Parks and protected areas

What is the purpose of parks and protected areas?

means of protecting natural habitats and scenic areas

What levels of law impact parks/protected areas?

International law (UN conventions)

Federal Law (Canada National Parks Act)

Provincial law (eg. Ontario Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act)

How much of Canada is protected?

At the end of 2023, 12.8% (1.276 million square km) of Canada’s terrestrial area (land and freshwater) and 0.9% (91 thousand) of its marine territory were recognized as protected

It is important to note that at the present time the majority of Canada’s marine protected areas are in fact the marine portions of terrestrial protected areas

This amount has been increasing over the years

Different legislations?

• National Parks Act 1988

• Oceans Act

• Canada Wildlife Act

• Migratory Birds Convention Act

• SARA

Four broad types of governance

• governance by government

• shared governance

• private governance

• governance by indigenous peoples and local communities

Governance by government

95% of Canada’s protected areas of governed by federal, provincial, or territorial governments

Federal: Parks Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Shared governance

Collaberations between different levels of government or between at least one government organization

Two new protected areas covering a total of 695 km on the east side of lake winnipeg established in 2012 under shared governance agreements between Manitoba and Little Grand Rapids First Nation, and between Manitoba and Pauingassi First Nation as Traditional Use planning areas.???

Private Governance

private conservation areas make an important contribution to Canada’s system of protected areas; often protecting sensitive and significant natural habitat in otherwise developed or converted privatly owned landscapes

3 provinces currently report a total of approx 140 km squared protected areas under private governance (Manitoba, New Brunswick, PEI)

Governance by Indigenous Peoples and Local communities

This designation is used for protected areas where the management authority and responsibility are held by indigenous peoples and/or local communities

Indigenous Peoples of Canada have contributed to the establishment of tens of thousands of square km of protected areas through modern land-claim agreements and treaty negotiation

IUCN Management Categories

Canada uses the International Union of Conservation of Nature’s classification of management categories for protected areas

These categories help to describe the type of protected area according to stated management intent

Different IUCN Management categories

Ia - Strict Nature Reserve

Ib - Wilderness Area

II - National Park

III - Natural Monument or Feature

IV - Habitat/Species Management Area

V - Protected Landscape/Seascape

VI - Protected Area with Sustainable Use of Natural Resources

The species at Risk Act (SARA)

Key tool for the conservation and protection of Canada’s biological diversity, fulfills an important commitment under the UNCBD

Key Steps and Processes of SARA

1. Identification of Speceies at risk and assessment

2. listing

3. recovery strategies and action plan - critical habitat designation

Who is the key player in the identification of species at risk

The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC)

Independent group of experts that assess the status of wildlife species and recommends a classification for their legal protection. Not part of the federal govt, but offers the govt independent advice based on the best available knowledge

COSEWIC assessment criteria

COSEWIC’s assessment process is based on a rigorous scientific critera

Indicators of endangerd status?

• A. Decline in total no. of mature inds

• B. Small distribution range and decline or fluctuation

• C. Small and Declining number of mature individuals

• D. very small or restricted total canadian population

• E. quantitative analysis

Listing process

After the govt recieves reccomendations from COSEWIC, the govt consults with concerned ministers, relevant wildlife management boards, and the public to consider many factors, including possible social and economic implications of listing the species

The govt then decides whether to add the species to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk (schedule 1 in the Act)

Once a species is listed, the provisions under SARA apply to protect and recover the species

The list will continually evolve as species are added or removed or their status changes

What happens as soon as a wildlife species is listed as endangered or threatened?

individuals of that species and their dwellings are automatically protected on federal land?

SARA typically applies only to federally managed lands, waters, and species

What does SARA prohibit for endangered, threatened, or extirpated species

You cannot kill, harm, or trade in the species

You cannot damage or destroy its “residence”

So what happeneds to wildlife species on lands managed by provinces and territoreis?

The responsibility for protecting these species usually falls to the province or the territory

All Canadian provinces and territories signed the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk (1996) in Canada

With its accompanying framework for the Conservation of Species at Risk, the Accord established a mechanism for cooperation among federal, provincial, and terrirotial governments to ensure that species at risk are protected throughout Canada

Who is responsible for the administration of the Endangered Species and Ecosystems Act in Manitoba?

The Wildlife and Fisheries Branch

What process does the listing of a species initiate?

Initates a two-step recovery planning process

First step: development of a recovery strategy

• identifies the needs of and threats to the wildlife species, as well as objectives for population and distribution recovery

Second step is the development of a recovery action plan

Both of these must identify critical habitat - the habitat necessary for a listed species’ survival or recovery - to the extent possible

Recovery strategy must address what?

• Threat to the survival of the species

• A description of the species and its needs

• An identification of the threats to the survial of the species and threats to its habitat

• an identification of the species critical habitat

• A statement of the population and distribution objectives

• a statement of when one or more action plans will be completed

What are the multi-species and Ecosystem approach to recovery

SARA makes specific provision for a multi-species or ecosystem based approach to recovery, if the competent minister determines that this approach is appropriate

How soon must recovery strategies be completed?

Within one year of listing for an endangered species and two years of listing for a threatened and extirpated species

What are action plans?

Put the strategy into action by specificying concrete recovery measures and evaluating potential socioeconomic impacts of these actions

How does SARA protect critical habitat?

The prohibition against destruction of critical habitat

the promotion of stewardship and conservation initiatives through conservation agreements

Applies to listed endangered and threatened species, extirpated species are only covered if a recovery strategy has recommended the reintroduction of the species into the wild in Canada, species of special concern are not covered