Monitoring - Human Use

Human Use Monitoring

Rationale

Viewing muskoxen in Aulavik National Park. © Parks Canada

Understanding the human use of national parks in the Western Arctic is required for effective park management. Human use monitoring involves recording the number of visitors and Parks Canada staff who use the park, when and where they visit and the types of activities they conduct. This information is used by Parks Canada to develop and refine its public safety, law enforcement, resource management, and interpretation and education activities. It is also used to reduce conflicts between people involved in different activities in the parks, and conflicts between people and wildlife.

Objectives

• To document the extent and nature of human use of Aulavik, Ivvavik and Tuktut Nogait national parks.

Methods and Information Collected

• Information is collected on visitor, Parks Canada staff, researcher and student numbers for Aulavik, Ivvavik and Tuktut Nogait national parks.
• The number of people in the park, the dates of their visit and the activities they conduct are recorded.
• This information is summarized every year.

Years of Data

• Aulavik: since 1994
• Ivvavik: since 1989
• Tuktut Nogait: since 1998

Results

Aulavik National Park

Visitors to Aulavik National Park.

• The number of visitors to Aulavik National Park has remained relatively constant in the last 8 years.
• In 1994 and 2001, 88 and 60 visitors from a cruise ship visited the park on a day excursion.

Ivvavik National Park

Visitors to Ivvavik National Park.

• The number of visitors to Ivvavik National Park decreased slightly in 2003.
• Since 1988, the number of commercial rafting trips has decreased and the number of private trips has increased.
• The number of hiking trips in the park has increased in recent years.

Tuktut Nogait National Park

Visitors to Tuktut Nogait National Park.

• The number of visitors to Tuktut Nogait National Park increased in 2003.

Staff and Researchers

• Parks Canada staff and researchers made a total of 799 person-day visits of varying duration to Aulavik, Ivvavik and Tuktut Nogait national parks in 2003. A variety of resource management, public safety, law enforcement and education and interpretation activities were conducted during these visits.

 

	Aulavik National Park			Ivvavik National Park			Tuktut Nogait National Park
	# of groups	# of visitors	Visitor days	# of groups	# of visitors	Visitor days	# of groups	# of visitors	Visitor days
Canoe Trips	1	7	77
Commercial Canoe Trips	1	10	140
Raft Trips				9	67	824
Commercial Raft Trips				4	56	590
Kayak Trips				1	3	42
Hiking Trips				3	5	48	4	7	110
Commercial Hiking Trips							1	9	99
Day Use Trips
Total	2	17	217	17	131	1504	5	16	209

Funding

• Parks Canada

Camping along the Hornaday River, Tuktut Nogait National Park. © Parks Canada

Data Location

• Parks Canada, Inuvik

Contacts

Ron Larsen
Chief Park Warden
Ivvavik National Park
P.O. Box 1840
Inuvik, NT X0E 0T0
Phone: (867) 777-8817
Fax: (867) 777-8820
Ron.Larsen@pc.gc.ca

Christian Bucher
Chief Park Warden
Tuktut Nogait National Park
P.O. Box 91
Paulatuk, NT X0E 1N0
Phone: (867) 580-3059
Fax: (867) 580-3234
Christian.Bucher@pc.gc.ca

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