At a glance – Evaluation of the Protected Areas Program

2. Scope

The Protected Areas Program evaluation covers the 6-year period from 2018-2019 to 2023-2024. The evaluation focuses on the following themes:

• Authorities and resources
• Delivery and results
• Relevance and alignment
• Performance measurement and information for decision-making

3. Methodology

A variety of sources was used, including:

File review. More than 150 files including work plans, internal reports, internal communications, research papers, news releases, backgrounders and literature reviews.

Data analysis. More than 30,000 data points of administrative and survey data.

Interviews. 13 interviews with program administrators and officials.

Case studies. Four case studies focusing on habitat conservation in the North and in the South, the biodiversity conservation value of restoration, and climate change impacts on ecosystems.

Site visits. Site visits of the Cap Tourmente (Quebec) and Alaksen (British Columbia) National Wildlife Areas, and of the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary (British Columbia).

4. Findings

4.1. Authorities and resources

Authorities: Current program authorities and policy requirements both enable and constrain program administrators’ ability to deliver on program targets. As a result, there have been long delays in obtaining authorities for land acquisition, for finalizing real property transactions, and for establishing new protected areas in regulation. Constraints and extended timelines have resulted in missed opportunities and slowed progress toward achieving program outcomes.

Resources: The Protected Areas Program funding model and funding levels may not be aligned with program responsibilities and Government of Canada commitments for nature conservation. An adequate level of resources is required to administer protected area regulations, to manage and monitor existing areas, to account for and address climate change impacts, and to continue supporting reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous peoples.

4.2. Delivery and results

Planning, acquisition, and designation: Over the evaluated period, three new protected areas were established, conserving large areas in the North of Canada and in marine environments off the coast of British Columbia. As a result, the protected areas network increased by 269 percent. Environment and Climate Change Canada’s protected area network was further extended by the acquisition and addition of parcels to existing protected area sites, and the establishment of the Prairie Pastures Conservation Area.

Regulatory administration: The regulatory administration of Environment and Climate Change Canada’s protected areas network is robust across a range of activities, including compliance monitoring, enforcement, regulatory permitting, and delisting and disposition. The regulatory permit application and review service provided to Canadians is not available end-to-end online.

Management and monitoring: Over the evaluated period, program administrators addressed longstanding program design and delivery gaps related to protected area management and monitoring. Progress has been made on management plan publication, management measures implementation, protected area management effectiveness assessments, and ecological monitoring. As a result, habitat conservation and protection effectiveness has increased across the network in all regions. However, the alignment of agricultural operations permitted on National Wildlife Areas with the program’s nature conservation mandate can be improved.

Connecting Canadians to Nature: Infrastructure has been improved at several National Wildlife Areas open to the public. Between 2018-2019 and 2022-2023, 854,847 people visited sites open to the public, but the target for public visitation was not met. Infrastructure such as wildlife viewing towers, bird-blinds, migration monitoring stations, and trails were improved at several sites open to the public. The program continued to support local conservation partners which contribute to the Connecting Canadians to Nature initiative.

4.3. Relevance and alignment

Nature conservation: Canada’s most important conservation deficits are in the southern ecoregions. With the exception of the Prairie Pastures Conservation Area, Environment and Climate Change Canada’s protected areas network protects modest, fragmented areas in southern Canada. Additions to the network based on opportunity and constrained by current authorities as well as other challenging factors are not likely to address national conservation deficits in areas where biodiversity values and threat levels may be highest.

Protecting habitats in a changing climate: Climate change will impact conservation values and capital assets, prompting new management issues and creating knowledge needs to support evidence-based decision-making. Current capacity may not be sufficient to address knowledge gaps, mitigate climate risks, and protect habitats and wildlife in a changing climate across Environment and Climate Change Canada’s protected areas network.

Involvement of Canada’s Indigenous peoples in habitat conservation and protection: Over the evaluated period, Protected Areas Program administrators have focused considerable effort, care, and resources to advance the Government of Canada’s commitment to work with Indigenous peoples as key conservation partners. However, active involvement of Indigenous people in site management or decisions can be strengthened when appropriate.

4.4. Performance measurement and information for decision-making

Performance measurement and information: The Protected Areas Program’s administrators addressed longstanding gaps in performance measurement practices and information availability. More information on ecological outcomes and conservation measure impacts is expected to become available over time. Despite these improvements, performance measurement and information are lacking for the Connecting Canadians to Nature initiative, and one indicator of network management effectiveness is not aligned with intended results.

Financial and risk information: There is limited financial and risk information to support the evaluation Protected Areas Program. As a result, it was not possible to assess the cost-effectiveness of program administration, nor was it feasible to assess the value of capital assets managed by the program, the soundness of their management, and their risk exposure.

5. Recommendations

Recommendadation 1: The Assistant Deputy Minister of the Canadian Wildlife Service should continue efforts to align program authorities, processes, and resource levels with ongoing responsibilities, commitments, and operational needs

Recommendadation 2: The Assistant Deputy Minister of the Canadian Wildlife Service should improve the quality and availability of program information and data to support oversight, decision-making, and performance measurement.

Recommendadation 3: The Assistant Deputy Minister of the Canadian Wildlife Service should enhance its program efforts to better support nature conservation, prioritizing national conservation shortfalls and addressing climate-related threats to conservation values and assets.

6. Management Action Plan

Management Response to Recommendation 1: The Assistant Deputy Minister of the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) agrees with the recommendation.

Action 1: Review the governance of the Protected Areas Program and propose an alignment of program authorities and processes to align with responsibilities, commitments, and operational needs.

Action 2: Consider regulatory and legislative reform to improve program delivery

Management Response to Recommendation 2: The Assistant Deputy Minister of the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) agrees with the recommendation

Action 1: Undertake improved immediate and ongoing program information and data collection and management.

Action 2: Review the HCP (or successor program) Program Logic Model and Indicators to better measure and demonstrate program performance.

Management Response to Recommendation 3: The Assistant Deputy Minister of the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) agrees with the recommendation.

Action 1: Prioritize areas of importance to biodiversity for expansion of the Protected Areas network and seek additional flexibility for acquisitions.

Action 2: Address climate-related threats to assets located in Protected areas and make improvements to assets to better support nature conservation.