User:Rain.noakes/Parks Canada

Following the publication of the Panel on Ecological Integrity Report in 2000, Parks Canada Agency (PCA) released Status on Agency Progress since First Priority in 2008 as a response. One major stride mentioned is the implementation of a policy requirement for national parks to report on the state of Ecological Integrity (EI) every five years, summarizing reports from monitoring programs in place. This State of the Park report was designed to ensure accountability in the management structure of PCA. In the author’s words, “The State of the Park report is the accountability mechanism for Field Unit Superintendents to report to the CEO on achieving the Agency’s Corporate Plan performance expectations related to maintaining and improving ecological integrity” (State of Agency Progress Since First Priority, 2008). In addition to this reform, PCA also updated and released the Agency’s Guide to Management Planning in 2008 to restructure the agency and ensure that this new integrated approach could be applied to all national parks.

With these changes, PCA formally began monitoring for ecological integrity in 2008 and is ongoing to date. These modifications are consistent with the Office of the Auditor General of Canada’s observations in the 2005 report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development. For example, “The 6 to8 ecological integrity indicators for each national park measure the health of Canadas national parks by reporting on the indicator’s condition and trend (improving, stable or declining) over time” (State of Agency Progress Since First Priority, 2008). This EI monitoring program summarizes the state of a parks EI using “good, fair, poor”. The PCA EI monitoring program is based on three publications: Monitoring and Reporting Ecological Integrity in Canada’s National Parks Volume I: Guiding Principles (2005) and the compendium document, Volume 2: A Park-Level Guide to Establishing EI Monitoring (2007), Consolidated Guidelines for Ecological Integrity Monitoring in Canada’s National Parks (2011).

The most recent iteration of guidelines for EI monitoring, Consolidated Guidelines for Ecological Integrity Monitoring in Canada’s National Parks (2011), is significantly more robust and science based. Some of the notable improvements include the integration of a trend variable designed to demonstrate whether the indicator is deteriorating, stable or improving. In addition, the inclusion of quantitative thresholds to determine the state of indicator will allow for more accurate results. Lastly, the incorporation of an “Iceberg Model for EI Indicator” provides a more holistic approach, fostering increasingly complete results.

One of PCA’s most recent publications, Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators: Ecological integrity of national parks (2018), demonstrates how effective PCA’s recent efforts have been. More exhaustive science-based methodology allows for more precise results and ultimately, better management. This document, and all results, are based on the assessment of 118 ecosystems throughout 42 national parks across Canada. PCA claims that 68% of parks sampled are in good condition, 20% fair, 17% poor. Furthermore, of the 118 ecosystems sampled, 69% are stable, 19.5% are improving and 12% are declining Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators: Ecological integrity of national parks (2018). This is a notable improvement, considering that in 2000, 54% of parks were suffering some form of major or severe ecological stresses. There are 12 ecosystems rated as poor, 20 EI indicators in decline, particularly forests and freshwater environments. Overall, this improvement is a testament to what PCA is capable of.

Parks Canada

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Following the publication of the Panel on Ecological Integrity Report in 2000, Parks Canada Agency (PCA) released Status on Agency Progress since First Priority in 2008 as a response. One major stride mentioned is the implementation of a policy requirement for national parks to report on the state of Ecological Integrity (EI) every five years, summarizing reports from monitoring programs in place. This State of the Park report was designed to ensure accountability in the management structure of PCA. In the author’s words, “The State of the Park report is the accountability mechanism for Field Unit Superintendents to report to the CEO on achieving the Agency’s Corporate Plan performance expectations related to maintaining and improving ecological integrity” (State of Agency Progress Since First Priority, 2008). In addition to this reform, PCA also updated and released the Agency’s Guide to Management Planning in 2008 to restructure the agency and ensure that this new integrated approach could be applied to all national parks.

Article body

With these changes, PCA formally began monitoring for ecological integrity in 2008 and is ongoing to date. These modifications are consistent with the Office of the Auditor General of Canada’s observations in the 2005 report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development. For example, “The 6 to8 ecological integrity indicators for each national park measure the health of Canadas national parks by reporting on the indicator’s condition and trend (improving, stable or declining) over time” (State of Agency Progress Since First Priority, 2008). This EI monitoring program summarizes the state of a parks EI using “good, fair, poor”. The PCA EI monitoring program is based on three publications: Monitoring and Reporting Ecological Integrity in Canada’s National Parks Volume I: Guiding Principles (2005) and the compendium document, Volume 2: A Park-Level Guide to Establishing EI Monitoring (2007), Consolidated Guidelines for Ecological Integrity Monitoring in Canada’s National Parks (2011).

The most recent iteration of guidelines for EI monitoring, Consolidated Guidelines for Ecological Integrity Monitoring in Canada’s National Parks (2011), is significantly more robust and science based. Some of the notable improvements include the integration of a trend variable designed to demonstrate whether the indicator is deteriorating, stable or improving. In addition, the inclusion of quantitative thresholds to determine the state of indicator will allow for more accurate results. Lastly, the incorporation of an “Iceberg Model for EI Indicator” provides a more holistic approach, fostering increasingly complete results.

One of PCA’s most recent publications, Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators: Ecological integrity of national parks (2018), demonstrates how effective PCA’s recent efforts have been. More exhaustive science-based methodology allows for more precise results and ultimately, better management. This document, and all results, are based on the assessment of 118 ecosystems throughout 42 national parks across Canada. PCA claims that 68% of parks sampled are in good condition, 20% fair, 17% poor. Furthermore, of the 118 ecosystems sampled, 69% are stable, 19.5% are improving and 12% are declining Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators: Ecological integrity of national parks (2018). This is a notable improvement, considering that in 2000, 54% of parks were suffering some form of major or severe ecological stresses. There are 12 ecosystems rated as poor, 20 EI indicators in decline, particularly forests and freshwater environments. Overall, this improvement is a testament to what PCA is capable of.

References

Panel on the Ecological Integrity of Canada's National Parks, Parks Canada. Unimpaired for future generations? Volume I, A call to action : conserving ecological integrity with Canada's national parks / [issued by] the Panel on the Ecological Integrity of Canada's National Parks. Ottawa, Canada : The Panel, R62-323/2000-1E-IN

Panel on the Ecological Integrity of Canada's National Parks, Parks Canada. Unimpaired for future generations? Volume II, Setting a new direction for Canada's national parks : conserving ecological integrity with Canada's national parks / Panel on the Ecological Integrity of Canada's National Parks. Ottawa, Canada : The Panel, c2000. R62-323/2000-2E-IN

Parks Canada (2008) Status On Agency Progress since First Priority.

Parks Canada (2011) Consolidated Guidelines for Ecological Integrity Monitoring in Canada’s National Parks. Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation Branch, Parks Canada.

Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to the House of Commons, 2005. (2005). Ottawa: Office of the Auditor General.

Unimpaired for future generations?: Conserving ecological integrity with Canada's national parks, Volume I & II. (2000). Ottawa: Panel on the Ecological Integrity of Canada's National Parks.