Transboundary Protected Areas, Research and Planning Transboundary Protected Areas, Research and Planning Proceedings of the Parks Research Forum of Ontario (PRFO) Annual General Meeting April 2006 Brock University, St Catherines, Ontario Edited by: Gordon Nelson and Beth Dempster PRFO 2006 www.prfo.ca [email protected] Transboundary Protected Areas, Research and Planning Parks and Protected Areas Research in Ontario 2006 Edited by: Gordon Nelson Beth Dempster Proceedings of the Parks Research Forum of Ontario (PRFO) Annual General Meeting April 27-29, 2006 Niagara Falls, Ontario Published by Parks Research Forum of Ontario (PRFO) University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 (519) 888-4567 x32072 [email protected] ©Parks Research Forum of Ontario (PRFO), 2006 Cover Photo: (St. Elias National Park, Yukon by Ryan Danby). Cover and Book Design: Beth Dempster ISBN 978-0-9737544-5-2 ~ ii ~ 2006 PRFO Proceedings Overview The Parks Research Forum of Ontario The Parks Research Forum of Ontario (PRFO) encourages research apply- ing to parks and protected areas. The objectives of PRFO are to: ▪ promote research to improve understanding, planning, management and decision making for parks and protected areas; ▪ encourage related educational and training activities; ▪ facilitate more cooperation in parks and protected areas research; ▪ encourage regular exchange of information on parks and protected areas research; and, ▪ monitor and report on such research. See www.prfo.ca Parks Research Forum of Ontario ~ iii ~ PRFO 2006 Steering Committee Gordon Nelson, Chair, University of Waterloo ([email protected]) Stephen Murphy, Co-Chair, University of Waterloo ([email protected]) Bonnie Woolfenden, York University ([email protected]) [Alternate: Dawn Bazely, York University ([email protected])] Tom Nudds, University of Guelph ([email protected]) Michael Troughton, University of Western Ontario ([email protected]) Bob Payne, Lakehead University ([email protected]) Brian Craig, Southwestern Ontario Field Unit, Parks Canada Agency ([email protected]) Rob Davis, Ontario Parks ([email protected]) Paul Zorn, Parks Canada ([email protected]) John Middleton, Brock University ([email protected]) Current Observers John Marsh, Trent University ([email protected]) Tom Beechey, CCEA ([email protected]) Bill Stephenson, Parks Canada ([email protected]) ~ iv ~ 2006 PRFO Proceedings Acknowledgements The PRFO Steering Committee would like to thank John Middleton of Brock University and Deborah Whitehouse of the Niagara Parks Commission for hosting the very successful April 2006 PRFO AGM on Transboundary Protected Areas: Research and Planning Needs at Niagara Falls. The venue was excellent, most appropriate for the AGM theme, and the local arrangements worked very well. We would also like to thank all those who assisted with the arrangements at the site, including Niagara Park Commission staff. Thanks are also due to the approximately seventy people who attended and especially to all those who presented papers. We are in debt to Brock University for its contribution to the conference and to Parks Ontario and Parks Canada for their continued support of PRFO. Gordon Nelson for the PRFO Committee Parks Research Forum of Ontario ~ v ~ PRFO Publication Policy As a core operating principle, the Parks Research Forum of Ontario (PRFO) places a high priority on the timely publication of quality proceedings from its annual meetings, state-of-the-art workshops, and other collaborative ventures with which it is involved. By design, the topical scope of PRFO publications is wide ranging and encompasses the natural sciences, cultural and social sciences, economics and all related disciplinary endeavours associated with conserving, planning, managing, and decision-making for parks and other protected areas. This wide sweep derives from the goal and objectives, and the operating principles of PRFO, which recognize that ‘conservation science’ must be viewed in a very comprehensive fashion to address fully the needs for protected areas planning and management. Since its inception in 1996, PRFO has published more than 500 papers, many reporting on work in Ontario, and the others being of direct relevance to Ontario’s needs for protected areas research, planning and management. Publication standards over this period have evolved, with continual refinement and improvement being an objective of the PRFO Steering Committee. Ongoing improvement has been motivated by principles of accepted standards for scientific reporting, academic excellence and regular feedback from contributors, editors and the larger PRFO audience. Current style and content standards for PRFO publications are posted on the PRFO website. Adherence to these standards provides consistency in style and reporting, and facilitates the editorial process, which is substantial when dealing with volumes such as this one. Adherence to these standards also establishes a high level of discipline from contributors, especially the many student and agency-based contributors who gain valuable experience in professional reporting. However, in striving for excellence, there is the reality of time and resources coupled with colloquial expression and style, which sometimes necessitate deviations in style and format among a compendium of papers. To the extent possible, within these constraints, PRFO strives to generate a high quality homogeneous product in a timely fashion. Preparation and submission of readable maps and graphs by authors is a continuing problem for the editors. The clarity of the illustrations in PRFO publications is the responsibility of the authors. Editors ~ vi ~ 2006 PRFO Proceedings Contents PRFO Overview iii PRFO 2006 Steering Committee iv Acknowledgements v PRFO Publication Policy vi Introduction 1 Transboundary Protected Areas: Experience, Planning, Research Needs Transboundary Protected Areas, Connections and Conservation 7 D. Scott Slocombe and Ryan K. Danby Cross Border Partnerships in Protected Areas Management: Northwestern Ontario – Eastern Manitoba 19 Doug Gilmore Walking on Water: Meeting challenges on an international waterway 31 Lee Sochasky Conserving the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Niagara River 37 Deborah L. Whitehouse The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge: An experience of binational conservation management in the Great Lakes 45 Patrick Lawrence Selection of Protected Areas within the Savegre River Watershed in Costa Rica: Landscape Planning Implications for Transboundary Protection 59 Kathleen Marie Fernandes Cross-Border Approaches to Protected Areas, Heritage Conservation, and Tourism: A Parks Canada Perspective 75 Jim Johnston Addressing Transboundary Issues at Parks Canada 91 Matt G. Scoular and Tomasz L. Wlodarczyk Urban to Rural to Hinterland: Planning for Protected Areas The Regional Integration of Canada’s National Parks: A framework for analysis 101 Julia McCleave Moving Toward a Viable, Representative Protected Area Network in the Great Lakes Basin of Ontario 109 William J. Crins and Stephanie C. Janetos Parks Research Forum of Ontario ~ vii ~ Assessment of the Biodiversity and Conservation Status of Great Lakes Islands: A Progress Report 127 Daniel Kraus, Michael J. McMurtry and Bonnie L. Henson GapTool: An Analytical Tool for Ecological Monitoring and Conservation Planning 139 Rob Davis, Louis Chora and William J. Crins Political, ecological, and species boundaries: implications for the identification of minimum requirements for representative protected areas 151 Yolanda F. Wiersma and Thomas D. Nudds From Urban to Rural to Hinterland: Is it time for a Provincial Protected Area Policy? 159 Lucy M. Sportza Research, Analysis, Assessment Determining Social and Ecological Indicators in Canadian Parks: Utilizing the Delphi Method 169 Jennifer Fresque and Ryan Plummer Compartmentalizing Fire in Large Parks and Protected Areas 177 Harold Doran, David L. Martell and Rob Davis Habitat Characteristics and Distribution of the American Badger (Taxidea taxus jacksoni) in Southwestern Ontario 187 R. T. Dong and P.F. Eagles Long-term population estimates and synchronous variation in two populations of black rat snakes (Elaphe obsoleta) in Eastern Ontario 197 Marie-Ange Gravel and Gabriel Blouin-Demers The Effect of Moisture on the Decomposition Processes in the Disturbed Peatlands of the Wainfleet Bog 203 Joshua Diamond and John Middleton Is there a statistical association between Ferns and Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) in forest stands along the Niagara Escarpment? 209 Paul Lyons Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act in Ontario It’s in Our Nature – An Introduction to the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act 221 Robert Moos Analysis of Second Reading of Bill 11: Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2005 229 CPAWS Wildlands League and Sierra Legal Defence Fund An Update: The Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act 245 Robert Moos ~ viii ~ 2006 PRFO Proceedings Introduction ~ 2 ~ 2006 PRFO Proceedings Park Research Forum of Ontario Annual General Meeting April 27-29, 2006 Queen Victoria Place, Niagara Falls, Ontario Cross-Border Approaches to Protected Areas, Heritage Conservation and Tourism Each year the Parks Research Forum of Ontario hosts an annual meeting for all those interested in research and its application to parks and protected areas planning, management and decision-making in Ontario. This meeting normally consists of a theme day followed by a volunteer paper day,