The Martlet

The B.C. government is asking people to shell out more cash for park trips this summer — but patrons can expect to get less.

New park user fees took effect April 1 for a range of recreation activities in B.C.’s provincial parks, including camping, backcountry overnight hiking, mooring buoy fees and sani-station access.

The fee increase came on the heels of recent governmental cuts, which saw B.C. Parks’ operational budget slashed by $600,000, with another $1 million forecast to be cut by 2013. Those cuts will see the province axing park rangers, interpretive wilderness programs, outhouses and general maintenance.

Gwen Barlee, policy director with B.C.’s Wilderness Committee, says the approach is disturbing: “charging people increased fees, for decreased levels of service.”

In 2001, B.C. funded approximately 200 rangers, with 26 of them being permanent. Currently, the province has only 10 full-time rangers, with seasonal rangers expected to be cut by 50 to 60 per cent this year.

“I think you have a provincial government that has effectively turned its back on parks,” said Barlee. “It’s a huge spread, and the upsetting thing is that you don’t see those kinds of cuts in neighbouring areas — not in Alberta, not in Saskatchewan, not in Oregon.”

David Currie, public affairs officer with the Ministry of Environment, said that fees were increased for a number of reasons.

“[The fees were made] to address significant operating budget pressures and ensure we maintain the highest level of service in B.C. Parks,” said Currie in an email. “We have kept these increases to a minimum so that they’ll have the least possible impact on our parks visitors.”

Currie says typical fee increases will be between $1 and $2 for most campsites, though this varies from site to site.

He says the change won’t make a difference for average park-goers.

“Even with this modest increase in recreational fees, B.C. Parks camping fees are still generally lower than most private campgrounds in the province and are competitive with public sector campgrounds in other jurisdictions,” he said.

Approximately 26 million people frequented B.C. parks in 1999. Today, those numbers are down to about 18.5 million.

While the government has made the case that technology has played a part in getting people out of the woods and into the Internet, Barlee says this is not necessarily the case.

“If that logic were true, we would be seeing reduced park-goers all over the country, but we’re not, so this is something obviously unique to B.C.,” Barlee said. “When you cut interpretive programs, when the parks aren’t in good condition, when rangers are an endangered species, eventually all of those things add up.”

Barlee says most of the irony is in the province’s recent marketing tactics.

“When you think about the Olympics, we heavily marketed ‘Super natural B.C.’ But then, when it counts, on the ground we have a minister doing a terrible job,” she said.

Currie says that camping remains an “economical, value-priced vacation for families.” After the increase, he says that 60 per cent of B.C. Parks’ campgrounds across the province are still $16 or less per night, and 86 per cent of campgrounds are $25 or less per night — but are these the popular ones? Even change eventually begins to add up.

In terms of cuts to parks staff, Currie says the Ministry of Environment will be “reviewing the new budget carefully and looking at doing everything possible to maintain current service levels in B.C. Parks while having the least possible impact on parks visitors.”

2011 will mark the 100th anniversary of the parks system in B.C. Barlee says we’re celebrating by starving our parks to death. In the last few years, parking meters have been installed in 42 of B.C.’s most popular parks, including Goldstream just out of Victoria. Barlee thinks this plays a huge role in the decline.

“People just don’t want to pay for a park that’s already paid for by tax dollars,” she said. “The government is saying we need parks to pay for themselves, but studies have shown that, for every $1 the government invests in parks, the province gets $10 back.”

Barlee encourages everyone to take action by letting local MLAs know what the people want to see. She says people can do that by writing letters, making phone calls, sometimes even requesting meetings.

With the current economic climate encouraging local travel, Barlee says the parks could be a more accessible revenue source then ever before — but the government, and people, have to act on that.

“We have a park system that can’t live on good will. It needs money, and it needs investment,” said Barlee. “And there’s a real concern that that’s starting to fray around the edges.”