Banff, Jasper update

In the December COPA Flight (page 12) we provided a detailed update on the final stage of the Comprehensive Environmental Assessment Study on the decommissioning of the Banff and Jasper airstrips.
One more public consultation period will now be conducted by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) to give everyone an opportunity to read and provide input on Parks Canada’s final report.
As we go to press with the February issue we do not have the exact date when the reports will be available and the public consultation period will start. The latest word we have from both Parks and CEAA is it will start soon after the upcoming federal election.
Based on their comments we expect it to start by the end of January and to last 30 days. At that time the reports will be made available on the CEAA website www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca, in public libraries in Banff, Jasper, Calgary and Ottawa, and in the CEAA regional office in Edmonton.
As soon as we have the exact starting date we will put a notice on the COPA website and we will send out an email alert to all those who have subscribed to our member email alert service. If you have not already done so you can subscribe to our email alert service by going to www.copanational.org/non-members/EmailAlert.htm 
We need your help to keep the Banff and Jasper airstrips open for emergency and diversionary use, so please watch for our notice of when and where the final report is available.
Please read it and provide your comments to CEAA within the 30-day public consultation period. If you have any questions contact Bob Kirkby, Director for AB & NT, by email at bkirkby@copanational.org or by telephone at 403-291-5560.