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 Objectivefor 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?

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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#Overview

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Nova Scotia 12% Goal http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/12percent/

Concept of Conservation refugees