PARKS BRANCH 



THHE responsibilities and functions of Parks Branch are as follows: Provision, 

 -'- operation and maintenance of provincial parks as public recreational lands 

 with facilities necessary for uses in keeping with the park environments; 



Examination of potential park areas; 



Submission of recommendations regarding potential and proposed provincial 

 park areas to the Ontario Parks Integration Board; 



Production of detailed master plans for provincial parks; 



Development of provincial parks in accordance with the master plans; 



Design and construction of provincial park structures and buildings; 



Establishment, operation and maintenance of interpretive programmes and 

 exhibits in provincial parks of natural and/or historical significance; and 



Collection, compilation and assessment of provincial park statistics. 



In 1962, there were 81 provincial parks, totalling 3,481,158 acres, open for 

 public use. Of these, five provincial parks were maintained without fees being 

 charged. In addition, there were five provincial parks, consisting of 76,145 acres, 

 under development and nine areas, totalling 114,083 acres, reserved for future 

 provincial park development. 



There were no changes in provincial park fees which consisted of the seasonal 

 vehicle entry permit of $3.00, the daily vehicle entry permit of fifty cents, the boat 

 entry permit of $5.00 for water entry into Quetico Provincial Park, and the daily 

 campsite permit fee of $ 1 .00. 



Again, an increase in park use was experienced in the 26% visitor increase 

 to 7,820,944 and an increase in the numbers of campers of 23% to 1,063,127. 

 Wilderness campers, using the interior waterways of Algonquin and Quetico Pro- 

 vincial Parks, totalled 46,753, a decrease which is attributed to adverse weather. 



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