Restrictions to Alberta’s national parks likely

November 30, 1996
Source: Edmonton Journal
Original story - link verified on August 20, 2000
By Norm Ovenden

Auditor General Denis Desautels issued a scathing report last week in which he rang an alarm bell about the "significant impairment" of the popular mountain parks at Banff, Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay due to commercial development and human activity. There are about nine million visitors per year to these four parks - up 26 per cent from 1989. As well, staff in another 20 parks reported some degree of overuse causing environmental problems. At the same time, the department spends heavily in Canada and internationally to advertise these tourism meccas to attract even more visitors. In Banff alone, tourists inject $750 million annually to the local economy.

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