Download Alberta`s Parks and Protected Areas

Alberta’s
Parks and
Protected
Areas
New Brunswick
Environmental
Network
Workshop
Heather Lazaruk,
Sr. Systems Planner
Feb 22, 2016
Alberta’s Parks and Protected Areas
Classification
#
Total ha
Governing Legislation
National Parks
5
5,406,315
Canada National Parks Act
National Wildlife Areas
4
45,382
Canada Wildlife Act
Federal Migratory Bird
Sanctuaries
2
11,955
Migratory Birds
Convention Act
11
5,463,653
Wilderness Areas
3
100,988
Ecological Reserves
15
26,843
Natural Areas
139
129,942
Heritage Rangelands
3
46,366
Provincial Parks
81
222,746
Wildland Provincial Parks
44
3,022,612
Provincial Recreation Areas
220
139,120
1
459,671
Wilmore Wilderness Act
506
4,148,290
6.26% of Alberta
Total Federal
Wilmore Wilderness Park
Total Provincial
1887 – Banff National Park
1932 – 1st 8 Provincial Parks
1949 – Richardson Migratory Bird
Sanctuary
1953 – 1st Natural Area
1959 – Wilmore Wilderness
8.25% of Alberta
WAERNAHR Act
Provincial Parks Act
1965 – 1st Wilderness Area
1968 – 1st National Wildlife Area
1982 – 1st Provincial Recreation Area
1987 – 1st Ecological Reserve
1995 – 2001 – Special Places Program
2003 – 1st Heritage Rangeland
3
Establishing
Protected Areas
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Global Reputation and Environmental Leadership
Growth of the Industrial Economy
Land Use Framework – Regional Plans
Plan for Parks – Strategic Plan
Parks System Frameworks
4
conservation
people
System Frameworks
Conservation
Framework
Recreation
Framework
Natural Region
Natural Region
Sub-region
Park Setting
Natural Landscape Types
Activity Type
Natural Landscape Components
Activity Subtype
Natural Features
Individual Experience
Parks Classification
Class
Purpose
Differentiating Uses
Objective
Provincial Recreation
Areas
Established to provide or facilitate outdoor recreation
opportunities (typically facility based). Often provide support
facilities or access to lakes, rivers, reservoirs and adjacent
crown land for outdoor recreation pursuits.
Front-country facility
based recreation;
staging areas
•
•
Recreation
Local Tourism
Provincial Parks
Established to protect natural (and cultural) heritage of
provincial significance or greater, where nature-based
recreation, tourism and learning objectives are also
significant and are dependent on / compatible with
conservation objective
Front country facilities +
natural environment
recreation
opportunities
•
•
•
•
Conservation
Recreation
Learning
Provincial Tourism
Natural Areas
Established to preserve natural or near natural sites of local
significance and provide self-guided nature-based recreation
opportunities (largely small, remnant natural spaces,
surrounded by modified landscapes)
With no regulations,
recreation has been
difficult to manage
toward the class intent
•
•
Conservation
Recreation
Wildland Provincial
Parks
Established for the protection of large, undisturbed
wilderness landscapes while providing opportunities for
compatible backcountry recreation and traditional activities
Backcountry; Hunting,
trapping allowed; OHVs
on trails
•
Wilderness
Conservation
Wilderness
Recreation
Established for the protection of the natural heritage and
wilderness of Willmore
Backcountry; Hunting,
trapping allowed; no
OHVs; disposition-free
•
Willmore Wilderness
Park
•
•
Wilderness
Conservation
Wilderness
Recreation
Heritage Rangelands
Established for the preservation of representative areas of
Alberta's prairie grasslands, using traditional grazing /
ranching to maintain the grassland ecology.
Backcountry; access
only with permission of
grazing lease-holder;
hunting
•
Grassland
Conservation
Ecological Reserves
Established for the strict preservation of natural heritage in
an undisturbed state primarily for scientific research
/education (NB – scientific objective largely un-achieved –
role subsumed by large areas established during Special
Places)
Foot access only; No
hunting; dispositionfree
•
•
•
Scientific Research
Conservation
Learning
Wilderness Areas
Established for the strict protection of wilderness, where
visitors can experience solitude and non-consumptive,
nature-based wilderness opportunities on foot
Backcountry foot access
only; no hunting;
disposition-free
•
Strict Wilderness
Conservation
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