RWED says new draft plan for ingraham trail to be released in February
Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Jan 12/01) - Some residents of the Ingraham Trail are worried that planned expansions to Prelude Lake Park could harm the environment.
The territorial government's department of Resources Wildlife and Economic Development held a consultation meeting at Prelude Lodge last Sunday to consult residents on plans to build another camping loop inside the park and add another access road.
Ingraham Trail Landholders Association president David Wind says full-time residents of the park are worried about the ecological spinoffs from the development.
"Fifty to 60 of our neighbours live there full time," he says.
"There is concern that there already a lot of pressure on the park."
Wind says most congestion is concentrated on the boat launch in the summer, but throughout the park increased snowmobile and ATV traffic is starting to put strain on the ecology.
Gary Tees co-ordinator of parks services for the North Slave region says the planned expansions are part of a 10-year park master plan that is being reviewed.
"We are following the plan," he said, "but we are questioning the public to figure out how current it is."
Tees said development is on hold until a new draft master plan is presented to the public sometime in February.
"Part of this exercise is to see where Prelude fits in the overall park picture," said Tees.
The department hasn't done development in the park since 1999 when a trail to a viewing platform was completed.
Wind hopes the department takes a hard look at their proposals.
"We want them to look at other options," he said.
