Transcript Parks Canada

Protected Areas
Protected Areas
• National Parks
• Provincial Parks
• Nature Conservancy
• Not counted:
• Game Sanctuaries
• Biosphere Reserves
National Parks
• First National Park - Yellowstone
First National Park in Canada - Banff
Yellowstone
1872 -- President Ulysses Grant
world's first national park.
The 2.2 million acres of
wilderness was "set apart as a
public park or pleasuring ground
for the benefit and enjoyment of
the people."
• 1988 -- 1.4 million acres in the
Yellowstone ecosystem burned.
•
25,000 firefighters and $120 million
dollars are unable to stop the massive
flames.
• Early winter snows finally extinguish the
flames.
• 2005 -- Ten years after the reintroduction
of wolves into Yellowstone, the project is
hailed as a resounding success by
biologists and the public. Local ranchers
are not happy.
• grizzly population of the Rocky Mountain
west is stable, efforts to de-list grizzly
Parks Canada
Unimpaired for Future Generations
Banff
• 1885 – 26 sq. Km around town
of Banff and its hot springs (Banff Hot Springs
Reserve)
• 1887 – Rocky Mountain Park Act – set aside
405 sq. Km area as a “public park and
pleasure ground for the benefit, advantage
and enjoyment of the people of Canada.”
History of National Parks in Canada
• 1885 – Banff
• By 1911 – 5 National Parks in the Rocky
Mountains –establishment Dominion Parks
Branch - World's First National Park Service
• 1904 – St. Lawrence Islands National Park
• 1918 – Point Pelee N.P.
• 1929 – Georgian Bay Islands N.P.
• By 1970 – 20 National Parks
• To date there are 38 (39) National Parks in 24 of
the Natural regions
Parks Canada Objective
for National Parks
• To protect for all time representative natural
areas of Canadian significance in a system of
national parks, to encourage public
understanding, appreciation and enjoyment
of this natural heritage so as to leave it
unimpaired for future generations.
• 39 natural regions
• National Parks cover 2.25% of Canada’s area
What do parks protect?
Should parks be managed or left alone?
11
Ecological Integrity
• "An ecosystem has integrity when it is
deemed characteristic for its natural region,
including the composition and abundance of
native species and biological communities,
rates of change and supporting processes."
Steps in establishing a National Park
Parks Canada Ecozones
Identifying Representative Natural Areas:
• quality of natural region
representation
• potential for supporting viable
populations of native wildlife
species
• ecological integrity of the area's
ecosystems
• exceptional natural phenomena, and
rare, threatened or endangered
wildlife and vegetation
• significant cultural heritage features
or landscapes
• opportunities for public
understanding, education and
enjoyment
• competing land and resource uses
• possible threats to the long-term
sustainability of the area's
ecosystems
• complementarity with objectives of
other existing or planned
protected natural areas in the
region
• potential for establishing an
adjacent national marine
conservation area that is
representative of its marine region
• implications of Aboriginal rights,
comprehensive land claims and
treaties with Aboriginal peoples;
and
• international criteria for national
parks.
Assessing Park Feasibility:
• protect ecosystems and landscape features representative of the
natural region
• accommodate the habitat requirements of viable populations of
native wildlife species
• include an undisturbed area which is relatively unaffected by
impacts originating from the surrounding landscape
• maintain the integrity of natural communities and drainage
basins
• protect exceptional natural phenomena, and vulnerable,
threatened or endangered wildlife and vegetation
• offer opportunities for public understanding and enjoyment
• minimize possible disruption of the social and economic life of
the surrounding region; and
• include significant cultural heritage features or landscapes
• exclude permanent communities.
Negotiating a New Park Agreement:
• final park boundaries
• cost-sharing for land acquisition
• details of land transfer
• traditional resource harvesting
• planning and management for the park and
surrounding area
• composition and role of a park management
board
• regional integration
• economic benefits.
The New National Park is Establishing
through Legislation
Nova Scotia Provincial Parks
Biosphere Reserve
• UNESCO
• Biosphere conference – 1968
• Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme – 1970
• Reconcile conservation of Biodiversity with its
sustainable use.
• Serves 3 functions – conservation, development and
logistics (research, monitoring and education.
UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in N. A.
Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve
• September 2001, received
official recognition United
Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO).
•
•
official dedication ceremony on
July 17th, 2004
http://www.snbra.ca/snbr.htm#Ov
erview
•
Nova Scotia 12% Goal http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/12percent/
Concept of
Conservation refugees