Mountain Protected Areas UPDATE March 2019 # 101 A note from the editor Welcome to the 101st edition of the UPDATE. It has been a ‘big’ 3 months since our last UPDATE with devastating climate (change) driven fires in the Tasmanian World Heritage Area (Australia) contrasting with a ‘polar vortex’ gripping parts of the USA! We’ve heard about the demise of iconic wolf species, and the loss of a remarkable mountain conservationist. But please read on, it is not all bad news—there are often inspirational responses and important lessons to be learned from difficult stories. March 2019 In this issue From People and Mountains around the world: Global Bruno Messrli tribute America (north) No buffer...no chance Africa Uganda KBAs Oceania—Australia / SE Asia Moth & the possum Trans Papua threat Central Asia—Himalayas Glaciers to rocks Europe Be part of the mountain Global The Australian Snow Talkfests of the affluent Gum—the ultimate Scree and Talus people tree, not too Tools, Publications other Media lofty, not too petit, a Meetings and Events safe haven and at the Links end of the day, very huggable... Mountain Update is a quarterly newsletter distributed to members of the Mountain Protected Areas Network. The views expressed in this UPDATE are not necessarily those of the IUCN WCPA. IUCN WCPA Mountain UPDATE # 101 Editor: Gillian Anderson [email protected] From People and Mountains around the world: A tribute to Buno Messrli (1931 – 2019) a giant in the world of mountain conservation From Linda Hamilton and Jack Ives There have been many tributes to Bruno Messrli over the past weeks, one of course from the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI) where he played a central role in it’s foundation. Bruno Bruno Messrli and Jack Ives—”a also co-founded the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). toast to the mountains” He was retired Professor of Geography at University of Bern Switzerland, and a true leader in the world of mountain conservation and research. Among many early successes another occurred at Rio de Janeiro (1992) when Bruno spearheaded (by now with a growing international team, some jokingly labelled as the mountain mafia) the inclusion of Chapter 13 (Mountains) in the UNO’s AGENDA 21. Chapter 13 Agenda 21 This led to the book “Mountains of the World” (1997), designation of 2002 as the International Year of Mountains, and 11th December as International Mountain Day. Bruno is much appreciated for his solid, forward thinking work which opened doors for changing mountain land use and policy around the world. Bruno will be deeply missed as an energetic colleague with seemingly boundless enthusiasm for his work. Bruno was a strong man who did not shy away from difficult challenges, and who could temper tense debates with refreshing insight and leadership. Whether facing formidable international political problems or a tight physical situation in rugged terrain, one could be assured of absolute support and a ready supply of emergency aid whenever needed. A lovely human being, whom many counted themselves honored to have as a dear friend. Agenda 21—in case you are wondering? ... is a non-binding action plan of the United Nations with regard to sustainable development. It is a product of the Earth Summit (UN Conference on Environment and Development) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. It is an action agenda for the UN, other multilateral organizations, and individual governments around the world that can be executed at local, national, and global levels. The "21" in Agenda 21 refers to the 21st century. It has been affirmed and had a few modifications at subsequent UN conferences. One major objective of the Agenda 21 is that every government should draw its own local Agenda 21. Since 2015, Sustainable Development Goals are included in the Agenda 2030. Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy 22 IUCN WCPA Mountain Update # 101 CN Editor: Gillian Anderson [email protected] 2 America-north No buffer zone...no chance for wolves Adapted from Y2Y and The Narwhal (Sharon J Riley) February 2019 When wolves leave the protection of Banff National Park (Alberta, Canada), they are fair game for hunters and trappers — a practice scientists and advocates say is threatening the park’s ability to protect the wide-ranging species that call it home. Alberta has no restrictions on baiting wolves for trapping on public lands, including right next to national parks. Three wolf packs travel in Banff National Park as part of their home territory. Wolves naturally recolonized the Bow Valley area in the 1980s, having been driven out of the park entirely 30 years earlier. Marriott (wildlife photographer) says trapping these particular wolves has significantly depleted the population of wolves that roam through Banff National Park. The Red Deer pack consisted of eight wolves at last count in December; the Cascade-Panther pack had just one wolf remaining. No buffer zones, ‘no chance’ Marriott advocates for buffer zones to be established around the periphery of national parks, to limit the hunting and trapping of wide-ranging species. “Wolves, cougars, lynx, bobcat, wolverines — all of those animals are still either trapped or hunted if they step one foot out of a national park.” Buffer zones with reduced trapping quotas have been established outside other parks such as Yellowstone and Glacier national parks in Montana, USA. But no such buffer zone exists around Canada’s Rocky Mountain national parks, and trappers and hunters can often collect financial rewards in the form of bounties for their kills. “Parks Canada requires that parks are managed for ecological integrity,” Jodi Hilty, (Y2Y) told The Narwhal. “Most national parks are too small to really sustain populations like wolves by themselves so parks really need to think about how adjacent lands and activities can inadvertently affect ecological integrity in parks.” At 6,641 square kilometres, Banff National Parkencompasses a large portion of Alberta’s Rockies —part of the Yellowstone to Yukon wildlife corridor and crucial habitat for wide-ranging species which require ample habitat to find food and mates. A study in Banff found wolves’ average home range is 1,709 square kilometres. Wildlife photographer John Marriott often captures images of wild wolves in Banff National Park, but recently found a “scene of carnage.” Photo: ©John Marriott, wildernessprints.com 33 IUCN WCPA Mountain Update # 101 CN Editor: Gillian Anderson [email protected] 3 America-north USA shutdown From National Wildlife Federation January 2019 Many of America’s most beloved national parks paid a high price during this latest government shutdown. No maintenance, overflowing garbage cans, unplowed roads, no public education programs and shuttered visitors centers are the direct result of the political showdown, which began on December 22. Eighty-percent of National Park Service employees were furloughed, which meant almost all services at parks shut down and some parks completely closed. Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado—the fourth most popular national park in the country—was forced to close its gates because roads have not been plowed. Rocky Mountains National Park, USA The Shutdown Is Over... Now Follow the Money From Sierra Club February It was the longest government shutdown in US history, and work at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) nearly ground to a halt...the Interior Department stopped accepting most Freedom of Information Act requests. But one sector of the Bureau kept working. Between December 28 and January 25, the BLM—the branch of the Interior tasked with making decisions on federal land use and natural resources—approved 38 new permits for drilling and 15 new leases for oil and gas development. It also accepted 260 applications for drilling, according to a watchdog group dedicated to public lands in the region. On January 8, while national parks piled up with garbage, the president of the American Petroleum Institute, told the press that his industry was “not feeling the impacts” of the Africa Critical biodiversity sites identified - Uganda Adapted from Wildlife Conservation Society News February Read Publication Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and its partners have announced 45 sites identified to meet Morungole: Wikipedia Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) status, global priority areas for conservation of biodiversity in Uganda. This is the first time in the world that there has been a national assessment of KBAs across several taxa. “Uganda needs to know which sites they are responsible for as part of the global community, and the sites that are important to maintain all of their species under the Convention on Biological Diversity,” said Andrew Plumptre, the lead author of the paper. “Assessing KBAs as part of the process highlights which sites are globally important within a national planning process.” Over the last decade, several sites have been heavily degraded and invaded by people due to the rapidly expanding human population, demand for agricultural land, mining and infrastructural development that are creating massive pressures on the remaining natural habitats, including protected areas in Uganda. To prevent further degradation conservation actions will have to be adaptive and large-scale project developers have to avoid adversely impacting high biodiversity conservation sites. If such projects must proceed in ecological sensitive sites, they have to offset impacts. Sites identified as a priority for conservation funding include many forest