Recreation and Tourism

The diverse landscape of mountains, foothills, prairies, forest, and rivers attract thousands of people here for recreation.  A summary list might include: off-road enthusiasts (i.e., all-terrain vehicles, quads), (random) campers, horseback riders, hikers, mountaineers, painters, fishermen, hunters, berry pickers, cross-country and downhill skiers, cavers, bird watchers, photographers, boaters, rafters, and naturalists.  With the massive increase in use, comes the potential for increasing land use conflict.  Not all forms of recreation are compatible with each other or with other land uses.  Added to the mix are the forestry and oil and gas industries, grazing leases for cattle, and resort development.  Our public lands and wilderness are busy places.  In the southwest corner of Alberta, the need for integrated land management and long-term land-use policy development has become apparent.