Economic benefits from park.
What are the economic benefits to having a National Park Reserve in the South Okanagan?rnAccording to Revelstoke Economic Development Officer Alan Mason, there are several benefits, and he was at the Southwind Inn in Oliver Friday morning to discuss what a national park can do for a Gateway Community.
A proposed national park for the South Okanagan Similkameen is currently under study, although the park boundaries have not yet been defined.
Mason was invited by the South Okanagan Similkameen National Park Network (SOSNPN) to share his experience of what living with two national parks has brought to the community. SOSNPN is a collection of individuals and some 35 conservation organizations in Canada.
SOSNPN spokesman and retired biologist Bob Lincon introduced Mason and outlined the ecological importance of the South Okanagan Similkameen region.
Beyond the ecological benefits of having a national park in this area, other benefits would include conservation of the cultural heritage of people like the First Nations and the early miners, farmers and ranchers in this area, said Lincon.
Parks also contribute to the quality of life for people today.
He pointed out four features of the South Okanagan area that should be considered:rn- Richness, or total number of different species,rn- Rarity of species that are found nowhere else in the world,rn- Resilience of some of the region's flora and fauna,rn- Risk, as this region is one of the four most endangered ecosystems in Canada.
The City of Revelstoke has two parks at its doorstep: Mt. Revelstoke National Park (260 square kilometres) and Glacier National Park (1,350 square kilometres).
Mason noted that, in Revelstoke, the direct benefits to the local economy include employment and local expenditures. He added that tourism benefits include 600,000 visitors to the national parks, 70 per cent of whom stay at least one night, eat at local restaurants and shop at the local stores.
Mason also pointed out that having National Park status has meant that Revelstoke has been able to benefit from international marketing. Mason also contends that the livability factor of living in close proximity to a national park has attracted businesses and recreation opportunities.
According to Mason, other benefits include having a skilled and educated workforce, a good core of community volunteers, environmental benefits, reduced land conflicts and excellent research opportunities.
But Mason also noted that some negative impacts of a national park include land lost for opportunities such as forestry, commercial recreation and some public recreation.
There is also a loss of local control over some decision-making, however, Mason said that Revelstoke has been able to work with Parks Canada in some instances, including preserving a world-renowned ski jump area within the park.
As far as Revelstoke is concerned, in my opinion the benefits far outweigh the negative impacts, Mason said.
But not all who came to the information meeting agreed that the benefits would outweigh negative impacts to establishing a national park in the South Okanagan.
Loss of trapping, hunting, fishing, farming, ranching and some forms of recreation such as snowmobile and ATV activities were pointed out by a few in the audience. A coalition of business owners and individuals have organized as the Grassland Park Review Coalition, and have objected publicly (and by way of a petition) to the idea of a national park in this region.
The difference, some pointed out, is that Glacier National Park, established in 1886 and Mt. Revelstoke National Park, established in 1914, were already in place before the city was there or early in Revelstoke's history. There would have been little or no conflict with the activities of the residents.
Tom Hurd, Project Manager for the National Park Reserve Feasibility Study, said after the meeting that Parks Canada is interested in hearing concerns and questions from the community.
We are interested in how Parks Canada will address affected interests. People in the area have legitimate concerns, and we want to consult with as many stakeholders as we can as part of our baseline study. We will look at the positives and the negatives when trying to work out just where the park boundaries would be.rnHurd said that the National Park Reserve Feasibility Committee expect to have a draft park concept in the spring of 2006 and would be holding open houses at that time.
