Residents around the Ghost Valley Public Lands are becoming increasingly afraid for their safety and say the area has become a haven for crime and unsafe gun use.
“The Ghost Valley’s Public Lands have become a dangerous place. Gunfire fills the air and explosive devices shake the ground. Hiking, biking and camping in the area are increasingly risky activities,” Sharon MacDonald, a resident of the area, stated in an email.
She said the area is becoming increasingly unsafe. Fires have been started by the use of exploding targets and people use the area to dump and burn stolen vehicles. There have also been reports of hikers discovering unexploded grenades and other hazardous material.
Criminal activity has also spilled over to private property. Landowners in the area have reported vandalism, trespassing, theft and assault. MacDonald said the situation has become so bad that some residents fear reprisal if they report crimes to the police.
“It was not always this way. Years ago, 28 full-time personnel kept order in the Ghost Valley, monitoring appropriate use and ensuring visitor safety. In 1992, government downsizing cut these positions and closed the ranger station,” said MacDonald.
She said that in 2005, in response to mounting concerns related to unmanaged recreation, the Ghost-Waiparous Access Management Plan was formed, which called for trail upgrades, toilet facilities, and active enforcement.
“The plan was never funded by government. Without enforcement, a culture of lawlessness came to pervade the Ghost Public Lands … Visible enforcement actions are rarely seen. Residents have yet to hear of charges being laid,” she said.
Sgt. Jeff Campbell, with the Cochrane RCMP, said police are aware of the issues in the region.
He said last year, between June and August, 30 calls were fielded for everything from firearms activity to off road accidents to missing people, which he said has been about average for the past three years.
Campbell said while the area is not regularly patrolled, police have been increasing enforcement activities in the region. Each year they do a May long weekend enforcement blitz and have added regular quad and backcountry horse patrols to the mix. Both the Alberta government and the RCMP are also working on a joint public awareness campaign to educate people on what uses are allowed in the public lands. All the information about the area can also be found on the Alberta Government website by searching Ghost Public Land use.
He said firearms use has increased in the area, especially since the closure of the nearby Sibbald Flats gun range.
But Campbell emphasized that gun use in the public use lands is prohibited and people who want to shoot have to go onto crown land.
Even then it’s not a free-for-all. Shooters need proper licences, must follow proper procedures for storage and transport of guns and can only use unrestricted weapons.
There are also rules for the types of targets that can be used. Campbell said he caught someone bringing a dishwasher to use as target practice. That violates both littering and dumping laws. He notes there have been concerns about exploding targets and while they are not illegal per se, being responsible for a forest or grass fire is.
Discovery of discarded shells and beer cans is also concerning for RCMP. While littering yields a fine of up to $2,000, drinking while shooting is a criminal offence.
While education might help, MacDonald worries a serious incident is imminent.
“What will bring change? An out-of-control forest fire? A tragic injury? Who knows? In the meantime, lawless behaviour continues and fire crews labour on the taxpayer dollar to fully extinguish fires started by exploding targets,” she said.
