National parks under threat by development, CPAWS report says

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) says national parks are under threat by commercial development and voters should challenge the federal parties about the issue during the election campaign.

• Alberta behind on promise to protect land, says CPAWS

At a news conference in Calgary Thursday,nationalCPAWS parks program director AlisonWoodleysaid a new report shows the country's national parks are facing a crisis.

"We're now seeing cases where public feedback on development proposals is being completely ignored, and this is simply unacceptable," she said.

"It's time for Canadians to say enough is enough and to rally to take back our national parks once again."

CPAWS says several projects slated to go ahead in the national parks are threatening natural areas.

The group is specifically concerned about projects like the Glacier Skywalk, a proposed resort development on Maligne Lake near Jasper, and the recently approved expansion at the Lake Louise ski resort.

'Worrying trend'

Woodley says the Lake Louise project will allow commercial development in an area that is a critical wildlife habitat, even though most of the people who commented on the proposal were opposed to it.

"Public consultations are getting shorter and in many cases, public feedback is being ignored.These symptoms represent a worrying trend of private interests taking precedence over the public interest and conservation in our national parks," said Anne-Marie Syslak, theexecutive director of CPAWSinsouthern Alberta,in a release.

For its part, Parks Canada says it has strict development limits to protectthe ecological integrity of allnational parks.

"[A number of]guidelines outline development limits for skiareas, park communities, outlying commercial accommodation and otherfacilities within the parks," said spokeswomanTania Peters in an email to CBC News.

"Parks Canada has a rigorous development review and environmental assessmentprocess that ensures all development proposals comply with these limits andthat the parks' ecological integrity is maintained," she added.