Transboundary Regional Planning Collaboration for Climate Change Adaptation: A Case Study of Jasper National Park, Mount Robson Provincial Park, and Willmore Wilderness Park by Natasha Anna O‟Neill A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo in fulfillment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Master of Environmental Studies in Planning Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2011 ©Natasha Anna O‟Neill 2011 i AUTHOR'S DECLARATION I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. ii Abstract Climate change threatens the integrity of many parks and protected areas worldwide. Mountain parks are amongst the most vulnerable, facing changes in temperature, hydrology, glaciation, fire frequency, and pest and disease outbreaks. Species migration is a key tool in climate change adaptation, but often physical and jurisdictional fragmentation makes it impossible for species to migrate, putting species at risk of extirpation or extinction. Transboundary collaboration and regional planning are tools that can help physically connected parks and protected areas overcome jurisdictional fragmentation and allow for species migration, giving species a greater chance at being able to adapt to climate change. However, there are many barriers to transboundary collaboration and regional planning that makes this difficult to achieve. This research aims to address the challenges parks face with regards to transboundary collaboration and regional planning, and provide possible solutions for overcoming these challenges. A qualitative research project was conducted to determine the state of transboundary collaboration and regional planning in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, using Jasper National Park, Mount Robson Provincial Park, and Willmore Wilderness Park as the study area. A document review, questionnaire, and Importance-Performance Analysis were conducted to determine: the current policy within the Parks Canada Agency, British Columbia Parks, and Alberta Parks in regards to the management implications of climate change; the degree to which transboundary collaboration and regional planning are occurring in and around the study area with regard to climate change; the challenges parks face with regards to transboundary collaboration and regional planning; how these challenges should be addressed; and to determine what park agencies and managers need to be able to participate in transboundary collaboration and regional planning. Ultimately, it became clear that while transboundary collaboration is a potentially effective tool for climate change adaptation, little transboundary collaboration is occurring within the study area. In order for this to occur, all parks must have appropriate legislation, policies, and plans in place; British Columbia Parks has these, but both Parks Canada and Alberta Parks do not. Parks planners and managers are not able to put priority on transboundary collaboration until it is mandated within the management plans. However, parks managers are supportive of transboundary collaboration for climate change and it seems likely that the parks will use this tool as it becomes increasingly necessary over the next 25 years. iii Acknowledgements While a thesis is a largely solitary undertaking, there are many people who have helped me get through the process of developing a research project to achieving a final thesis. I would like to thank Dr. Michael Fox of Mount Allison University for introducing me to the discipline of planning (and for encouraging me to apply to the University of Waterloo!) and Dr. Colin Laroque for reintroducing me to Jasper National Park and the threat of climate change on that beautiful part of the Canadian landscape. I would like to thank my thesis advisor, Dr. Paul F.J. Eagles for his guidance through the many stages of my thesis, and to my committee member, Dr. Christopher Lemieux for his encouragement and his tremendous assistance in developing my research questionnaire. Thank you, Dr. Stephen Murphy, for being my Reader and providing insight into my thesis. Many thanks to Edie Cardwell for always having an answer to my questions. I would also like to thank the parks planners, ecologists, and managers from Jasper National Park, British Columbia Parks, and Alberta Parks who took the time to answer my questionnaire, making this research possible. I am also grateful for the Ontario Graduate Scholarship program for providing funding for this research. Many thanks to my family and friends for providing me with the support and guidance through these years; I could not have done this without each and every one of you. iv Table of Contents AUTHOR'S DECLARATION ............................................................................................................... ii Abstract ................................................................................................................................................. iii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................... v List of Figures ..................................................................................................................................... viii List of Tables ......................................................................................................................................... ix Chapter 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1 Chapter 2 Literature Review .................................................................................................................. 3 2.1 Climate Change ............................................................................................................................ 3 2.1.1 Global Climate Change ......................................................................................................... 3 2.1.2 Climate Change Impacts on Parks and Protected Areas ........................................................ 4 2.1.3 Climate Change in the Parks and Protected Areas of the Canadian Rockies ........................ 5 2.1.4 Climate Change and Parks Management ............................................................................... 8 2.2 Connectivity and Fragmentation .................................................................................................. 9 2.2.1 Species Migration as a Response to Climate Change ............................................................ 9 2.2.2 Physical Connectivity and Fragmentation ........................................................................... 10 2.2.3 Jurisdictional Connectivity and Fragmentation ................................................................... 11 2.2.4 Importance of Connectivity for Species‟ Survival in the Face of Climate Change ............. 11 2.3 Regional Planning ...................................................................................................................... 12 2.3.1 Regional Planning for Climate Change Adaptation ............................................................ 12 2.4 Transboundary Collaboration ..................................................................................................... 14 2.4.1 Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative ................................................................... 14 2.4.2 Crown of the Continent Ecosystem Management Initiative ................................................ 17 Chapter 3 Methodology ........................................................................................................................ 21 3.1 Research Questions .................................................................................................................... 21 3.2 Study Area .................................................................................................................................. 22 3.3 Participants ................................................................................................................................. 23 3.3.1 Participant Recruitment ....................................................................................................... 24 3.4 Ethics Approval and Research Permits ...................................................................................... 24 3.4.1 University of Waterloo Office of Research Ethics Approval .............................................. 24 3.4.2 Parks Research Permits ....................................................................................................... 24 3.5 IUCN Framework for Evaluating Management Effectiveness ................................................... 24 v 3.6 Questionnaire ............................................................................................................................. 25 3.7 Importance-Performance Analysis ............................................................................................. 25 3.7.1 Application of IPA to Evaluation of Parks and Protected Areas Climate Change Management ................................................................................................................................