Comments for Wasaga Beach…

Comments for Wasaga Beach Provincial Park ("WBPP")Management Plan as per new options for consideration:

6.1 Overnight accommodations in the Park should not be a consideration as it would put additional pressures on the natural vegetation, wildlife and dune features more so than currently exists.

Currently, picnic and beach tourist litter is a significant, adverse and costly issue for local residents - as well as costly to the Provincial Park. Moreover and to this point, there should be few picnic tables near beach areas and barbecuing should be absolutely prohibited 150 m from beach waters to reduce litter, food scraps - such as chicken bone shards, etc. Smaller non-biodegradable litter items, are turned over into beach sands by early morning tractor rakes, temporarily masking a much larger pollution issue.

Large picnic gatherings have become a garbage issue with no benefit to the local economy, have put more pressure on the natural surroundings and are an unnatural food attraction for gulls and other rodents. Overnight accommodations would compound this problem. Persons damaging park property such as picnic tables - (ie) barbecue burns, should be fined and made to compensate for damages.

Large "day" tents and boundary tarps, either on beach or inland areas, should be prohibited with consideration given to other people who want to share beach or park space with minimal personal footprint.

6.2 WBPP Beach 1, 2 and 6 should remain classified as recreational. Beaches Allenwood, New Wasaga, 3, 4, 5 and the inland areas should be deemed natural environment to protect valued ecosystems. Sections of some of these aforementioned beaches can prohibit recreational uses to allow natural ecosystems to re-build and would create natural vestiges for study. Further to this point, sections of the beach and inland for 150m should be allocated as natural areas prohibiting any use other than through-going access trails for hiking and cycling.

6.3 The number of access paths should remain the same with the same width of 3m wide to allow several beach access points to public.

6.4 Beaches should be renamed to reflect local historic or ecosystem significance. These beach names would give an identity to the different areas that people could associate with, or learn from or give particular value to. In turn, this may motivate public to protect these areas that have a personal value and association.

Sincerely,

Wasaga Beach Resident