The lack of fanfare the province’s Plan for Parks 2009-2019 brought last week might indicate Albertans are indifferent, like things the way they are, or are skeptical the government is quick with the talk, glacial with the walk,

Greg Belland, executive director of the Alberta Chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, reacted to the plan this way: “It’s pretty weak. It has no specifics on completing the parks system, expanding the parks system where and when. It’s basically a plan to plan.”

The history of the province’s parks and protected areas shows some interest in the ‘90s with the designation of 81 Special Places, many of which were designated as parks, but none in this part of the province.

In fact, we seem to be going backwards. Last year, Willow Creek MD was “given back the park that had been designated a provincial park in the 1970s when there was a big parks kick. After the park was closed for three years because of damage from the 2005 flood, the province didn’t want it,” says Willow Creek MD Parks Supervisor Darrell DeClercq.

The last park designation in the south was Police Outpost Lake, in 1970. The first was Park Lake, in 1932.

It seems like once the 81 Special Places were established, the province got down to economic growth and moving up the provincial debt retirement, both admirable but at the expense of other concerns. Meantime, the population grew almost twice as fast here as anywhere else in Canada, increasing pressure on infrastructure including parks.

Of course, much of the growth has been in Calgary, which is included in the same Land-Use Framework region, called South Saskatchewan, as we are. Planning for Parks is tied to the land use plan. Lethbridge itself has grown by almost 25 percent in the past 10 years.

It’s not that we necessarily resent Calgarians – in fact for those dependent on tourism dollars, it’s a plus when the big-city folk come in this direction. But, if the facilities haven’t grown or improved because the province didn’t anticipate the trend or just ignored it for other priorities, the outdoors experience can certainly be diminished.

The focus on parks should acknowledge that leaving the situation as it is wouldn’t work. With demand growing for services and facilities, delays only increase the potential for conflict and misuse of the environment.

The Ministry of Tourism, Parks and Recreation annual report for last year shows 8 million people visited Alberta’s parks. Satisfaction with the experience was 89.5 percent, but missed the 92 percent target. Although the survey gets high marks, the drop might indicate a negative trend based on a relative lack of attention.

A 2006 study concluded Alberta’s planning process for parks focused on preservation of parks and protected areas but neglected “heritage appreciation, outdoor recreation, and heritage tourism.”

The plan three years later is still vague and doesn’t offer much hope that the system will grow soon and address outdoor recreation, in particular, except for a single reference to ATV trails.

The document seeks input through regional consultation. Nothing wrong with that, as long as quick, concrete action results to expand and enhance outdoors opportunities for a growing population that wants and needs them.

Before 2019.