, this area sees very little use during summer months.

Now, nearly two years since the draft guidelines for summer use were released, the company that runs the ski hill is offering the public a brief window of opportunity to comment on the Mount Norquay Long Range Plan, outlining the details of the summer use development plans. The Long Range Plan is open for public comment until January 4th 2013.

CPAWS continues to have significant concerns about allowing large scale summer use of the ski hill because of its likely impact on grizzly bears and other park wildlife. This proposal would reverse a 23-year-old agreement between Parks Canada and Mount Norquay’s owners to relinquish summer use in exchange for a major expansion of winter ski terrain.

We remain firmly opposed to allowing development of Mount Norquay for summer use.

Have YOUR say! Share your comments on the Mt. Norquay draft Long Range Plan using the form below.

What CPAWS is saying:

• Large scale summer use of Mount Norquay should not be allowed because of the significant risk it poses to wildlife, particularly grizzly bears, which use the slopes of Mount Norquay in the summer as important habitat.
  
• Mount Norquay’s owners claim that their relinquishment of more than 40% of their lease area represents a net benefit to the environment; however, the area being surrendered is steep, rocky terrain. It is not good wildlife habitat, nor is it developable as ski terrain. In addition, Mount Norquay is proposing that Parks Canada license 65% of the area back to them for various uses. This calls into question what they are actually giving up, and what will be the “net benefit” to the environment.
  
• This proposal would reverse a 23-year-old agreement between Parks Canada and Mount Norquay’s owners to relinquish summer use in exchange for a major expansion of winter ski terrain.  This agreement is now being abandoned to allow further expansion of both winter and summer use. How can we be sure our national parks will be protected from development when long-term promises are broken?
  
• The public consultation process is being conducted by the proponent, not by Parks Canada, and is taking place over the holidays, which in our view is inappropriate.

To read our full comment submission, click here.