Castle Wilderness

Off Road Vehicles

The majority of the current environmental problems which plague the Castle Wilderness such as wildlife harassment, soil erosion, hunting and fishing in excess of sustainable levels, and vehicle damage stem from an extensive network of industrial roads and its associated uncontrolled off-road vehicle (ORV) access. An estimated 700 kilometers of new roads have been pushed into the Castle Wilderness since 1950.

Historical records for 1988 show about 65,000 camper nights for established campgrounds and about 53,000 camper nights for random campgrounds. There are no current statistics that document the full extent of ORV use in the Castle Wilderness or provide visitor statistics. However, random camping is believed to have increased since 1992, when user fees at campgrounds were raised. This activity can have major impacts such as weed introduction, stream pollution and siltation, wildlife displacement and improperly disposed garbage. Garbage problems often result in bear conflicts, which usually means the bear is either killed or relocated.

Although the Castle Access Management Plan, approved by the Alberta government in 1996, is an attempt to regulate off-road vehicle use, regulation enforcement is poor to non-existent. Areas that are supposed to be off-limits to ORVs often show evidence of illegal off-road use. Under this plan, 24 out of 26 valleys receive some form of motorized use. In one study 16 of the 22 sites visited showed ORV damage and 9 were found to be heavily damaged.

"The Board heard that habitat effectiveness, i.e. the relative value of habitat in supporting wildlife populations, declines with road density. The observation has prompted legislated minimum standards for habitat effectiveness and road closures in the Flathead National Forest of Montana.... Road densities in the Castle area in particular greatly exceed the legislated standards employed in Montana."

—Natural Resources Conservation Board, addressing habitat fragmentation, 1993

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