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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.
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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?
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."
• 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. Identifying Representative Natural Areas:
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.
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.
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 Nova Scotia 12% Goal http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/12percent/
Concept of Conservation refugees