Parks Canada takes Action in Northern Ontario
THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO, February 27, 2010 -- On behalf of the Honourable Jim Prentice, Canada’s Environment Minister and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Mr. Greg Rickford, Member of Parliament for Kenora, today announced investments of up to $2.3 million in visitor experience infrastructure and ecological integrity projects at Pukaskwa National Park. Some of the funding announced today comes from Canada’s Economic Action Plan.
“These initiatives will contribute to Pukaskwa National Park’s ecological integrity, enhance visitor infrastructure, employ Canadians locally and improve this national park, part of a major component of Canada’s tourism industry,” said Mr. Rickford. “Our government is committed to protecting the environment and biodiversity for future generations, and ensuring that Canadians have an opportunity to experience, enjoy and understand these special places.”
The investment includes $250,000 through Canada’s Economic Action Plan to support visitor infrastructure improvements along Pukaskwa National Park’s Coastal Hiking Trails. In addition to Economic Action Plan funding, national parks in Ontario will receive $926,000 to increase the use of prescribed burns in ecosystems management, and a further $1,144,000 will be invested to improve the ecological integrity of Pukaskwa’s coastal ecosystem through Action on the Ground funding.
“We are an experienced world-leader in protecting and restoring ecosystems using the best science available,” said Minister Prentice. “The work being undertaken at Pukaskwa National Park will help to advance our knowledge of the boreal forest ecosystem and improve the visitor experience - inspiring visitors to reflect on their actions and impacts on the environment”.
Through its Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada will invest $374 million for improvements of facilities and protection of Canada’s national parks and national historic sites. Parks Canada’s “Action on the Ground Program” is a nationwide initiative that encourages tangible actions to engage Canadians in a range of conservation activities that promote the ecological integrity of Canada’s national parks.
Canada’s national parks, historic sites, and marine conservation areas provide opportunities for visitors to experience, discover, understand and appreciate our natural and cultural heritage. These protected areas help conserve biodiversity, generate economic benefits to adjacent communities, and serve as living laboratories to increase our understanding of the state of the world’s ecosystems.
For additional information, please see the accompanying backgrounder at www.parkscanada.gc.ca under Media Room.
Information:
Frédéric Baril
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
819-997-1441
http://twitter.com/jimprentice
Rod Blair
A/Superintendent
Northern Ontario Field Unit
Parks Canada
807-708-0582
Backgrounder associated with this News Release.
ACTION ON THE GROUND FUNDING
Parks Canada is investing $90 million in a series of initiatives to help address pressing ecological concerns in national parks across Canada. These innovative, knowledge-based and partnership driven projects will protect and restore stressed ecosystems in Canada’s national parks while involving Canadians, positively enriching and changing lives.
Leadership on the Landscape: Restoring the role of fire to ecosystems in Pukaskwa National Park and other National Parks in Ontario
$926,000 Action on the Ground funding
Fires burn unevenly across a landscape, which over time, creates a range of different ages and tree types, thereby creating a variety of habitats that support many insect, mammal, and bird species. Modern fire prevention measures prevent this essential and natural process in the boreal forest.
Parks Canada will use an active fire management program to promote biodiversity in order to maintain, restore, monitor and manage the full complement of vegetation successional stages and species that would be expected as a result of natural processes in Pukaskwa National Park.
Following ecological goals in collaboration with provincial and university experts, Parks Canada will investigate geospatial and temporal distribution of disturbance regimes throughout the greater park ecosystem while protecting visitors, values at risk, and stakeholder interests. This information will provide a stronger ecological basis for how, where and when fires occur on the landscape.
Pukaskwa’s fire program will play a leadership role for Parks Canada in the Ontario bioregion, including providing technical and scientific support to Point Pelee National Park, Bruce Peninsula National Park, St. Lawrence Islands National Park, and Georgian Bay Islands National Park in the development of their fire management plans and ecosystem restoration strategies.
Improving ecological integrity of the coastal ecosystem in Pukaskwa National Park by March 2013
$1,144,000 Action on the Ground funding
By March 2013, Pukaskwa National Park will undertake the following initiatives:
- A feasibility study for the restoration of caribou through a translocation project in Pukaskwa. The feasibility study will summarize all ecological, social and economic considerations in such an important restoration initiative.
- Improve the ecological condition for species at risk by translocation of woodland caribou (pending the results of the feasibility study) and restoration of additional populations of Pitcher's Thistle along the coastal ecosystem;
- Fill information gaps for ecological integrity measures and social science information;
- Complete assessment, development and implementation of contaminated site clean-up actions for three fuel generator sheds at one of the park’s backcountry cabins along the coast.
- Enhance visitor experience by incorporating Action on the Ground work into programming and developing citizen science programs;
- Strengthen relationships with nearby First Nations through enhanced programming.
ECONOMIC ACTION PLAN FUNDING
Recapitalization of Visitor Day-use and Access Facilities
Up to $250,000
The Pukaskwa National park Coastal Hiking Trail winds from Hattie Cove, south through the boreal forest and over the hummocky rock of the shield to the North Swallow River (60 km). For the adventure tourist, the trail offers a rigorous hike that requires proper planning, equipment, fitness, and backcountry skills, but provides one of the best ways to experience the Northern Ontario wilderness. To use the trail, visitors must register in and register out with Parks Canada staff and must use the camping facilities that are provided along the route. Campsites are located near beaches and bays.
Funding from Canada’s Economic Action Plan will provide for important improvements to visitor infrastructure along the Coastal Hiking Trail including:
- foot bridges,
- boardwalks,
- campsites,
- pit privies,
- fire pits replacement,
- bear boxes repair / replacement
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