Model Class Screening Report for Land-based Commercial Guiding Activities in the Mountain National Parks of Canada Banff National Park of Canada, Glacier National Park of Canada, Jasper National Park of Canada, Kootenay National Park of Canada, Mount Revelstoke National Park of Canada, Yoho National Park of Canada, and Waterton Lakes National Park of Canada Parks Canada Agency October 2009 Model Class Screening Report October 2009 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................. 2 LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... 5 LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ 5 ACRONYMS..................................................................................................................... 1 1. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................... 2 1.1. MANAGEMENT OF NATIONAL PARKS................................................................... 3 1.1.1. Managing for Ecological Integrity ............................................................. 3 1.1.2. Managing for Cultural Resources .............................................................. 3 1.1.3. Managing for Visitor Experience................................................................ 4 1.1.4. Park Management Plans............................................................................. 4 1.2. APPLICABILITY OF THE CLASS SCREENING PROCESS TO LAND-BASED COMMERCIAL GUIDING ACTIVITIES................................................................................. 5 1.3. THE CANADIAN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT REGISTRY ................................ 6 1.4. KEY ISSUES AND CHALLENGES ............................................................................ 7 1.5. APPLICATION OF THE MCSR TO THE BUSINESS LICENCE PROCESS ..................... 8 1.5.1. Integration of Environmental Assessment and Business Licence Administrative Process ............................................................................................... 8 1.5.2. Application of Section 13.1 Inclusion List Regulations.............................. 9 1.5.3. Class Screening Project Report................................................................ 10 1.5.4. Roles and Responsibilities ........................................................................ 11 1.6. PROJECTS SUBJECT TO THE MODEL CLASS SCREENING ..................................... 11 1.6.1. Projects subject to the Act......................................................................... 11 1.6.2. Projects excluded from the Act ................................................................. 12 1.6.3. Projects subject to the MCSR ................................................................... 12 1.6.4. Projects not suited to the MCSR ............................................................... 12 1.7. SCOPE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT .................................................. 15 1.7.1. Scope of Factors to be Considered ........................................................... 15 1.7.2. Valued Ecosystem Components ................................................................ 15 1.7.3. Identification of Potential Environmental Effects and Standard Mitigation Practices 17 1.7.4. Definition and Evaluation of Significant Environmental Effects.............. 19 Table 1: Criteria for determining significance......................................................... 20 2. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING ........................................................................... 20 2.1. LAND USE AND MANAGEMENT IN THE NATIONAL PARKS ................................. 20 2.1.1. National Park Zoning System ................................................................... 21 2.1.2. Land Management Units in National Parks ............................................. 22 2.1.3. Aboriginal Land Use in National Parks ................................................... 23 2.2. DESCRIPTION OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES .................................. 23 Model Class Screening Report October 2009 2.2.1. Wildlife...................................................................................................... 23 Table 2. Number of Land Management Units (LMUs) not reaching grizzly habitat effectiveness and secure area goals.......................................................................... 24 2.2.2. Soil and Vegetation................................................................................... 27 2.2.3. Water Quality............................................................................................ 39 2.2.4. Cultural Resources.................................................................................... 41 2.2.5. Visitor Experience..................................................................................... 46 Table 3. Visitation to mountain national parks in 2001-2002.................................. 47 3. ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ............................................... 48 3.1. DESCRIPTIONS OF ACTIVITIES............................................................................ 48 3.1.1. Unique Characteristics of Commercial Guiding Activities ...................... 48 3.1.2. Guided Hiking........................................................................................... 49 3.1.3. Mountain Guiding..................................................................................... 50 3.1.4. Horse Outfitting ........................................................................................ 50 3.1.5. Overnight Use ........................................................................................... 51 3.1.6. Winter Activities........................................................................................ 51 3.2. ACTIVITY SPECIFIC ANALYSIS ........................................................................... 52 3.2.1. Introduction............................................................................................... 52 3.2.2. Wildlife...................................................................................................... 53 3.2.3. Vegetation and Soils ................................................................................. 56 3.2.4. Water Quality............................................................................................ 61 3.2.5. Cultural Resources.................................................................................... 63 3.2.6. Visitor Experience..................................................................................... 64 3.2.7. Effects of Malfunctions or Accidents; Effects of Environment on Project; Effects of Changes to the Environment on Socio/Economic Conditions .................. 66 3.3. SITE-SPECIFIC ANALYSIS FOR ALL ACTIVITIES.................................................. 68 3.3.1. Introduction............................................................................................... 68 3.3.2. Banff – Site-Specific Environmental Effects and Mitigation .................... 68 3.3.3. Jasper – Site-Specific Environmental Effects and Mitigation .................. 73 3.3.4. Kootenay – Site-Specific Environmental Effects and Mitigation.............. 76 3.3.5. Yoho – Site-Specific Environmental Effects and Mitigation..................... 77 3.3.6. Waterton – Site-Specific Environmental Effects and Mitigation .............. 79 3.3.7. Mount Revelstoke and Glacier – Site-Specific Environmental Effects and Mitigation.................................................................................................................. 80 3.4. RESIDUAL EFFECTS AND SIGNIFICANCE ............................................................. 80 Table 4. Evaluation of the significance of adverse residual impacts on VECs before consideration of cumulative effects (Neg. means negligible, N/A means not applicable). ............................................................................................................... 83 3.5. CUMULATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS.......................................................... 84 3.5.1. Integration of CEA, Class Screening and Business Licencing Review Process 85 3.5.2. Integration of CEA, Class Screening and Park Management Plan Review Process 89 3.6. SURVEILLANCE .................................................................................................. 93 3.7. FOLLOW-UP....................................................................................................... 93 Model Class Screening Report October 2009 4. CONSULTATION .................................................................................................. 94 4.1. PUBLIC CONSULTATION PROCESS FOR THE 2004 MCSR ................................... 94 4.1.1. Objectives of Consultations During 2004 MCSR Development ............... 94 4.1.2. 2004 MCSR Development Consultation Approach................................... 94 4.2. CEAA CONSULTATION FOR THE 2004 MCSR................................................... 95 4.3. FEDERAL COORDINATION REGULATIONS........................................................... 95 4.3.1. Federal Departments ................................................................................ 96 4.3.2. Provincial Departments............................................................................ 96 4.3.3.