AMPPE's Membership Newsletter: Your source of information on visitor experience, access & recreation in Canada's rocky mountain national parks.
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           Volume 7, Issue 2, Summer 2018
Happy Summer AMPPE Members!
It’s August and I’m pretty sure no one can believe it – at least no one I’ve spoken to. AMPPE has had a busy spring and we are please to share some summer highlights with you.

First of all, we are very excited to announce that AMPPE's Annual Fundraising Gala of 2018 will be held on Saturday, November 10th at the Fairmont Banff Springs! Please stay tuned for more information on our guest speaker, theme, ticket sales and sponsorship opportunities. More details to come very soon but please mark your calendars and save the date for this exciting event right away!

Secondly, we launched a new website! Along with this new website is a new logo and a whole host of integrated platforms that will allow us to better communicate with our members both current and new. We will be able to amplify messaging through our social media platforms as well as engage with members to ensure we are providing a voice of what is important to them around their rocky mountain national park experience.

Thirdly, we are spreading the word of our expanded mission, vision and mandate. AMPPE has always stood for the balance of sustainable tourism, ecological integrity and positive visitor experience and this will not change. We will however be playing a bigger role in representing the voices of the many user groups and recreationalists that live and play in the mountains to ensure that access and quality of their connection to this place is protected for generations to come!

Please read on for more information on how we are strategically planning for the rest of this year and beyond to ensure that we can support you in continuing to providing the key services that you do wto enhance visitor experience in Banff, Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay.

As always please contact me with any questions you may have at 403-762-3800 or by email at  executivedirector@amppe.org

Sincerely,
 
Casey Peirce
Executive Director
AMPPE
Vision, Mission & Mandate: What's New?
As mentioned above, AMPPE is excited to expand our realm of advocacy to not only support our long term members and service providers in the National Parks, but to also provide a voice to the recreationalists and user groups that live and play in the mountains.

We have undergone a refreshment in our mission, vision and mandate to better represent the people who appreciate and spend time in the Rockies. The idea of adding the important voice of the mountain park user was inspired by the National Parks Act which states that: “ The national parks of Canada are hereby dedicated to the people of Canada for their benefit, education and enjoyment, subject to this Act and the regulations, and the parks shall be maintained and made use of so as to leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

AMPPE Vision: Visitor experience remains enshrined in the National Parks Act and becomes a leading principle in the rocky mountain National Park Management Plans.

AMPPE Mission: To ensure current and future generations of Canadians and visitors are able to access the rocky mountain national parks for their responsible enjoyment and diverse experiences.

AMPPE Mandate: We are a platform for park users to broadcast messaging that supports continued access and enjoyment of the rocky mountain national parks. We align with our partners to strive for visitor experience to be represented in our regional national park management plans.
Membership Expansion!
In keeping with our new plan to represent a wider base of mountain park users as well as the service providers that support them, we want to make sure that our membership represents a full cross section of the people that love to experience this region. In the coming months AMPPE will be working to build on the following:

  • Member Partnerships – learning more about your members, clients, employees and followers to gather information on what is important to your clientele so we can represent that vision to ensure a positive experience and in turn the success of repeat visitation! 

  • Membership Recruitment – meeting with many user groups over the summer to join forces in ensuring that those organizations that recreate in the mountains can belong to an advocacy organization that can provide a voice for their needs and desires in Ottawa and amongst the policy and decision makers around access to the parks.

  • Campaign Support – working with our partners to emphasize the importance of positive visitor experience and to influence policy makers around the critical issues that are unique to tourism in the most visited National Parks in Canada. 

  • Social Influence – amplifying the messages of the people who live and work here and their needs around connection, access and recreation in the mountain parks. Through our expanded membership we can work together to widely broadcast our passion, expertise and need to protect the world class visitor experience that we are known for!
Advocacy in Action - Parks Canada and Lease Renewal Processes.
AMPPE heard your concerns around the lease renewal processes changing within Parks Canada and we have been engaged in finding some answers as to what it means for our Members.

Over the past few months AMPPE has dedicated time to learning more by both requesting information around the lease renewal process and in and conveying the gravitas of the situation of uncertainty to Parks Canada.

Casey attended a round table meeting in late June with Parks Canada's Vice-President of External Relations and Visitor Experience Michael Nadler along with several regional Leaseholders, AMPPE Members and Board Members.
 
Should you be interested in more information please contact AMPPE for copies of documents relevant to the lease issues including:
 
1: Letter from AMPPE originally sent to Parks Canada in April
2: Response to that letter received from Parks Canada CEO Daniel Watson
3: Standard lease template received from Parks Canada with accompanying letter
4: Backgrounder on lease processes received in May from Federal Government
5: Summary report of the Michael Nadler meeting
 
Below is the link to the Parks Canada lease process moving forward.

Banff Lake Louise Hospitality Association is heavily engaged in this process and will be pursuing more extensive advocacy around the issue with their enhanced resources and expertise. AMPPE will continue to stay engaged through the upcoming consultation process as well and support ongoing advocacy for our Members.
Mountain Park News
The Association for Mountain Parks Protection & Enjoyment is a non-profit advocacy organization. AMPPE’s operating budget is funded primarily through membership fees, which support our advocacy initiatives. If you haven't renewed your membership for 2018 please contact the AMPPE office to do so ASAP!
There is nothing better than a trip to the Rocky Mountains in the summer. From hiking the mountains to swimming and to craft beer, Banff offers something for everyone. Here in Calgary, we’re lucky to be a short drive away from a place that people travel from all over the world to see.
Until August 19th, Canadians are invited to provide comments on the draft Site Guidelines for the Sunshine Village Ski Area. These plans will define the future of skiing and hiking at Sunshine for the next several decades. Learn more and provide your feedback at https://www.sunshinesiteguidelines.com and https://www.talkwithparks.ca/sunshine
Parks Canada is pleased to announce that the Banff plains bison herd is now officially free roaming. On July 29, 31 wild plains bison were released into the backcountry of Banff National Park. After being absent from Banff for well over a century, the return of wild plains bison as free-roaming animals is a historic and cultural triumph.
“No one will protect what they don’t care about;
and no one will care about what they have never experienced.”
 ~ Sir David Attenborough
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