Banff National Park of Canada

Park Management

Banff National Park Management Plan

3.0 A Place for Nature

3. 1 Overview

The National Parks Act states that the National Parks of Canada are hereby dedicated to the people of Canada for their benefit, education and enjoyment and shall be maintained and made use of so as to leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. It also states that maintenance of ecological integrity through the protection of natural resources shall be the first priority when considering park zoning and visitor use in a management plan.

Parks Canada's Guiding Principles and Operational Policies defines ecological integrity as a condition where the structure and function of an ecosystem are unimpaired by stresses induced by human activity and are likely to persist.

To fulfill its mandate as described in the above documents, Parks Canada has adopted a system known as ecosystem-based management. This is a comprehensive approach that involves working with others toward common goals, including sustainability of the ecosystem. Ecosystem management requires the integration of ecological considerations with economic and social factors. It also requires an understanding of the human and naturally induced stresses that affect the ecosystem, and a recognition that the ecosystem is constantly changing. Ecosystem management demands actions based on appropriate information and plans to reduce and manage human induced stresses.

Important aspects of ecosystem-based management include:

• respect for the park's natural and cultural resources;
   
• management of cumulative impacts;
   
• recognizing the importance of the park environment to the visitor experience;
   
• consideration of local and regional economic and social factors;
   
• a strong and reliable scientific base;
   
• public education and enjoyment;
   
• environmentally responsible practices;
   
• inter-jurisdictional cooperation; and
   
• application of the principles of precaution and adaptive management.

Humans are an integral part of the ecosystem. Maintaining ecological integrity is important not only for the natural systems it protects but also as the foundation of the park's appeal as a tourist destination. Sustaining this ecological integrity will offer unparalleled opportunities for visitors to observe and experience nature in a mountain setting.

Ecological integrity is not a static end-point, but rather a continuum of characteristics that a landscape or area should possess. These include:

• ecosystem health, including the ability to continue evolving and developing;
   
• biodiversity, including the ecological and evolutionary processes that keep species functioning;
   
• stability, or resistance to stresses; and
   
• sustainability, through maintenance of structural and functional components of the system, in perpetuity. (Noss, 1995)

3.2 A Vision for Ecological Integrity

Banff National Park is a living example of the way in which ecological values are protected in a place where appropriate kinds and levels of human activity are welcome. The park's natural systems and all their component native species are free to function and evolve. The park supports and is supported by the natural systems of the region around it.

The history of Banff National Park and its contribution to tourism and the economy of Western Canada brings with it a variety of stressors on the ecosystem. To maintain the park's ecological integrity in face of this situation, Parks Canada will focus on:

• improved science, building upon foundations established to date;
   
• managing and reducing the stressors on the ecosystem;
   
• applying ecosystem-based management principles in decision making;
   
• restoring ecological processes and structures, with priority given to those actions which have the potential for significant ecological benefit;
   
• collaborating with other land managers in the Central Rockies Ecosystem; and
   
• increasing visitor understanding and appreciation of ecosystem-based management, the impact of humans on the ecosystem, issues, and opportunities for stewardship.

3.3 Major Stressors Affecting the Park

Ecosystems in Banff National Park have been influenced by a variety of natural disturbances, or stressors, that maintain a diversity of vegetation types and wildlife habitat. Natural fires, as well as fires set by aboriginal people, were perhaps the most important influence on the montane and subalpine areas of the park. Flooding along the Bow River and its tributaries is essential for maintaining healthy riparian communities. On the outwash or alluvial fans of creeks entering the valley bottoms, turbulent water flows and shifting rocky debris create new habitat for trembling aspens and the diverse communities they support. Avalanches clear areas of trees and shrubs, opening them up for new growth that is essential food for wildlife. Insect infestations and disease may affect some forest stands and wildlife, but over the long term, contribute to the ongoing renewal of the park ecosystems.

With the occupation of the Bow Valley by white settlers in the 1880s and development throughout the 20th century, ecosystems have been exposed to a very different range of disturbances. Towns, lodges, highways, railways, trails and other facilities have eliminated or altered natural communities. Increasing numbers of residents and park visitors contribute to air pollution, sewage, solid waste, and the demand for potable water. Sensitive wildlife avoid areas where there are many people, a practice that limits the amount of habitat available to them. Transportation corridors through the park, including the Trans-Canada, other highways, and the CP Rail line, fragment the landscape and block the movement of wildlife. Fire suppression has led to a gradual aging of forests and a loss of important wildlife habitat. Conflicts between wildlife and humans, and the associated management actions, cause animals to die or to be moved outside the park.

Parks Canada has documented consistent signs that past and current management practices, along with development inside and outside the park, have had a negative effect on ecosystems in the park and surrounding region. The Ecological Outlooks Project for the Banff-Bow Valley Study (Banff-Bow Valley Task Force, 1996a) identified the following important environmental concerns:

• landscape fragmentation due to human activity and facilities;
   
• loss of habitat connectivity between major areas of protected habitat as a result of human development and use;
   
• loss of aquatic and riparian habitat associated with dams, stream channelization, and water regulation;
   
• blockage of fish movements associated with dams and water regulation;
   
• human-caused mortality of fish and wildlife;
   
• altered vegetation successional patterns due to fire control and human modification of the landscape;
   
• loss of montane habitats due to human development and fire control;
   
• blockage of wildlife movement along and across the Bow Valley;
   
• altered predator-prey relationships;
   
• wildlife-human conflicts;
   
• effects of human activities on water quality; and
   
• introduction of non-native plants and fish.

Although there is substantial concern, there is reason for optimism. Remedial measures, mitigation and management can restore and sustain ecological integrity in and adjacent to Banff National Park. It is possible to restore and maintain the viability of most of the park's ecosystems, while also offering opportunities for world-class tourism experiences.

Many initiatives are already under way. During the past 15 years, Parks Canada has implemented measures to reduce detrimental effects on ecological integrity. These include: improved garbage management, an end to fish stocking, fencing of the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) to reduce wildlife mortality, construction of underpasses and overpasses to allow wildlife to cross the TCH, reclamation of disturbed sites such as gravel pits and dumps, closures of backcountry roads, temporary area closures to protect sensitive wildlife, restoration of several creeks, improved sewage treatment, introduction of prescribed fires, and inter-jurisdictional cooperation in environmental management. These undertakings will provide a strong base for future restoration, maintenance and management.

3.4 Research and Information Management

Many of the key actions in this plan require the collection and analysis of information. This information must also be clearly integrated into the decision-making process. Decisions occur at various levels - at an ecoregion level, a park level, and a local level. When making decisions, it is important to use all available information, to recognize when there is insufficient information to make a decision, and to ensure the public understands the information on which decisions are based. While it is true that a great deal of information exists on Banff National Park and the surrounding region, this information is not always easy to find nor is it always in a form that is useful for decision makers.

It is important that information about the park - ecological, social and economic - is seen in the regional or ecosystem context. It is, however, impossible to study all aspects of an ecosystem. Studies need to focus on significant issues and assess the area's environmental, economic and social well-being over time. A common way to do this is to select a species or value, called an indicator, and track its health or changes in its status. Grizzly bears are a good example of an indicator. Because a grizzly bear's range can cover thousands of kilometres, the state of the grizzly bear population is an excellent indicator of habitat fragmentation and connectivity in the environment. Other indicators can be selected and monitored to provide a broad, long-term understanding of changes that occur.

• to demonstrate to the public the role of research and science in decision-making;
   
• to ensure the information used in making decisions is credible and understood;
   
• to establish a regional system for storing and retrieving data;
   
• to coordinate research with others in the ecoregion; and
   
• to recognize that humans are part of the ecosystem when gathering information and making decisions.

• invite the scientific community, non-governmental organizations and the public to help develop and implement research strategies.

• provide information about the reviews and discussions that have taken place and the publications that are available.

• base the choice of indicators on the work already completed by the Banff-Bow Valley Study Round Table.

• work with institutions that collect and analyze information; and
   
• work with agencies that use information for various purposes, including education and environmental assessments.

• encourage contributions from various sectors, including the business community, universities, and government organizations; and
   
• focus on financial support for long-term research related to indicators and issues.

• demonstrate how research and information will contribute to management decisions.

• refine goals once significant information gaps are filled.

3.5 Communicating the Need for Ecological Integrity

• to use communications, orientation and education to improve the understanding that park visitors and local residents have of the park's ecological and cultural heritage and the issues surrounding its long-term protection;
   
• to use education and communications to help resolve issues associated with the ecosystem; and
   
• to provide the information local residents and visitors need to make informed decisions. This will encourage public support for Parks Canada's management programs.

• target key audiences;
   
• involve park staff, researchers, residents and park businesses in the program;
   
• offer an annual ecosystem lecture series, and a series of publications; and
   
• include information about the ecosystem in training programs for the staff of businesses and for private guides.
   

3.6 Air Quality

3.7 Geology and Landforms

3.8 Species and Genetic Diversity

3.9 Aquatic Ecosystems

In the past, the aquatic resources of Banff National Park have not received the same attention as terrestrial ecosystems. Human activities during the past 100 years have resulted in noticeable degradation of the ecological integrity of aquatic resources in the park. Many factors have contributed to this situation. These include dams, controlled water levels, the introduction of non-native fish species, the release of nutrients and other chemicals into the water, instream disturbances as a result of construction, and the channelization of water bodies to reduce flooding.

The following major concerns must be addressed:

• the amount of phosphorus in the Bow River, particularly from wastewater treatment plants in the Hamlet of Lake Louise and Town of Banff;
• the effects of fish stocking - native fish have not been able to compete with exotic species introduced to park waters. Of the twenty fish species in the Bow Valley, ten are non-native. Of the native fish species, one is extinct and two - bull trout and cutthroat trout - are threatened;
• water regulation - more than 40% of the flowing waters in the Bow River watershed are regulated by dams;
• Lake Minnewanka - bull trout have almost disappeared from the lake as a result of extreme fluctuations in the water level, fish stocking, and fishing. Water level fluctuations have also destroyed typical shoreline vegetation and aquatic habitats. The diversity of fish and invertebrates in the lake has also decreased; and
• decreases in the amount of water released from the Lake Minnewanka and Spray Lakes reservoirs - this has altered the physical structure and biota of floodplains, the riparian system, and the aquatic systems of the Cascade and Spray Rivers.

See Section 9.3 for a discussion of water quality and the actions required to improve water quality. Actions with respect to the Vermilion Lakes Wetlands are in Section 3.14.

• to designate selected aquatic ecosystems as ecological benchmarks;
   
• to implement a system to monitor important aquatic resources in the park including native fish species, non-native species, invertebrates, algae, reptiles and waterfowl;
   
• to restore native fish and invertebrate populations on an experimental basis by reducing or eliminating non-native fish species and introducing native species;
   
• to eliminate fishing where human use threatens native species or genetic diversity;
   
• to restore physical processes and biotic communities in the Vermilion Wetlands, other floodplain wetlands, riparian wetlands and outwash fans;
   
• to minimize the impact of transportation corridors (culverts, stream channelization, bridge abutments) and other structures on the volume and seasonal changes in water flows and levels;
   
• to promote water conservation; and
   
• to ensure park residents and visitors are aware of the value and status of aquatic systems, and of ways they can minimize their own impact on aquatic resources.

• teach anglers the proper methods of catch and release to prevent the death of these fish.

• restore natural flows in specific locations; and
   
• reintroduce native fish species.

• look at ways to restore more natural water flow in these areas.

• use the results of this initiative to evaluate possible approaches to Lake Minnewanka.

3.10 Vegetation

There are several areas of concern about vegetation in Banff National Park. These include:

• a decline in biodiversity in some areas, specifically aspen, open conifer and young pine stands;
   
• the disappearance of certain grasslands at an unnatural rate;
   
• the existence of more older vegetation than would naturally be expected;
   
• overgrowth of some forested areas, with a significant degree of canopy cover;
   
• more continuous vegetation and a decline in the amount of open space; and
   
• an unnatural buildup of vegetation to fuel wildfires.

If current trends continue, we will likely see a decline in the health of the forest, a reduction in the amount of wildlife habitat, and infestations by insects and diseases, particularly in the montane ecoregion. In addition, the accumulation of fuel means future wildfires will be hotter, more extensive and more difficult to control.

Since 1984, Banff National Park has had a fire management plan that calls for the suppression of all fires caused by lightning and humans and outlines a program of prescribed burns. The prescribed burn program has been on hold since 1994, pending the completion of the Banff-Bow Valley Study.

• to restore the role of fire in modifying vegetation communities, except where limited by public safety, public health, major park facilities and neighbouring lands;
   
• to maintain and restore key structural components of the park's vegetation including aspen, willow and grassland communities;
   
• to determine suitable vegetation patterns, including age-class structures and distributions that will ensure viable populations and natural biodiversity;
   
• to improve public awareness of natural disturbances, such as fire, and the management implications of these disturbances;
   
• to reduce opportunities for introducing non-native plant species;
   
• to utilize native species in reclamation and landscaping;
   
• to monitor, control or eliminate non-native species that threaten native plant communities or species; and
   
• through prescribed burns and not suppressing fires caused by lightning, achieve a target of 50% of the long-term fire cycle or approximately 14 sq. km burned annually.

• work with a variety of stakeholders to encourage understanding of and support for the prescribed burn program.

• the use of prescribed burns to reduce fuel in forested areas;
   
• controlling the supply of fuel for a fire around facilities; and
   
• interagency planning, including joint emergency response, communications, training, use of volunteers, and building standards.

• monitor, control or eliminate non-native species that threaten native plant communities or species (e.g., Canada thistle, tall buttercup, oxe-eye daisy, and toad flax).

3.11 Wildlife

• to monitor bird communities in habitats that human use has altered substantially;
   
• to restore avifauna habitat;
   
• to maintain and restore secure habitat in the park and on surrounding lands for carnivores that are not habituated to humans;
   
• to reduce the number of grizzly bears killed as a result of human activity to less than 1% of the population annually;
   
• to use prescribed burns to improve the habitat for species on which carnivores rely (e.g., ungulates for wolves, plants for grizzly bears);
   
• to begin a program to reintroduce bison;
   
• to restore predator-prey relationships;
   
• to reduce the number of conflicts between elk and humans;
   
• to restore and maintain secure, essential movement corridors in the park, particularly in relation to the Town of Banff, Hamlet of Lake Louise, the Trans-Canada Highway and the railway;
   
• to reduce wildlife mortality along the TCH, other park roads and the railway;
   
• to prevent wildlife from becoming used to humans and their facilities, thereby minimizing the need to destroy or move animals; and
   
• to work with other jurisdictions to reduce human-caused mortality that threatens regional populations of large carnivores, ungulates and other wildlife.

• restore habitat security for predators in areas where elk are numerous - i.e., near the Town, on the golf course and in the Vermilion Wetlands; and
   
• implement the program in stages as more research and a more complete understanding of carnivore and elk movements is available.

• maintain important links between the park and adjacent regions.

• study habitat use in mountain environments and the effect of bison on other species, natural communities, and visitors; and
• assess implications for public safety.

3.12 The Cascade Wildlife Corridor

A priority of this management plan is the maintenance and re-establishment of key wildlife corridors. An area of particular concern with respect to wildlife movement is the Cascade Wildlife Corridor between Cascade Mountain and the Trans-Canada Highway. The Timberline Lodge, the Mount Norquay interchange and access road, the Forty Mile Creek Water Reservoir, the private horse corrals, Parks Canada’s horse corral, the bison paddock, the airstrip, the access road to Lake Minnewanka and the Army Cadet Camp are all located in this narrow strip of the montane region. These facilities limit the movement of large carnivores and other sensitive wildlife between the Vermilion Lakes and the Cascade Valley.

With restoration of more secure habitat in the Fairholme Environmentally Sensitive Site (see Section 3.13) and the lower Cascade Valley, it is important to maintain and improve wildlife movement between the Bow and Cascade Valleys, as well as along the Bow Valley. Removing the facilities in the Cascade Corridor will reduce habitat fragmentation and restore montane grasslands and shrub habitats.

• to remove, wherever feasible, the facilities along the lower slopes and valley floor near Cascade Mountain by fall 1997; and
   
• to restore the area’s natural vegetation.

3.13 Establishment of the Fairholme - Carrot Creek Benchlands Environmentally Sensitive Site

The Fairholme Range, from the East Gate to Johnson Lake, is the largest remaining intact block of secure wildlife habitat in the montane region. As residential growth increases in the Bow Valley outside the park, more visitors enter this area on foot or by bicycle. Parks Canada plans several measures to protect this important montane habitat.

The most intensively used area on the Fairholme bench is Johnson Lake. During the summer, the lake is a popular swimming spot for local residents. The trails around the lake and to the south-east are popular for hiking, bicycling and cross-country skiing. However, damming the lake for recreational use has destroyed the area’s naturally occurring wetland and human use has affected wildlife. Two Jack Canal poses a particular problem for wildlife movement.

• to establish an Environmentally Sensitive Site (ESS) in the Fairholme Range (see Section 10.7);
   
• to reduce and consolidate trail use; and
   
• to limit the impact of the recreational use of Johnson Lake and in particular human-wildlife interaction.

• end trail maintenance and prohibit mountain bikes in the ESS;
   
• close the Carrot Creek campsite; and
   
• remove the facilities at the head of the Carrot Creek Trail.

• end maintenance of all other trails in the area; and
   
• prohibit off-road bicycle use in the area.

• railway maintenance;
   
• altered hydrological processes;
   
• recreational use (e.g., driving, sightseeing, cycling, hiking, jogging, canoeing, nature study, photography, boating, fishing);
   
• development; and
   
• highways and roads (e.g., the Trans-Canada Highway, Vermilion Lakes Drive).

• to restore more natural water levels and flows; and
   
• to restore wildlife movement in the area.

• prepare an area plan that addresses the management of human use, restoration of wildlife movement and natural water flows, and other land use issues, including the closure of Vermilion Lakes Drive to motorized vehicles past First Lake.

• implement the preferred approach over the long term.