The National Capital Commission says it's no longer trying to strike a balance between nature and tourism in Gatineau Park. For the next 10 years, nature is going to come first, and that could be bad news for some users.

The NCC's master plan for the park was unveiled Thursday. It says that nothing much about the park will change, except the pattern of its development.

If the plan goes through, growth in human activities will be concentrated around the park's edges, leaving the centre pretty much the way it is.

There are exceptions:

• Mountain biking will be concentrated at Camp Fortune, to limit trail damage elsewhere.
• Rock climbing on the Eardley Escarpment will be restricted.
• The NCC will clamp down on the use of unauthorized trails.

Park director Jean-René Doyon says, "We know there's a lot of people, because they come to us and show us their mapping systems. In talking with them, we say, 'Okay, we know you love the park. But there's other information we should share with you.'"

Just how the NCC will enforce its new rules isn't clear. Gatineau Park is a vast property, with about 1.7 million visitors a year.

The NCC says it will gate more entrances. It also plans to look at whether a federal law would give it more power for conservation.

Jean Langlois speaks for the Ottawa branch of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. He says he's sorry the NCC is not appealing to Parliament for a law right away.

"The disappointment today is that the commitment from the NCC to support the idea of Parliament passing a law to protect Gatineau Park seems to be wavering, and that's a big concern for us," Langlois says.

The NCC isn't discussing one of the most powerful tools it has for controlling people traffic in the park. That's an entrance fee. The NCC says it wants more than half of visitors to pay. But it won't say how much.

Park users have until mid-November to comment on the plan. Public forums are planned for the end of this October.