Pacific Rim National Park Reserve of Canada: Available Also on the Internet and on CD-ROM
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JUNE 2010 PACIFIC RIM NATIONAL PARK RESERVE OF CANADA Management Plan ii © Her Majesty the Queen in right of Library and Archives Canada Canada, represented by the Chief Cataloguing in Publication Executive Officer of Parks Canada, 2010. Parks Canada Pacific Rim National Park Reserve of Cette publication est aussi disponible Canada Management Plan. en français. Issued also in French under the title: For more information about the Réserve de parc national du Canada management plan or about Pacific Rim, plan directeur. Pacific Rim National Park Reserve of Canada: Available also on the Internet and on CD-ROM. Pacific Rim ISBN 978-1-100-15532-6 National Park Reserve Cat. no.: R61-27/2010E of Canada Park Administration Building 1. Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 2185 Ocean Terrace Road (B.C.) - Management. PO Box 280 2. National parks and reserves - Ucluelet, BC V0R 3A0 Canada - Management. Canada 3. National parks and reserves - British Columbia - Management. TEL: 250-726-3500 I. Title. FAX: 250-726-3520 www.pc.gc.ca/pacrim FC3814 P32 P37 2010 333.7809711’2 C2010-980126-1 Front Cover Image Credits CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Parks Canada/J. McCulloch, Parks Canada/J. McCulloch, Parks Canada/K. Haugen, Parks Canada/J. McCulloch Pacific Rim iii National Park Reserve of Canada Management Plan Foreword Canada’s national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas offer Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast unique opportunities to experience, and understand our wonderful country. They are places of learning, recreation and inspiration where Canadians can connect with our past, and appreciate the natural, cultural, and social forces that shaped Canada. From our smallest national park to our most-visited national historic site to our largest national marine conservation area, each offers Canadians and visitors several experiential opportunities to enjoy Canada’s historic and natural heritage. Valued by Canadians, these places of beauty, wonder and learning are part of our past, our present, and our future. Our Government’s goal is to ensure that Canadians form a lasting connection to this heritage and that our protected places are enjoyed in ways that leave them unimpaired for present and future generations. We see a future in which these special places will further Canadians’ appreciation, understanding and enjoyment of Canada, the economic wellbeing of communities, and the vitality of our society. Our Government’s vision is to build a culture of heritage conservation in Canada by offering Canadians exceptional opportunities to experience our natural and cultural heritage. These values form the foundation of the new management plan for Pacific Rim National Park Reserve of Canada. I offer my appreciation to the many thoughtful Canadians who helped to develop this plan, particularly to our dedicated team from Parks Canada, to First Nations, and to all those local organisations and individuals who have demonstrated their good will, hard work, spirit of cooperation, and extraordinary sense of stewardship. In this same spirit of partnership and responsibility, I am pleased to approve the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve of Canada Management Plan. Jim Prentice Minister of the Environment iv Pacific Rim v National Park Reserve of Canada Management Plan Recommendations Recommended by: Alan Latourelle Chief Executive Officer Parks Canada Steve Langdon Field Unit Superintendent Coastal British Columbia, Parks Canada vi Pacific Rim vii National Park Reserve of Canada Management Plan Executive Summary Walbran Beach, West Coast Trail. Parks Canada/J. McCulloch Canada’s national parks represent the power This is the first management plan for Pacific of Canada’s natural environment which Rim National Park Reserve (NPR). It will has shaped not only the geography of this assist Parks Canada in its protection and country, but also the course of its history presentation of the park as it will replace and the experiences of the people who live draft Interim Management Guidelines first and travel here. These parks are established developed in 1994 and last updated in 2003. to protect and present outstanding Park management plans establish a long-term representative examples of natural landscapes vision and provide a strategic framework for and natural phenomena that occur in the ensuring the maintenance or restoration of country’s 39 natural regions. They provide ecological integrity, and for providing quality opportunities to connect with nature, visitor opportunities. Management plans people, and events that define Canada. Parks are reviewed every five years, with input and Canada is responsible for both protecting the involvement from First Nations, stakeholders, ecosystems and cultural resources of these and the public. magnificent areas and managing them for visitors to understand, appreciate, and enjoy Extending 125 km along the west coast of in a way that leaves them unimpaired for Vancouver Island from Tofino in the north present and future generations. to Port Renfrew in the south, Pacific Rim NPR is a coastal marine park covering three non-contiguous units: the Long Beach Unit viii (LBU), the Broken Group Islands Unit (BGI), The park vision is an inspiring statement that and the West Coast Trail Unit (WCT). Each conveys the special character of the park, provides distinct recreational experiences and and the future desired state. The foundation opportunities, and appeal to different types of of the proposed park vision consists of three visitors. Pacific Rim NPR officially represents principles: People, Stories, and Legacy, which the coastal lowland forests of the Pacific Coast will guide the park’s decision-making and Mountain Region, and the near-shore waters future management direction. of the Vancouver Island Shelf. In order to achieve the park vision, this Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations territory management plan outlines key strategies and stretches along Vancouver Island’s west actions necessary to protect the park’s natural coast, from Brooks Peninsula in the north, to and cultural resources and to provide services San Juan Point in the south, and east to the for visitors. Four integrated key strategies Vancouver Island Range. The “Nuu-chah- that pertain to the entire park are proposed. nulth”, meaning “all along the mountains and sea”, are the people who have lived Working with First Nations Partners along the west coast of Vancouver Island Parks Canada and First Nations will work for millennia. Their history and traditions collaboratively to achieve the long-term are deeply interwoven with the temperate conservation and sustainable use of natural rainforests, islands, beaches, and waterways and cultural resources within Pacific Rim of the west coast. Pacific Rim NPR has a goal NPR. This key strategy will encourage to build relationships or create cooperative continuous dialogue and relationship management regimes with nine of the building with First Nations to establish 16 Nuu-chah-nulth Nations: Tla-o-qui- partnering, develop appreciation, and share aht, Yuʔluʔilʔath, Tseshaht, Hupacasath, First Nations’ culture and history, providing Huu-ay-aht, Ditidaht and Pacheedaht an enriched sense of place for visitors and First Nations, Toquaht Nation and the local communities. Uchucklesaht Tribe. The park management plan will be a tool for First Nations and Parks Protecting and Restoring Cultural Resources and Canada cooperative management boards to Ecological Integrity provide recommendations and/or projects The west coast of Vancouver Island supports to the Superintendent on activities that a naturally rich environment and equally are occurring in each of their traditional vibrant cultural tradition. This coastal zone territories. has been home to the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations for at least five thousand years. In early 2009, a multi-disciplinary team of The area is also noted for its connections Parks Canada staff began to develop this to the history of European contact, trade, management plan. Using the 2009 State and marine navigation, World War II, and of the Park Report as the key reference contemporary Canadian life. This key strategy document, the team worked in a collaborative will enable Pacific Rim NPR to address the fashion to meet Parks Canada’s mandate of ongoing and planned conservation and protecting heritage resources, facilitating protection work in the park focusing on opportunities for visitor experience, and cultural and natural resources. It will also providing public outreach education. Park propose means to address the significant staff met with First Nations and a wide number of species at risk that regularly occur range of regional community stakeholders to in the park. Through enriching personal introduce the management plan process and experiences, the park will promote active to consult on its content. Through the Parks stewardship and foster a sense of belonging Canada website, people were also able to and appreciation of the park. review draft material. Pacific Rim ix National Park Reserve of Canada Management Plan Managing the Coastal Zone reviewed through a consultation process. A The main focus of this key strategy is to comprehensive zoning plan is required to enable Pacific Rim NPR to work with First reflect the current knowledge of the ecological Nations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and cultural status of the area. Over the Environment Canada, coastal communities, next five years, the park will address zoning organisations, and interested stakeholders designations in consultation