Principles of Protected Area Planning and Environmental Impact Assessment

1. Principles of Protected Area Planning and Environmental Impact Assessment The Comprehensive Planning Process

2. Types and levels of planning •  General management planning is one step in a broader planning process for protected areas. • A brief review of the comprehensive planning process will establish the context for general management planning. System Plan • The first step in the comprehensive planning process is the preparation of a Protected Area System Plan. A national system of protected areas should protect the full range of ecosystems and species found in that country. To accomplish this goal, a system plan provides a comprehensive national statement of the policies, objectives, rationale, definitions, and future direction for the evolving network of protected areas in a country. A systems plan should include but not limited to: • An overall statement of national conservation policy. • Explanation of protected area categories that will be used; standards and criteria for each category. • An assessment of the viability of the existing system and its completeness; a description of gaps in the system. • A systematic procedure for identifying additional areas most suitable for meeting national conservation objectives. • A clear statement of national priorities, and a plan of action for achieving the national conservation objectives.

3. Different natural resource features that should be considered when assessing the completeness of a country’s protected area system include: • bio-geographical provinces, • wildlife species communities, • physiographic regions; • natural resource landforms (such as plains; mountains systems; works of volcanism; hot water phenomena; sand dunes; river systems and lakes; glaciers; seashores, lakeshores, and islands; coral islands and reefs; caves and springs) • geologic history; • land ecosystems and vegetation types; • aquatic ecosystems. • Pre-historical, historical and cultural features also should be considered.

4. New Area Reconnaissance Study • When the System Plan has identified gaps in the existing coverage of ecosystems, the next step is to evaluate areas that might be suitable for addition to the Protected Area System and select the most suitable areas. • A methodology used in different countries includes to prepare New Area Reconnaissance Study and New Area Feasibility Plan. • An area can be considered a suitable addition to the protected area system if it provides good representative of a resource type not adequately represented in the existing system of protected areas. • The New Area Reconnaissance Study is a fact-finding effort that is used to evaluate and rate the potential of different areas to fill in system gaps. • Information is gathered to determine the significance of a study area’s resources, the degree of existing protection, and whether the area should be further studied for the best ways of protecting and managing it. • A report is then prepared describing the area’s natural, geological land uses and their effects on the resources; and existing provisions for protection of the resources, if any.

5. The key for further consideration as a potential addition to a protected area system is a determination of national significance. • Significance is determined by evaluating the area’s resources against specific criteria for conservation area land. • Examples of such criteria are those used in the Wildlife Policy 2007 or other natural resources policies. • A natural or cultural resource can be considered nationally significant if it meets all of the following criteria: • It is an outstanding example(s) of a particular type of resource. • It possesses exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the natural or cultural resources of the country’s heritage. • It offers superlative opportunities for public benefit, enjoyment, or for scientific study. • It retains a high degree of integrity as a true, accurate, and relatively unspoiled example of a resource.

6. Another criterion that represents national significance is if it protects water and soil resources critical to maintaining ecological integrity and to supporting the subsistence needs of local and regional communities.

7. Examples of natural resources that may be nationally significant include: •  An outstanding site that illustrates the characteristics of landform or biotic area that is still widespread. • A rare remnant natural landscape, marine resource, or biotic area or type that was once widespread but is now vanishing due to human settlement and development. • A landform or biotic area that has always been extremely uncommon in the region or country. • A site possessing exceptional diversity of ecological components (species, communities, habitats) or geologic features (landforms, observable manifestations of geologic process). • A site containing biotic species or communities whose natural distribution at that location makes them unusual (a relatively large population at the limit of its range, or an isolated population). • A site harbouring a concentrated population of rare plant or animal species, particularly one officially recognized as threatened or endangered. • A critical refuge necessary for the continued survival of a species. • A site containing rare or unusually abundant fossil deposits. • An area with outstanding scenic qualities, such as dramatic topographic features, unusual contrasts in landforms or vegetation, spectacular views, or other special landscape features. • A site that is invaluable ecological or geologic benchmark due to an extensive and long-term record of research and scientific discovery. • An area that serves as a critical watershed for surrounding communities

8. New Area Feasibility Plan •  If an area is determined to be of national significance, a New Area Feasibility Plan is developed to examine management options and boundary alternatives. • To be considered feasible as a new unit in a protected area system, an area should be of a sufficient size and configuration to survive as an ecological unit, ensure long-term protection of resources, and accommodate human benefit and enjoyment. • It also should have the potential for efficient administration and management.

9. The New Area Feasibility plan elaborates upon the data gathered in the Reconnaissance Study and should include all the information needed to make a legislative proposal for a new protected area including: • Identification and evaluation of regional land uses, plans, legal framework, and trends that affect the study area’s significant resources. • A description of the area’s resources and their significance. • Present landownership, existing and proposed land uses and their effect on the resources. • The extent to which the area is protected by regulation and a description of the status, source, and content of any existing plans for the protection of the area. • An analysis of the economic, social, cultural, and environmental impacts of the alternatives and no action. • Identification of alternative boundaries. • Recommendations about what types of uses should be permitted, prohibited, or allowed subject to certain conditions.

10. Protected Area Establishment • One the feasibility Plan is completed and a proposal made to add a unit to the protected area system, legislation is prepared to gazette the area. • Protected area gazetting legislation should include an official name designation; a short concise narrative that describes the area’s national significance, identifying those resources and values that qualify the area for inclusion in the protected area system and a precise legal survey description of the PA boundary. • When this legislation has passed, the area is established as a new unit of the protected area system.

11. General Management Plan • When a new unit has been established, a general management plan (GMP) is prepared to guide its management and development. • This class will focus on the GMP component of the comprehensive planning process. • Although theoretically a GMP is prepared when a new protected area has been established, in practice, plans often are prepared for existing protected areas that have never had a plan as well as for newly established protected areas. • Although general management plans can and should be developed for many different types of protected area system units, this course focuses on general management plans for units of a country’s protected area system.

12. Technical Detail Plans • The general management plan is a comprehensive plan that varies in detail with the size and the complexity of the protected area being planned. • Often it is necessary to prepare detailed plans for subjects that are only generally addressed in the GMP. • These are called Technical Detail Plans. Examples include: • development site design and construction plans for specific sites or areas, • resource management plans e.g. species management plan, trail layout plans, interpretive plans, and PA housing plans.

13. Annual Operations Plans • These are yearly administrative plans prepared by PA staff detail specific activities that will be undertake during the fiscal year. • An annual operations plan compiles information on: • PA purpose; • the nature and significance of its resources; • the existing uses of its lands and waters; • its regional context and adjacent land considerations; • the availability and condition of existing infrastructure and equipment; • existing personnel; • limitations on existing management; • influences on PA resources and the visitor experience; and • non recreational use by local communities. • This information is used in the document to: • identify major problems and issues that need to be addressed; • determine the need for additional information, tools and supplies; • outline personnel needs; and • detail budget requirements. • Where there is an approved GMP, some of the information for the annual operations plan can be taken directly from the GMP. • An annual operation plans should delineate the specific activities that will be undertaken that year to implement the GMP’s recommendations.

14. System Plan • New Area Reconnaissance Study / Plan • New Area Feasibility Plan • Protected Area Establishment Plan / Proposal (Bill) • General Management Plan • Technical Detail Plan • Annual Operation Plan and Budget (AOPB)

15. Comprehensive Planning Process

16. Typical Plan Management Cycle •  The standard GMP planning cycle follow classic plan management cycle. • Classic or standard or typical plan management process has five main stages: • (1) plan identification, • (2) plan design or formulation, • (3) plan appraisal or cost-benefit analysis or plan impact analysis, • (4) plan implementation and • (5) monitoring and evaluation (Figure 2).

17. Plan Monitoring and Evaluation Plan Identification Typical Plan Management Cycle Plan Implementation Plan Formulation or Plan Design Plan Appraisal