Residents who were not able to attend recent in-person sessions have until Friday, April 17 to share their thoughts on two West Country development nodes in an online survey.

Clearwater County council is revisiting Area Structure Plans (ASPs) for two development nodes along the David Thompson Highway and is seeking public feedback to help guide its next steps.

The two development nodes under review are Saunders-Alexo, located along Highway 11 between Rocky Mountain House and Nordegg, and Whitegoat Lakes, which focuses on recreation opportunities around the lakes.

The Saunders-Alexo node would potentially support day-use areas, staging areas, rest stops, and tourism-related amenities, while the Whitegoat Lakes node focusses on recreation and tourism opportunities in the lake area.

Council will use feedback gathered through the survey to help decide whether to repeal the ASPs, make changes to them, or keep the plans as they are currently written.

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In the survey, residents are asked to rate their level of support for tourism development in the West Country on a scale of one to 10.

The survey also asks residents whether they support keeping the current plans, modifying them, or repealing them.

Other questions explore whether respondents believe the current ASPs successfully balance development with conservation, and what concerns they may have about future growth. Options include increased traffic, impacts on wildlife, loss of natural scenery, strain on infrastructure, or fears of over-development.

Participants can also indicate what types of recreation and tourism activities they would support, such as trails, rest stops, small-scale accommodations, guided tours, equestrian or ATV use, or minimal new development to maintain the natural environment.

County officials say the feedback will help council understand community views on balancing tourism and recreation growth with conservation in the region. All responses to the survey are anonymous unless respondents choose to provide contact information for future updates.

Earlier this month, Clearwater County hosted a series of open houses in Caroline, Condor, Rocky Mountain House, Nordegg, and through a virtual session. Those sessions were intended to improve public understanding of the plans and address concerns about public engagement raised after the ASPs were approved in July 2025.

An open-ended response allows residents to voice their ideas for improving the ASPs — or reasons for keeping or repealing them.

Residents interested in learning more or completing the survey can visit www.clearwatercounty.ca/ASP before the April 17 deadline.