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Dear editor,
At their April 2 meeting, municipal council passed the town’s 2018–2022 Strategic Priorities. High on this list is “Environmental Responsibility”, which would seem appropriate in a town nestled in the middle of a national park and beacon of federal ecological integrity.
However, as part of the ensuing 2019 budget discussion, according to the Fitzhugh, the ironic decision was made to scrap the Environmental Stewardship program.
This step appears to be part of a year-long dismantling of Jasper’s environmental oversight and visioning program that began when Parks Canada reneged on their share of the Environmental Stewardship program in 2018. Prior to the budget meeting, the decision had already been made by municipal council to terminate the role of Environmental Stewardship Coordinator.
This decision was made with no communication to the public or to the Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee, on which we sit as volunteers.
The scrapping of the municipality’s environment program also spelled the end of an alternative proposal to create an Environmental Stewardship Technician position. It was decided instead that Jasper’s environmental values will be met by making them the responsibility of all municipal staff.
Although we take heart that the list of initiatives under Environmental Responsibility are all things that were envisioned by our Environmental Stewardship Coordinator, we wonder what the future holds. The environmental file in any administration is tough sledding; often seen as impediments to progress in a pragmatist’s world.
We are calling on the council to reconsider their decision, acknowledge the important role of environmental stewardship in Jasper and reinstate the position of the Environmental Stewardship Coordinator as a valuable member of the municipal management team working for the well-being of Jasper residents, businesses and visitors.
John Wilmshurst, Susan Roberts, Neil Wilson, Kirsten Schmitten
Jasper
