Provisional Guidelines for New Recreational Activities in Jasper National Park Fall 2011 Background This approach respects the unique identity of each park, while ensuring: Millions of visitors have experienced Jasper • that new activities are not assessed in National Park while taking part in a recreational isolation from one another and from activity. Providing visitors with opportunities to established (traditional) activities participate in recreational activities is one way • consistency in decision-making among the to encourage meaningful and enjoyable visits different mountain parks that contribute to a sense of connection to place. • consistency in the application of the Parks Canada zoning system to new recreational Parks Canada recently concluded national activities assessments of several new recreational • consideration of cumulative effects and park activities to determine whether or not they can priorities for visitor experience occur in Parks Canada’s protected heritage places. The activities were selected for The mountain park guidelines build on and assessment based on interest expressed by the refine the national guidelines. They have been public, stakeholders, and individual national further tailored to reflect the unique context parks and national historic sites. National of Jasper National Park. Parks Canada is guidelines for the activities were approved by now inviting comments on the Provisional the Minister of the Environment in September Guidelines for New Recreational Activities 2010. Individual parks and sites may now in Jasper National Park. This document is carry out local assessments of these activities to available on-line at: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/ determine whether or not they may occur in that pn-np/ab/jasper/ne/ne4.aspx park or site and the conditions under which they may take place. Table of Contents Banff and Yoho national parks conducted the Background 1 first local assessment of a new recreational Focus on New Recreational Activities 2 activity—interpreted, guided via ferrata The Big Picture 2 tours—in November 2010. Based on feedback Management Plan Direction 2 from that assessment, the mountain national Park Zoning 3 parks (Jasper, Banff, Kootenay, Glacier, Mt. Strategic Environmental Assessment 4 Revelstoke, Waterton Lakes and Yoho) assessed Guided Interpreted Tours 5 and developed guidelines on a mountain- Paragliding and Hang Gliding 8 park-basis for all the nationally-approved Traction Kiting 11 activities, instead of carrying out individual local Mountain Biking 13 assessments for each activity. Implementation Strategy 16 Focus on New Recreational Activities The Big Picture New recreational activities offer the potential Jasper National Park is home to a multitude of to reach segments of the Canadian population recreational activities. Some, like horseback that are priorities for Parks Canada: urban riding and canoeing, have a long history in the Canadians, youth and new Canadians. Young park that pre-dates its establishment. Others urban Canadians and new Canadians represent are more recent. Mountain biking and ice walks growing segments of the population; they may in Maligne Canyon date back to the 1980s; geo- also be less familiar with national parks and caching has been permitted since 2007. Many national historic sites than previous generations. of the larger, commercial facilities, such as Marmot Basin Ski Area and Whistlers SkyTram Reaching youth and new Canadians and were established in the 1960s. A number of building support for heritage protection is policies related to existing recreational activites essential to ensuring the future of our national have been reviewed and updated recently and parks. Participating for the first time in a new are priorities for implementation. activity located in the park provides a window to the many other possibilities the park offers. For example, a multi-year planning process For many, this window may act as a bridge to for the Three Valley Confluence concluded in developing a life-long connection. 2009 with an approved plan for the multi-use trail network around the Jasper townsite. Trail New activities can also provide more improvements and adjustments outlined in the opportunities for new and current visitors to plan are being implemented as funding permits. experience national parks. However, these activities need to be managed with the same care Parks Canada worked with an Advisory Group and attention as existing activities. to develop the Icefields Parkway Strategy (2009). Planning focused on enhancing visitor experiences along the roadway and Management Plan Direction adjacent opportunities, facilities and services. Improvements to the parking lot at the Icefields The Jasper National Park Management Centre and the Toe of the Glacier are just a Plan (2010) supports the introduction of new few of the projects that have resulted from this activities and facilities subject to specific criteria, collaborative planning process. while prioritizing the renewal and refreshing of existing activities and facilities. The plan Refreshing existing facilities and renewing commits Parks Canada to: existing products will continue to be the focus for Jasper National Park. Develop, support, and promote new events and recreational activities that: 1. Promote public understanding and appreciation of Rocky Mountain ecosystems Proposals may be evaluated through a and history, and Parks Canada’s mandate. structured public review process. 2. Involve a diverse range of the park’s partners and stakeholders in their development and Additionally, the management plan divides delivery. Jasper National Park into six distinct areas 3. Support outstanding visitor experiences. and sets visitor experience, resource protection 4. Respect the park’s character and area and education objectives for each area. New concepts. activities must be consistent with the area 5. Support relevant ecological and cultural strategies and general management plan resource protection goals. direction. Provisional Guidelines for New Recreational Activities in Jasper National Park 2011 2 Park Zoning During the 2009 review of the management Some activities may be appropriate in certain plan, concerns were expressed about the areas of the park, but not in others. Zoning is potential effects of new recreational activities a key tool used to manage development and and events on the park environment and other recreational use of the park. The national visitors. Parks Canada was urged to better parks zoning system contains five zones. A define “non-traditional uses” and set clear description of each zone and a map depicting boundaries in terms of the types of activities their location in Jasper National Park is and associated development that would be provided in the figure above. The provisional considered. The mountain park guidelines guidelines set out the zones in which respond to this feedback by setting out what recreational activities may occur. activities will be considered where and the conditions under which they may occur. Provisional Guidelines for New Recreational Activities in Jasper National Park 2011 3 Strategic Environmental Assessment Understanding the Guidelines A Strategic Environmental Assessment Each guideline is followed by a bracketed (SEA) of the mountain park guidelines for letter or letters. The letter tells you where the new recreational activities was conducted in guideline originated: whether it was developed accordance with the Cabinet Directive on the nationally or by the mountain parks or is unique Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and to Jasper National Park. Program Proposals. Strategic environmental assessment is a tool used to ensure that (N) = National Guideline: National environmental considerations are systematically guidelines apply to the activity anywhere it is assessed before policy decisions are made. offered within the national park and national historic site system. These guidelines have been The key findings of the strategic environmental approved by the Minister and cannot be changed assessment are: by an individual park. 1. New recreational activities have the potential (MP) = Mountain Park Guidelines: These to contribute to visitor experience in ways that guidelines were developed by the mountain are consistent with the character of place that parks (Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay, Waterton, is unique or representative of the mountain Mt. Revelstoke and Glacier). They can be parks’ natural and cultural environments. adjusted as required to fit the unique context of a particular park. 2. Site-specific impacts of new activities to vegetation, wildlife and visitor experience (JNP) = Jasper National Park Guidelines: resources and values can be dealt These guidelines are specific to Jasper National with effectively by considering location, Park and can be adjusted as required to fit the design, management and mitigation measures unique context of this park. and visitor education. Next Steps 3. Cumulative impacts of new recreational activities may be largely addressed through • The public review period for these guidelines the application of management plan area starts on Tuesday, November 15, 2011. concepts, park zoning systems and the • The deadline for comments on the guidelines mitigations of the SEA. The key aspects of is Monday, January 31, 2012. managing potential impacts to wildlife and • Parks Canada will revise the guidelines based visitor experience are reflected in the on public input. provisional guidelines. • The Superintendent