 |
|
|
 |
|
| Bathurst
Island; Photo by Ross Glenfield |
Parks Canada continues to identify possible candidate
national parks, called representative natural areas,
within the unrepresented natural regions. Each must
portray the diverse geological, geographical and biological
"themes" or features of the natural region,
and have experienced minimum human modification. Many
of these areas were identified in the late 1970s and
are the focus of current efforts to establish new national
parks. For example, plans for new national parks in
Labrador are focused on the Torngat Mountains and Mealy
Mountains, identified in the 1970s as representative
natural areas.
A potential national park — a kind of "best
bet" — is chosen from the list of representative
natural areas. It must include ecological units whose
long-term protection is feasible, have potential for
visitor use and result in minimum long-term disruption
of the social and economic life in the region.
The potential national park site becomes the focus of
a feasibility study, which involves other governments,
Aboriginal people and local communities that could benefit
from the park. Public consultation helps to determine
the degree of local, regional and national support,
and the social and economic implications of a park.
At this point, a map of the park's proposed boundaries
is released, and Parks Canada seeks public support for
the site. If the results are positive, negotiations
towards a formal park agreement can proceed.
During the feasibility study, governments may give the
proposed parkland temporary protection from logging,
mineral staking or other developments that would compromise
the area's natural values. Interim protection measures
prevent industrial developers from securing an interest
in the area, and keep the cost of park establishment
down by removing any need to compensate such companies
should a park proposal proceed.
If all parties agree to establish a national park, they
commence formal negotiations on an agreement that sets
out the terms and conditions under which the specific
natural area will be designated a national park. When
new national parks are proposed in areas where local
people have traditionally depended on the land for subsistence,
a park agreement may provide for the continuation of
harvesting activities. Commercial exploration and extraction
or development of natural resources must be terminated
before the park is formally established.
The final step is for Parliament to formally approve
the establishment of a new national park by describing
its boundary in the National Parks Act. This can be
done only if timber and mining are terminated and both
the surface lands and sub-surface resources are transferred
to the federal Crown. In areas where there is a land
claim settlement, or where land claim negotiations are
proceeding with Aboriginal peoples, final boundaries
as well as harvesting rights and the involvement of
aboriginal people in park management will be set according
to the terms of a land claim agreement.
|
|
