IUCN World Heritage Outlook: https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/ Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks - 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment SITE INFORMATION Country: Canada Inscribed in: 1984 Criteria: (vii) (viii) The contiguous national parks of Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho, as well as the Mount Robson, Mount Assiniboine and Hamber provincial parks, studded with mountain peaks, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, canyons and limestone caves, form a striking mountain landscape. The Burgess Shale fossil site, well known for its fossil remains of soft-bodied marine animals, is also found there. © UNESCO SUMMARY 2020 Conservation Outlook Finalised on 02 Dec 2020 GOOD WITH SOME CONCERNS The values of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage site, inscribed under criteria (vii) and (viii) have so far remained well preserved and the management of individual protected areas comprising this serial site has been relatively effective. However, there are a number of concerns and threats negatively affecting these values. Glaciers are receding dramatically and are predicted to shrink by 95% by 2100. This will have a significant impact on hydrological systems, particularly river flows. An important mammal sub- species, mountain caribou, has been lost from much of the site and is declining towards extirpation. Rapidly increasing tourism numbers and tourism infrastructure are impacting the scenic value of the main valleys, and external pressure from increasing development activities outside of the site is affecting it. Reduced budgets and staffing levels raise questions about the commitment and capacity to address these threats, especially in the provincial parks. Overall, the conservation outlook for the site is considered Good with some concerns, noting that those concerns are persistent from previous Outlook assessments and are growing in some cases. IUCN World Heritage Outlook: https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/ Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks - 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment FULL ASSESSMENT Description of values Values World Heritage values ▶ Striking mountain landscape of exceptional natural beauty Criterion:(vii) The seven parks of the Canadian Rockies form a striking mountain landscape. With rugged mountain peaks, ice fields, and glaciers, alpine meadows, lakes, waterfalls, extensive karst cave systems, thermal springs and deeply incised canyons, the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks possess exceptional natural beauty (World Heritage Committee, 2019). ▶ One of the most significant fossil areas Criterion:(viii) The Burgess Shale is one of the most significant fossil areas in the world. Exquisitely preserved fossils record a diverse, abundant marine community dominated by soft-bodied organisms. Originating soon after the rapid unfolding of animal life about 540 million years ago, the Burgess Shale fossils provide key evidence of the history and early evolution of most animal groups known today, and yield a more complete view of life in the sea than any other site for that time period (World Heritage Committee, 2019). ▶ A classic representation of on-going glacial processes Criterion:(viii) The seven parks of the Canadian Rockies comprise Banff National Park (BNP), Jasper National Park (JNP), Kootenay National Park (KNP), Yoho National Park (YNP), Mount Robson Provincial Park, Hamber Provincial Park, and Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park. These seven parks are a classic representation of significant and on-going glacial processes along the continental divide on highly faulted, folded and uplifted sedimentary rocks (World Heritage Committee, 2019). Other important biodiversity values ▶ Biodiversity - rich assemblage of North American mammals and other species The Rocky Mountain Parks encompass three life zones or ecoregions: montane, subalpine and alpine. Montane zones lie within major river valleys and support deciduous and coniferous forests, wetlands and meadow habitat, and the highest biodiversity of the three ecoregions. Forests extend through the subalpine zone, the most extensive ecoregion in the Rockies. Alpine zones are above treeline and support hardy, low-growing vegetation. A total of 56 mammals have been reported in these parks as well over 300 avian species, five amphibian and 2 snake species (IUCN, 1984; Rogers, 2011). This list includes several iconic or IUCN Red-listed species such as American pipit, golden eagle, wolf, wolverine, hoary marmot, Clark’s nutcracker, American pika, elk, cougar and caribou (reindeer). The mountain parks support a number of species that have lost historic range due to fragmentation effects of early settlement and post-settlement development in the adjacent boreal, foothill and prairie landscapes (Laliberte and Ripple, 2004). This is particularly true for large mammals (carnivores and elk), whose range contracted considerably after settlement of the adjacent prairie landscapes. The mountain parks currently support a number of species with federal protected status under the Species at Risk Act (2012), including the mountain caribou, Banff Springs snail, whitebark pine, little brown myotis, black swift, barn swallow, bank swallow, bull trout, Athabasca rainbow trout and west slope cutthroat trout. IUCN World Heritage Outlook: https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/ Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks - 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment Assessment information Threats Current Threats High Threat External pressure on the World Heritage site due to increasing developments and tourism numbers has been on the rise. Although the site is nearly 2.3 million hectares in size it is still vulnerable to these impacts with limitations to its resilience. Tourism numbers and pressure for additional or expanded tourism infrastructure is rising. Infrastructure developments undergo comprehensive impact assessments which include visual impact considerations, and with likely future demands, the cumulative impacts of multiple developments will become increasingly important. Other threats include those linked to climate change. Between 1919 and 2012, glacier cover in the study area decreased by 590±70 km2 (40±5 %). Seventeen of 523 glaciers disappeared and 124 glaciers fragmented into multiple ice masses. Predictions are that Glaciers in Canadian Rockies could shrink by 95% by 2100. The reactivation of the oil pipeline through Jasper National Park raises environmental concerns as well as contributing to climate change. The Burgess Fossil shales are well protected (camera, alarms, enforcement staff) and visitation to the sites is controlled and well managed. ▶ Invasive Non-Native/ Alien Species Very Low Threat (Invasive Alien Species) Inside site, extent of threat not known Outside site Invasive non-native species are found in all the component parts of the World Heritage site and affect some of the threatened species present in the site, but this does not affect the striking mountain scenery, fossil or glacial processes for which the site was given its World Heritage status. The threat rating therefore reflects the level of impact on these World Heritage specific values, while the threats themselves are of concern. Invasive montane and subalpine plant species are present in Jasper, Banff, Kootenay and Yoho National Parks. Rainbow trout and Brook trout are found in all parks except Jasper, where they are readily hydridizing with native Westslope Cutthroat Trout. Invasive species diversity has increased significantly in the last decade in all parks (Parks Canada, 2019c; Parks Canada, 2019d) and efforts are continuing to remove or manage the threat. ▶ Fire/ Fire Suppression Data Deficient (Fire suppression) Inside site, widespread(15-50%) Outside site All National Parks in the World Heritage site have a sophisticated fire management program detailed in management plans. However, prescribed burns throughout the site are complicated because of the need to keep visitors and facilities safe, and maintaining the functionality of national transportation corridors. Species at risk concerns and wildfire models should be integrated to plan for prescribed burns within the context of species at risk habitat needs (Hunt et al., 2018). Consistent funding is needed for both new fuel management and maintenance of existing fuel management to ensure wildfire risk and management programs are maintained. Funding and park priority should also focus on modelling wildfire with the habitat needs of species at risk to take an ecosystems approach to wildfire management. ▶ Roads/ Railroads High Threat (Linear infrastructures (powerlines, oil pipelines, highway and Inside site, scattered(5-15%) railway infrastructure)) Outside site Highways and railways through the World Heritage site have led to wildlife mortality, and railway is the highest cause of mortality for grizzly bears in Banff, Kootenay, and Yoho National Parks (Hunt et al., 2018), and a cause of high mortality for black bears in Jasper National Park. Parks Canada partnered with CP rail to examine solutions to railways mortality within the parks. Several strategies and mitigation tools to reduce mortality emerged from this work. Noting some additional recent research such as Cassidy et al. (2020) which identified train speed, proximity to water and track curvature as IUCN World Heritage Outlook: https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/ Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks - 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment causes for greater railway mortalities, such findings should also inform park management. On Highway 16 (a national