Electricity at Butter Pot Park

Memorandum

To:        Keith Browne, CTO of Butter Pot Park

CC:        Hon. Dan Crummell, Minister of Environment and Conservation

From:        Vanessa Roche, Park Ranger Butter Pot Park

Date:        1/18/2016

Re:        Electricity at Butter Pot Park

Introduction

The strategic plan of Butter Pot Provincial Park is:

● To conserve the landscape and sustain biodiversity while managing natural resources wisely for future generations.

●Encourage residents and visitors to explore and appreciate the province’s natural heritage.

●Provide safe and enjoyable experiences for as many park visitors as possible.

●Staff working with visitors to achieve and maintain the highest standards possible.

The goals and objectives of the park are to make it more assessable for individuals with medical equipment that rely on electricity.

Preserve nature and all animals that habitat the area.

Ensure that the visitors camping experience is as enjoyable as possible, maintain and keep the park clean.

As a Park Ranger I have received feedback from visitors expressing the need for increased access to electricity in the park. While many campers enjoy the ‘back to basics’ approach, others prefer the comfort of a few electrical appliances such a television, fridge, hot water boiler and stove; however, others rely on medical devices such as CPAC, oxygen tanks and home dialysis equipment. Electricity would also stop the use of the loud generators in the park.

Background

Butter Pot is a provincial park with 175 campsites used by people all over the world      nightly, weekly or seasonally; the campsites are equipped with a picnic table as well as fire pit to enjoy at your leisure. The park is located 36 km southwest of St. John’s, it’s a quiet refuge away from the hustle and bustle of big city living. People visit the park daily to enjoy a hike through the woods on one of the scenic trails or a swim in   lake. Butter Pot got its name from the big hill in the boundary of the park known as “Butter Pot hill”