Banff National Park of Canada

Park Management

Banff National Park Management Plan

5.0 A Place for People

5.1 Overview

From the beginning, Banff National Park has been a place for people. The park provides inspiration for artists, day use enjoyment and short vacations for Albertans, once in a lifetime vacation opportunities for families from further away, a window on Canada for visitors from foreign countries, a source of pride to Canadians as the flagship of the national park system, and a home for individuals and families who serve visitors to the park.

People are a part of the ecosystem. To fulfill the mandate of national parks it is important that people experience Banff National Park in ways that respect its natural and cultural history. The park will continue to offer visitors the opportunity to participate in a wide range of activities that enhance their experience and improve their understanding of natural ecosystems and cultural heritage. Parks Canada will rely on the private sector to offer many of the services and products that support these park experiences.

Banff National Park will be a place where residents and visitors can enjoy and appreciate the values for which the area was set aside and protected. The Vision for Banff National Park recognizes this role when it states that people from around the world participate in the life of the park, finding inspiration, enjoyment, livelihoods and understanding.

All chapters in this management plan address some aspect of visitor use. This chapter provides direction on specific aspects of visitor use not discussed elsewhere. Other significant aspects of human use are covered in the following sections:

5.2 A Place for Heritage Tourism

The World Tourism Organization defines Heritage Tourism as an immersion in the natural history, human heritage, arts, philosophy and institutions of a region or country.

Heritage Tourism actively fosters an appreciation of nature, history and culture. For the purposes of this management plan, this definition has been expanded to include stewardship considerations that must be addressed in a national park.

This definition of Heritage Tourism embraces recreation and experiences that focus on the natural, cultural and historical resources of the park. The principal thrust of these activities is learning, enjoyment, education, understanding, appreciation and participation in the nature and authentic local culture of the Canadian Rockies. A primary aim of this strategy is to preserve the beauty and ecological integrity of Banff National Park as a sustainable tourism destination and ensure that this goal is supported by tourism activities in surrounding regions.

• to prepare a Heritage Tourism Strategy in partnership with stakeholders from the tourism industry in Banff and the Bow Valley;
   
• to make the tourism strategy an integral part of the operation of the park;
   
• to prepare a Banff-Bow Valley Code of Ethics, based on the TIAC Code of Ethics;
   
• to adopt the Code of Ethics as part of the park's daily operations and to encourage all businesses in Banff National Park to do the same; and
   
• to work with all businesses in the park to promote the understanding and implementation of the Heritage Tourism Strategy.

• collaborate with industry to develop the content required to enhance experiences;
   
• work with industry to develop new packages, programs and services based on the natural, historical and cultural heritage of the park; and
   
• support training and accreditation programs for staff and managers.

• build awareness through participation in trade shows and seminars, and the preparation and distribution of trade information;
   
• participate in industry familiarization tours;
   
• participate in international trade activities;
   
• support tour and trade education through accreditation and certification; and
   
• recognize industry members who demonstrate a commitment to environmental practices in their operations.

• ensure consumer campaigns include park messages and highlight heritage experiences;
   
• encourage the development and promotion of tourism products and activities that enhance environmental and cultural awareness;
   
• promote tour operators who have met certification and accreditation criteria for park messages and heritage experiences; and
   
• provide the tourism industry with timely information about fees, safety, wildlife and other issues related to protecting and presenting the park.

• use scientific evidence and professional judgement to determine the types of experiences that are consistent with ecological integrity, appropriate use and level of use by visitors and residents;
   
• encourage baseline research on natural, cultural, historic and aesthetic tourism resources, including wildlife and fisheries;
   
• ensure that prices for the use of park facilities are fair, given the current market conditions, and that visitors receive value for their money; and
   
• monitor visitor satisfaction.

5.3 Visitor Services

Banff National Park offers a variety of modern conveniences including first class accommodation, theatres, ski resorts, museums, entertainment, and restaurants. Visitors can enjoy sightseeing, alpine and cross-country skiing, hiking, horseback riding, watching wildlife, cycling, canoeing, kayaking, golfing, fishing, hot springs and spas, shopping, dining, educational programs, and a myriad of other activities. Forty-seven hotels, six hostels, twenty-seven bed and breakfasts and four backcountry lodges offer accommodation to suit any taste.

International airlines fly into the nearby Calgary International Airport. The Canada-US Open Skies Agreement has improved direct access from American communities. The Trans-Canada Highway provides easy access for people travelling by car and regularly scheduled buses offer year-round public transportation between the park and major centres. From May through October, visitors can also travel to Banff by train.

Many people now stay overnight in the surrounding area and visit the park during the day. The number of visitors arriving by bus is also increasing.

The park will continue to offer a wide variety of opportunities for day-use. These will range from roadside facilities such as picnic sites and viewpoints to an extensive network of day-use trails and attractions. It will be through the use of these facilities and services that most visitors experience the park.

Because restraint on government expenditures will continue, the park cannot rely on taxpayers for all the funds it requires. Parks Canada will charge user fees to recover the cost of services that benefit park visitors directly.

In a mountainous national park such as Banff, public safety is of primary concern. Public safety must be a shared responsibility. Visitors must take precautions that reflect the risk involved in their chosen activity. This involves knowledge of natural hazards, proper equipment and provisions, adequate skill and fitness, and the ability to cope with emergencies.

Parks Canada's involvement in controlling the risks visitors might face will depend mainly on the location and the people involved in an activity. Generally, more effort will be made to protect visitors in high use areas. Visitors to wilderness areas will be expected to accept more responsibility for their safety.

• to improve opportunities for day users to have an enjoyable experience; and
   
• to manage outdoor recreation in a way that promotes enjoyment, appreciation and understanding; minimizes environmental impacts; and reduces conflicts between user groups.

• prohibit the development of new day-use areas; and
   
• make changes to existing infrastructure as required.

• recover the entire cost of services that benefit individual visitors;
• recover a percentage of the cost of services that benefit both visitors and society in general;
• use tax dollars to pay the costs associated with enhancing ecological integrity; and
• when setting fees, consider the ability of users to pay, market conditions and the effect of fees on the local economy.

5.4 Awareness and Education

Pre-trip information, information to help orient visitors, and interpretive information can all contribute to a satisfying park visit. Providing this type of information is crucial to the success of the Heritage Tourism Strategy and to the park's ability to maintain ecological integrity.

Communication programs are required for both visitors and residents. The private sector will be a particularly important link in this process. Parks Canada will work with the tourism industry to ensure all communications reflect park values and messages.

Parks Canada uses a variety of means to communicate with visitors and residents. These include mass media, the Internet, and park brochures. There are information centres in the Town of Banff and the Hamlet of Lake Louise. Information is also available at warden offices, campgrounds, trailheads, and from park staff. Private businesses, the Friends of Banff, the Banff/Lake Louise Tourism Bureau and others involved in marketing the park also distribute information to visitors.

The size of the Information Centre in the Town of Banff limits the ability of staff to offer orientation and educational programs. The 1988 Banff National Park Management Plan identified the need for a new centre near the park's east gate to welcome and orient visitors and to educate them about the park and the World Heritage Site. The considerable private sector interest in this proposal could make this a viable project.

• to provide opportunities for park visitors to learn about the park's values, its natural and cultural features, and the ecological issues facing the park; and
   
• to foster realistic expectations on the part of visitors by providing information that helps them understand what a national park can offer and what types of use are appropriate. This information should be provided before they leave home and on arrival in the park.

• use communication tools such as the Internet, mass media, park publications and existing tourism ventures.

• focus on key locations, audiences and issues; and
   
• work with the private sector to encourage their participation in educational programs for visitors and -residents.

• identify potential partners;
   
• evaluate potential locations (e.g., in the highway median near the east gate, other locations near the east gate, in or near the Town of Banff); and
   
• complete the feasibility study within two years.

5. 5 Frontcountry Visitor Accommodation Outside the Communities NEW!

Most of the park's overnight accommodation is in the Town of Banff and the Hamlet of Lake Louise. Each community has a plan to control and manage any expansion of these facilities (see section 7.0). Outside the two communities, visitors can stay in outlying commercial accommodation (OCAs), hostels, and campgrounds.

The park's 13 campgrounds have a total of approximately 2,500 sites; three overflow camping areas are open in the summer. There is a group campground at Castle Meadows. Tunnel Mountain Village II, Lake Louise trailer campground and Mosquito Creek are open year-round. While frontcountry camping remains a popular activity, the number of campers has declined since 1979.

The Canadian Hostelling Association operates six hostels, including one in the Town of Banff and another in the Hamlet of Lake Louise. These hostels offer visitors rustic accommodation at a lower price.

Nine OCAs offer visitors the chance to stay overnight outside the communities.

5.5.2 Objectives

• to place a measurable cap on the capacity of all accommodation outside the communities;  
• to keep the impact of facilities outside the communities to a minimum;
• to enhance the quality of service; and
• to effectively mitigate impacts of existing resorts.

5. 6 Effective Human Use Management NEW!

5.6.1 Introduction

Banff National Park has a long history as a place for people. For countless generations Canada’s First Nations used this area. In 1885 it became the country’s first national park and people began to arrive from around the world to experience the spectacular mountain environment. Today the park continues to welcome visitors and to offer them opportunities to enjoy and appreciate this outstanding World Heritage Site. As a high profile icon of Canada, Banff National Park is a showcase for demonstrating ecological integrity in action – visitors enjoying the best of nature in ways which allow future generations the same enjoyment.

More than 95% of visitors remain in frontcountry areas near the park’s roads. They visit the famous viewpoints and enjoy day hikes and the day use areas. A wide variety of overnight accommodation is available in the communities of Banff and Lake Louise, in the Bow Valley and along the Icefields Parkway.

Most of Banff National Park is managed as wilderness in which natural processes can proceed with minimal human interference. Visitor numbers are low and people can experience freedom, solitude and challenge. Facilities such as trails and campgrounds vary in nature, from well maintained in popular accessible areas to rustic in more distant areas. Random use is permitted in the remotest parts of the park.

Human use management is the direction and guidance of people, their numbers, their behaviour, permissible activities and the necessary infrastructure. The objective of human use management is to allow people to enjoy a national park without damaging its ecological integrity.

Currently, there is little direct management of human use in the park. Given the park’s realities – a fixed land base, the ecological sensitivity of many areas and long term growth in the number of visitors – more active management of use is unavoidable. The type of management will vary depending on concerns. Existing low levels of use will be maintained in distant backcountry areas while popular attractions will continue to be managed for large numbers of people. Banff National Park must also work more closely with partners in the surrounding region to provide a wide range of appropriate visitor opportunities in the shared ecosystem.

Human use of the park has affected wildlife in many ways. These include:
1. Animals are killed. (e.g., as the result of collisions with vehicles or trains).

2. Wildlife are reluctant to use their natural and best habitat because of the presence of humans; or wildlife become accustomed to being near humans. Both these situations can lead to the death of animals.

3. Development or the presence of large numbers of people disrupt or destroy wildlife movement corridors.

4. The quality of the habitat changes as a result of human-caused disruptions to natural processes (e.g., fire, flooding).

Principles for Human Use Management

• A variety of techniques for managing human use will be applied – indirect methods such as education and facility design and capacity when possible, direct methods such as reservations and quotas when necessary;
• Human use management techniques will apply to commercial and non-commercial users and to park operations;
• A range of appropriate opportunities will be provided for users to enjoy the park, from remote wildland areas to intensively developed day use facilities;
• Collaboration on a regional basis is part of human use management;
• Public advice and input are integral to human use management;
• Human use decisions will be based on science and when possible, supplemented with other information such as legislation, policy, financial implications, cumulative effects, traditional and local knowledge;
• Scientific data will not always be available or complete and rarely is sufficient by itself; informed decision making will be the norm, using as much information and knowledgeable advice as possible;
• Integrity and common sense will underlie all decision making;
• The precautionary principle will apply when the potential consequences are uncertain, coupled with monitoring and adaptive management; management responses will evolve with scientific research;
• Tangible targets will be established, when feasible, for measuring success in achieving human use goals and objectives; targets will rely on a suite of ecological and social indicators for measuring success in providing a quality opportunity (e.g. to reduce congestion) and for limiting ecological impacts; and
• The implementation of the human use management strategy will be phased in.

This Human Use Management Strategy refers to the broad categories of frontcountry and backcountry. Frontcountry refers to those areas of the park which are along or adjacent to roads and which are readily accessible to all visitors. The majority of developed facilities are found in these areas – roads, communities, campgrounds, outlying commercial accommodation, viewpoints, picnic sites etc. A wide range of appropriate activities occurs – day hiking, boat tours, angling, wildlife viewing, camping, horse riding etc. Most visitors spend time in these areas or pass through them and most enjoy some of the available activities.

Backcountry areas are characterized by an absence of motorized access. Summer visitors enjoy these areas on foot or on horseback and a limited number of trails are also available for mountain biking. Facilities are comparatively few and rustic – several backcountry lodges and alpine huts, numerous campsites and many kilometres of trail. Appropriate summer activities are hiking, climbing, horseback riding, backcountry camping and some mountain biking. The remotest areas provide solitude with minimal evidence of human presence.

The park has been divided into 27 Landscape Management Units (LMU), each of which has some common characteristics. (These were identified as Carnivore Management Units in the 1997 Management Plan). For management purposes, the LMUs have been grouped into 5 Ecological Management Areas (EMA). The management direction for each LMU reflects ecological and social objectives. One paramount objective for all LMUs in the park is to retain and, where possible, improve habitat conditions for wary grizzly bears. This will, in turn, provide suitable conditions for many other species and for ecological processes.

Proposals for the LMU surrounding the Town of Banff are being developed through a separate public process with the assistance of an advisory group. Amendments for this LMU will be incorporated into the management plan at a future date.

The proposals contained in this amendment provide direction only for summer use of the park. Future amendments will address human use during the winter and shoulder seasons.

The following sections provide a Strategic Framework for the Conservation of Grizzly bears and human use strategies that apply throughout the park, followed by specific strategies for individual LMUs.

5.6.2 A Framework for the Conservation of Grizzly Bears

Those responsible for grizzly bear management in the Alberta, British Columbia and national park portions of the Central Rockies Ecosystem (CRE) agree with the goal of maintaining a non-declining grizzly bear population. This will become increasingly more challenging because grizzly bears in the Alberta portion of the CRE, including Banff National Park, live in one of the most developed landscapes in North America where the species still survives. Adding to the challenge is the fact that grizzly bear habitat in the CRE is naturally fragmented by rock and ice. Extensive linear developments such as highways, and railways follow valley bottoms and further fragment and stress bear habitat and populations.

Since 1994, Parks Canada has been very involved with other land managers and organizations in the University of Calgary led East Slopes Grizzly Bear Project (ESGBP). Demographic analysis of data from that study shows reproduction characterized by late age of first reproduction, small litter size, long inter-litter intervals and one of the lowest reproductive rates found for a grizzly bear population in North America. Survival rates for adult females were high, between 95-96%. This is attributed to focused and extensive effort by managers to keep individual females alive despite conflict with human use.

Parks Canada is seeking to be proactive in developing a strategy and actions to avoid a decline in the population. Parks Canada will work collaboratively with adjacent land managers to meet common objectives.

Predictability of human activity helps bears to avoid people. Fewer bear conflicts, human caused mortalities and human injuries occur when human activity is more predictable in terms of location and time. The Human Use Management Strategy is important for managing human activity to enhance the conservation of grizzly bears.

There has been significant research in North America on grizzly bears. This research has led to a number of concepts and analytical tools on how to effectively manage for grizzly bears. These include habitat effectiveness, security areas, core reproductive areas, greenness areas, and resource selection function. This research and understanding of these tools continues to evolve as they are applied. Parks Canada’s approach will be to apply the principles from these tools where appropriate to the Banff National Park context in working towards ensuring a sustainable or viable grizzly bear population.

Secure habitat is where grizzly bears have a low probability of encountering people. In secure habitat, grizzly bears can feed with little human-caused disturbance and maintain their wary behaviour. The CRE has had extensive loss of secure habitat for many decades, including inside Banff National Park. This has primarily been due to fragmentation caused by increased access encouraging widespread human use.

Table 1 on page 44 of the 1997 management plan identifies targets for habitat effectiveness. Parks Canada’s objective is to prevent further decline in habitat effectiveness in all areas of BNP and to increase habitat effectiveness, especially in core reproductive areas.

Three concentrations of female grizzly bears (core reproductive areas) have been identified in BNP - the Pipestone/Baker/Skoki Valley area, the Flints Park area and the Middle Spray Valley area. Human use will be managed more directly in these areas than in other areas of the park. Many of the actions identified in the Human Use Management Strategy (see following sections) are focused on improving habitat security and effectiveness.

Strategic Goal

To maintain a non-declining and viable population of grizzly bears within the regional landscape through collaborative management of human-caused grizzly bear mortality, human land use and landscape conditions. Parks Canada's actions will contribute to the long-term persistence of a healthy population of grizzly bears.

Objectives

• To minimize bear/human interactions that may lead to habituation of bears
• To prevent human-caused displacement of bears from prime food sources
• To minimize the risk of human-caused mortality and human injury inflicted by bears
• To demonstrate leadership and work collaboratively with managers of lands within the CRE, for the ongoing protection of grizzly bears and a functional ecosystem.

Key Actions

1. Emphasize decreasing human caused mortality of adult and sub-adult females, as well as providing for their security, in order to improve cub survival and recruitment, reproductive capacity and ensure wary offspring.

2. Continue to strive to meet the objective (see Section 3.11) of reducing the number of grizzly bears killed as a result of human activity to less than 1% of the population annually. Other indicators are provided in section 5.6.3, Key Action #26.

3. Reduce the frequency of human-grizzly bear interaction, thus reducing the potential of habituation and the probability of human-caused grizzly bear death or human injury.

4. Management strategies will be applied to the three concentrations of female bears with the overall goal being a net contribution of wary bears. Actions will lead to: improved habitat quality, maximizing access to habitat, improved security, minimizing human disturbance events, and enhancing the ability of wildlife to move through the area.

5. Prevent further decline in habitat effectiveness and strive to improve effectiveness, concentrating on the core areas for females. This includes habitat restoration and managing impacts of human use.

6. Improve the security of home ranges, allowing bears to feed in the relative absence of humans to promote the wary behaviour considered desirable.

7. Continue to work with adjacent land managers to maintain, and if possible improve, the connectivity of the grizzly bear population to adjacent populations by maintaining a secure, accessible landscape with high quality dispersal linkages.

8. As part of highway upgrading, introduce mitigations to enhance wildlife movement and reduce mortality.

9. Support public education and interpretive programs to increase the understanding of park visitors with respect to the impact of their behaviour on grizzly bears.

10. Continue to work with other agencies to monitor the grizzly bear population. Develop a long-term monitoring strategy to ensure that actions are taken to maintain the long-term viability of this species.

11. Implement changes outlined in the Human Use Management Strategy to improve security, habitat effectiveness and the survival rate for grizzly bears.

5.6.3 Common Goals and Objectives for All Ecological Management Areas

Strategic Goal 1

To provide the opportunity for Canadians and their international guests to enjoy high quality, authentic leisure and travel experiences that are based on national park values and that offer the opportunity for a safe, enjoyable, and rewarding experience.

Objective 1

• Provide park users and potential park users with appropriate information about the opportunities that are available in the park.

Key Actions

1. Continue to work with partners to offer a wide range of reliable information for park users, both before and during their visits, to ensure they receive appropriate messages about opportunities and have realistic expectations; collaborate with the Mountain Parks Heritage Interpretation Association, the Banff-Lake Louise Tourism Bureau and the many partners in the tourism industry and amongst non-government organizations; provide as much information as possible via the internet, with appropriate links; continue to enhance interpretive programs and on-site messages.

2. Continue to promote appreciation of the park’s natural and cultural heritage and with partners, continue to implement the Banff National Park Heritage Tourism Strategy.

3. Identify and focus on key messages and key audiences and use a range of techniques, from static displays to personal interpretation; regional residents are a key audience.

4. Pursue the implementation of an environmental education and interpretive centre in the Town of Banff

5. Improve and update the provision of information at the Lake Louise information centre, in association with partners.

Objective 2

• Maintain frontcountry opportunities at popular locations and provide ecologically appropriate facilities and services, which reflect the park’s World Heritage Site status

Key Actions

6. Maintain the existing variety of visitor facilities along the park’s roads and adjacent areas (campgrounds, day use areas, viewpoints, interpretive displays, trails, associated parking); reduce environmental impacts and introduce environmentally friendly technologies; improve services to park users by modifying facilities when appropriate (e.g. for improved accessibility) and by consolidating some facilities at locations such as Bow Lake and Saskatchewan Crossing; do not replace low use facilities at the end of their life cycle

7. Identify opportunities and pursue partnerships for improving day use facilities at popular locations. Improvements will be site specific and will include improved traffic flows and parking, modern toilet facilities of adequate capacity, aesthetic facility design, renewed interpretive information and short trails for a wide variety of visitors. Key locations are Johnston Canyon, Moraine Lake, Upper Lake Louise, Bow Lake, Bow Summit (Peyto Lake viewpoint), Lake Minnewanka and Vermilion Lakes.

8. Maintain and improve the parkways and secondary roads as outstanding visitor facilities

9. Pursue the implementation of a transportation system at Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, including intercept parking; participate in the regional transportation study, which will develop strategies for managing traffic throughout the Bow Valley west of Calgary.

10. Continue to concentrate visitor services at the communities of Banff and Lake Louise within established growth limits.

11. Work closely with tour operators to minimize the impact of human use.

Objective 3

• Use a variety of tools, including the Backcountry Opportunity Spectrum, for managing human use in backcountry areas.
  (Approximately 95% of the park is designated as Zone II- Wilderness; the Backcountry Opportunity Spectrum is an operational management tool that recognizes the varying combinations of physical, biological, sociological, access and administrative conditions found within this large area).

A larger version of the Backcountry Opportunity Spectrum

Key Actions

12. The current variety of facilities in the backcountry (commercial, non-profit and public) will be continue to be available and will not be expanded. There will be no increase in the total capacity of public overnight facilities but modifications of individual facilities may occur e.g. to improve visitor opportunities or to reduce ecological impacts. There will be no increase in the capacity of individual commercial and non-profit facilities (lodges and huts) but modifications may occur e.g. to improve visitor opportunities or to reduce ecological impacts.

13. Continue to use the three categories of backcountry management for guiding the provision and maintenance of facilities (see Backcountry Opportunity Spectrum map):

• Semi-Primitive – well maintained facilities and moderate levels of use (most day hiking and almost all mountain biking occurs in this category)
• Primitive – designated facilities as needed for ecological integrity and park user safety; lower levels of use, no mechanized use
• Wildland – few or no maintained facilities, very low levels of use, no mechanized use
• Large blocks of Semi-Primitive backcountry will continue to accommodate visitors on the many popular trails in the southern part of the park, on both sides of the Trans Canada Highway; large blocks of Wildland will retain wilderness conditions in the northeast and northwest parts of the park

14. Manage the Wildland areas for maximum wildlife habitat security, limited human use and opportunities to enjoy remote wilderness e.g.:

• Discourage increases in use levelsDo not permit any expansion of commercial or institutional (non-profit) guiding in these areas except where there is a demonstrable environmental benefit
• Provide designated facilities only where essential for reducing impacts
• Infrastructure will not be provided in the Zone 1 (Special Preservation) areas designated in the Management Plan and managed as Wildland – Castleguard and Siffleur/Clearwater.

15. Commercial guiding activities will be consistent with the management objectives for an area e.g. the number, size and frequency of guided groups will be higher in Semi-Primitive areas and lowest in Wildland areas. The approval of new commercial guiding will be carefully managed and in some locations will not be approved if there are conflicts with ecological or social values.

16. Mountain biking will continue to be permitted on appropriate trails in Semi-Primitive areas; mountain biking will continue to be excluded from Wildland areas because of the emphasis on low use in remote areas; mountain biking will continue on the Alexandra fire road as a non-conforming use

17. The Skyline Hikers’ and Trail Riders’ organizations will continue to be welcome in the park on an extended campsite rotation basis to allow sufficient recovery time from environmental impacts; alternating use of common campsites in less sensitive locations will be required, as well as the use of campsites and associated trails and access facilities outside the park; to reduce impacts, the maximum group size will be reduced to 50 for the Skyline Hikers and to 25 for the Trail Riders and all users will be required to stay on designated trails.

18. Parks Canada will collaborate with the authors and publishers of guidebooks and with licensed guides in an effort to discourage the promotion of off-trail and non-designated trail use in sensitive areas; Parks Canada will work with the mountain bike community to eliminate the proliferation of informal trails and associated ecological impacts; mountain bikes will continue to be allowed only on designated trails.

19. The Goat Creek trail will be designated as part of the TransCanada Trail for non-motorized use. Because of concerns about ecological integrity and existing levels of use on popular trails, other trail designations through the park will not be considered except for the existing designated section of the National Trail alongside the Bow River from the east boundary to the Town of Banff.

20. New mechanized means of travelling in the backcountry will be prohibited.

Strategic Goal 2

To manage human use in ways which protect the park’s ecological integrity and which ensure the ecosystem continues to support viable populations of carnivores.

Objective 4

• Manage the park as part of a larger regional ecosystem for both ecological integrity and human use purposes.

Key Actions

21. Parks Canada will continue to collaborate with the managers of adjacent lands (provincial parks, provincial resource lands, local governments) and with other interested parties to foster a shared responsibility for providing appropriate visitor opportunities, especially as regional demand for a wide range of recreational activities continues to increase.

22. As much of the recreational demand, especially for day use, originates in the surrounding region, Parks Canada will collaborate with other land managers in the region to provide improved up-to-date pre-trip information to assist potential visitors in choosing a destination that meets their expectations.

23. Changes to the patterns of human use will be necessary from time to time, to protect ecological integrity, increase visitor safety or improve visitor opportunities. When such changes become necessary and cause displacement, efforts will be made to identify opportunities elsewhere in the park or in the surrounding region. It is recognized that similar needs will occur throughout the regional ecosystem.

24. Parks Canada will improve its knowledge of visitor use in the winter and shoulder seasons, in order to prepare management strategies for visitor use that also recognize the vulnerability of some wildlife species

25. Parks Canada will improve its knowledge of visitor use in the park’s aquatic environments, particularly of the Bow River, in order to prepare appropriate management strategies

Objective 5

• Protect the three core female grizzly bear areas and important wildlife movement corridors.

Key Actions

26. The three core grizzly bear areas will be managed to provide suitable habitat for sustaining a healthy population of bears. In the Flint’s Park and Middle Spray Valley areas the emphasis is to keep bears wary; in the Lake Louise area, it is to reduce the potential for human encounters and human caused mortality and to minimize habituation. Specific objectives are:

• Improving habitat quality
• Maximizing access to habitat
• Minimizing disturbance events
• Enhancing the ability of wildlife to move through an area
• Reducing the potential for conflicts with people

The tools used to achieve these objectives will vary according to the situation in each area. They include:

• Increased predictability of human use
• Varied management approach by season
• Management by type of use (horse, hiker, bike, group)
• Habitat and facility modification (e.g. prescribed fire, trail and campground relocations)
• Monitoring/evaluating/reporting
• Adaptive management
• Continuing and new research

27. Manage human use as necessary in important wildlife habitat and in movement corridors, such as the connections between the three core grizzly bear areas (see individual EMAs for details); continue to implement seasonal restrictions as necessary to avoid sensitive wildlife areas (e.g. wolf and wolverine denning sites, caribou movement areas)

28. As natural and social science information increases and knowledge improves, modify the management of wildlife habitats to protect and restore ecological integrity and to maintain a range of visitor opportunities.

29. Develop a monitoring strategy and indicators for measuring the effectiveness of management actions on a priority basis

5.6.4 Ecological Management Areas

(Management direction for Highways and Frontcountry Areas is consolidated in Section 5.6.4.6)

5.6.4.1 North Saskatchewan Ecological Management Area

The North Saskatchewan Ecological Management Unit (EMA), bounded by Jasper National Park to the north, the Continental Divide to the west, Bow Pass to the south, and the Siffleur and White Goat Wilderness to the east, encompasses portions of the Mistaya, Howse and North Saskatchewan watersheds. The EMA includes 120 kilometres of shared boundary with British Columbia and 120 kilometres of shared boundary with Alberta. Access from crown lands in British Columbia is primarily through the Blaeberry River valley and Howse Pass.

The area offers visitors a choice of facilities including the Icefields Parkway, campgrounds, trails, and commercial accommodation. Day hikes, horseback riding, ski mountaineering on the popular Wapta Traverse, canoeing, cycling, and wilderness backpacking are all popular activities. For many visitors, a primary destination is the Columbia Icefield. Glacier Lake is one of the more popular backcountry destinations for day users. Day hiking is popular on the Sunset Pass, Parker Ridge and Nigel Pass Trails. In some areas, it is possible to hike for two or three days and see few groups – an opportunity that is becoming increasingly rare in the park

Strategic Goals

• To offer a range of frontcountry opportunities from viewing world-class scenery to facilities including viewpoints, trailheads, day use areas, pull-offs, picnic sites, campgrounds, and outlying commercial accommodations.
• To offer a range of backcountry opportunities from day use trips to special multi-day remote wilderness opportunities where few people are encountered.
• To reduce impacts on the montane ecoregion at North Saskatchewan Crossing.
• To maintain effective wildlife corridors both within the park and to adjacent lands.

A larger version of the North Saskatchewan Ecological Management Area

Objectives

• To work with provincial agencies on human use initiatives that help improve wildlife connectivity, interpret cultural resources, and maintain remote wilderness values.
• To manage the Siffleur and Howse LMUs as remote wilderness with low use, uncrowded trails and minimal infrastructure.
• To manage most of the Mistaya, Saskatchewan Crossing, Alexandra and Upper North Saskatchewan LMUs for low use with minimal facilities; concentrate high use within the Icefields Parkway corridor and low to moderate use on designated trails within the primitive area.
• To restore ecological processes with an emphasis on prescribed fire in remote locations.

5.6.4.2 Upper Bow Ecological Management Area

The Upper Bow Ecological Management Area is bounded by the Bow and Pipestone Passes to the north, Kootenay and Yoho National Parks to the south and west, and the Sawback Range and Sunshine Road to the east. Much of the park’s development is centred in this area – CPR mainline, the Trans-Canada Highway, the community of Lake Louise, campgrounds, day use areas, trailheads, commercial accommodation, and a network of backcountry trails and campgrounds. Some of the most popular and frequently used trails in the park are located in this EMA.

Lake Louise Area Strategy (Pipestone, Skoki, Baker and Lake Louise LMUs)

Parks Canada has undertaken an area planning exercise for Lake Louise, including the hamlet, Upper Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, and the Skoki, Pipestone, and Baker LMUs. The following section provides guidance to respond to the unique challenges in the Lake Louise area.

In the heart of Banff National Park, the Lake Louise area is an important international symbol of Canada and the national park system. Because of its remarkable combination of natural features, mountain scenery, important railway and mountaineering history, as well as its outstanding trail system and skiing opportunities, Lake Louise is a primary destination for many visitors to BNP. The area is also important to a range of wildlife species, particularly grizzly bears. Nowhere else do so many bears and people occupy the same space.

A larger version of the Upper Bow Ecological Management Area, Lake Louise Region

Strategic Goals

To sustain the population of grizzly bears and other sensitive species.

To improve wildlife connectivity and wildlife access to important habitat areas.

To offer a variety of appropriate four season activities.

To protect and present cultural resources.

To enhance the quality of experience for visitors and residents and reduce impacts within the Lake Louise area.

To make visitors feel welcome and valued.

To provide facilities and services that enable visitors to enjoy the area.

To ensure visitor information and marketing activities foster appropriate expectations.

To recognize the interests of Canadians, visitors, businesses, residents and the community in providing appropriate high quality national park opportunities.

To use education and interpretive programs to promote a better understanding of a sustainable environment, local environmental issues, and the vital role of visitors, residents and staff in protecting the area.

To consider the needs of businesses, residents and the community in planning and implementation.

To foster the social and economic well being of the community and the tourism industry
in the context of the area’s ecological health.

To implement the approved Lake Louise Community Plan.

Objective 1

• To reduce wildlife mortality on the TCH and CPR, grizzly bear habituation and risks to public safety.

Key Actions

1. Install a fence around the tenting area in the Lake Louise Campground to reduce bear habituation and bear/human conflicts and to maintain opportunities for tenting.

2. As part of planning for TCH upgrading, prepare a feasibility study for TCH fencing at Lake Louise as a priority; consider including the Hamlet and the campground in the fenced area and necessary wildlife crossing structures; take action as recommended.

3. Continue the seasonal reduced speed zone at Lake Louise until other measures to reduce wildlife mortality are in place.

4. Continue to work with the CPR to reduce wildlife mortality.

Objective 2

• To improve the effectiveness of the Fairview Wildlife corridor.

Key Actions

5. Reduce the volume of traffic through the Fairview corridor through use of a managed public transportation system.

6. Maintain the Tramline Trail; examine possible realignment in some locations to reduce the impact of the trail on the Fairview corridor.

7. Continue vehicle closure of 1A West; allow emergency access; maintain current low to moderate use; ensure activities minimize impacts on wildlife.

Objective 3

• To protect and present locally, regionally, and nationally significant cultural resources, including archaeological resources and built heritage.

Key Actions

8. Implement cultural resource initiatives in the Lake Louise Community Plan.

9. Encourage the protection and presentation of Skoki Ski Lodge and Abbott Pass Refuge Hut National Historic Sites.

10. Encourage the protection and presentation of the Lake Agnes and Plain of Six Glaciers Tea Houses.

11. Provide information at trailheads about national historic sites in the backcountry.

12. Work with operators to protect and present the cultural heritage values of their properties.

Objective 4

• To put in place a transportation system that is a positive, central aspect of the visitor experience, that considers the needs of users and businesses, and results in improved wildlife movement.

Key Actions

13. Pursue transit systems for the Lake Louise area, including regional winter and ski area transportation in consultation with the community, affected stakeholders, and the motor coach industry.

14. Consider a variety of transportation approaches including parking lot management, alternative parking for oversize vehicles, intercept parking, and an aerial and/or ground access system for most day users; focus primary efforts on improvements for July and August.

Objective 5

• To reduce the impacts of informal and designated trails.

Key actions

15. Review informal and designated summer and winter trails; consolidate, realign, or relocate to maintain access and reduce environmental impact.

16. Identify important habitats that support grizzly bears and other sensitive species, link to trail review.

17. Encourage use of designated trails in sensitive areas.

18. Work with mountain bikers to reduce their ecological impact and the proliferation of informal trails.

Objective 6

• To continue to manage for high levels of summer use in the frontcountry of Upper Lake Louise and Moraine Lake with emphasis on improving visitor services and reducing ecological impacts.

Objective 7

• To manage the Moraine Lake and Upper Lake Louise trail system as one of the major day-hiking areas in Banff National Park.

Objective 8

• Undertake adjustments to trails in the Moraine Lake and Upper Lake Louise backcountry to reduce impacts and improve opportunities while providing access to popular locations.

Key Actions

19. Reduce congestion at peak summer use periods at Moraine Lake and Upper Lake Louise.

20. Redesign parking lots at Moraine Lake and Upper Lake Louise to improve the sense of arrival, aesthetic appeal, and vehicle/pedestrian circulation.

21. Prohibit overflow parking and increases in parking lot capacity at Upper Lake Louise and Moraine Lake; provide overflow parking in Lower Lake Louise.

22. Reduce size of parking lots if full public transportation system is put in place; rehabilitate the riparian environment along Louise Creek adjacent to the upper Lake Louise parking lot.

23. Provide new, short, strolling opportunities to better meet visitor interests and reduce impact on the backcountry.

24. Upgrade the Moraine Lake Road to standards appropriate for future transportation system; formalize viewpoints along the Moraine Lake Road.

25. Work with Moraine Lake Lodge to integrate day use washrooms at the lodge.

26. Manage the Moraine Lake and Upper Lake Louise backcountry as a semi-primitive area with well-maintained facilities and moderate to high levels of day use on designated trails.

27. Relocate trail to Eiffel Lake and the upper section of Larch trail to improve habitat security and reduce public safety risks.

28. Close the lower Paradise Valley trail between the Lake Annette junction and the Giant Steps in the summer; maintain access to Sentinel Pass and the Giant Steps via the Lake Annette Trail.

29. Continue to close the upper section of the Moraine Lake Highline trail in berry season.

30. Prepare landscape plans for the Lake Agnes and Plain of Six Glaciers teahouses areas to reduce impact on vegetation.

31. Move the Paradise Valley campground to another location in the valley that is less significant as bear habitat.

32. Allow mountain bikes on the Ross Lake connector; consider new trails that encourage bikers to remain on designated trails.

33. Continue the program requiring hikers to travel in groups in the Moraine Lake area to reduce public safety risks and bear/human interaction when grizzly bear activity indicates the need; improve communications to ensure that backcountry users understand the reasons for the program.

34. Separate horses and hikers on some trails (e.g., the Plain of Six Glaciers).

Objective 9

• To manage the Skoki, Pipestone and Baker LMUs for low to moderate use in recognition of their importance as a reproductive area for female grizzly bears.

Objective 10

• To improve grizzly bear habitat security, reduce habituation and risks to public safety.

Objective 11

• To continue to manage the Skoki area as one of the premier overnight camping and backcountry lodge destinations in the park.

Objective 12

• To monitor, maintain and improve, if necessary, the effectiveness of the Whitehorn wildlife corridor.

Key Actions

35. Manage use in the Baker and Pipestone LMUs at existing low levels and in the Skoki LMU at existing moderate levels

36. Manage most of the Skoki LMU as Semi- Primitive with well-maintained facilities and moderate levels of day and overnight use on designated trails.

37. Manage the Baker and Pipestone LMUs as Primitive.

38. Improve important grizzly bear habitats in the Fish Creek/Temple area and the Whitehorn wildlife corridor. Pilot a summer period shuttle to Temple Lodge for the vast majority of Skoki area backcountry users (i.e., allow horse users to continue to access area on Temple Road); as part of the pilot set the number of trips and scheduled departures from a centrally located staging area in the valley bottom; relocate the public portion of the Fish Creek parking lot in consultation with the ski area and other users; assess the impact of the introduction of a shuttle on the Hidden Lake Campground, patterns of visitor use and ecological benefits prior to a long term decision.

39. Encourage visitors to travel in groups and to stay on designated trails in sensitive areas in the summer to reduce disturbance events throughout the Skoki area.

40. Address the future of summer use at the ski area as part of the long-range ski area plan and the associated comprehensive study, including management strategies for the Whitehorn wildlife corridor.

41. Pending the completion of the long range ski area plan, manage summer use of the ski area on a year-to-year basis with specific conditions. During this period, there will be no major change to the nature and scope of summer use.

42. Close Temple Road to mountain bikes; identify a substitute trail in an acceptable location.

43. Consolidate redundant trails in the Red Deer Lakes and Merlin Meadows areas and at Deception Pass to improve habitat effectiveness.

44. Maintain the current capacity of Skoki Lodge.

45. Encourage the use of trails that have the least amount of impact on important bear habitat during certain times of the year.

46. End maintenance of the Baker Creek trail from the Bow Valley Parkway to Wildflower Junction.

47. Use prescribed fire to improve habitat along the Pipestone Trail and in Baker Creek.

48. Apply a variety of techniques (e.g., timing, location, number/size of trips) to limit trail damage by horses in sensitive areas.

49. Continue to work with commercial horse outfitters to reduce impacts on grizzly bear habitat effectiveness in the Skoki, Pipestone and Baker LMUs.

50. Establish designated campsites within horse grazing areas.

51. Work with the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies to relocate their camp from the Pipestone valley to an area less sensitive to large groups.

52. Explore options to increase habitat effectiveness and to improve wildlife movement in the Baker Lake Campground area (e.g., closure of the Baker Lake Campground during berry season, relocation of the campground in the area).

53. Prepare a comprehensive vegetation management strategy for the Lake Louise area that addresses protection of facilities and the enhancement of grizzly bear habitat away from areas of high human use.

Objective 13

• To make communications and education a central aspect of all initiatives.

Key Actions

54. Update and expand interpretation at Moraine Lake, Upper Lake Louise and the Hamlet and popular viewpoints.

55. Support the tourism industry in developing visitor education programs.

56. Work with businesses and the community to develop educational and training programs that encourage staff to become responsible stewards and ambassadors who actively help safeguard the ecological values of the area.

57. Celebrate the mountaineering history of the area by incorporating this important theme in interpretation programs and other services.

58. Install new orientation facilities at Moraine Lake and Upper Lake Louise trailheads to help visitors find trails that match their interests.

59. Improve the Skoki trailhead facilities to identify the importance of the area to bears and how people can help protect the area.

60. Educate hikers about the importance of using designated trails in sensitive areas to reduce their impacts on wildlife.

61. Improve directional signs so that visitors can find their way more easily.

Massive, Sawback, Panorama and Upper Bow LMUs

Objectives

• To manage the Massive LMU as a day-use area.
• To protect the Johnston Canyon, Hillsdale, and Sawback Range natural areas of significance.
• To protect the fragile alpine environment near Bourgeau Lake and Lost Horse Creek.
• To update and expand interpretation at high profile areas and popular viewpoints.
• To reduce the impact of human use on water quality at Bow Lake.

A larger version of the Upper Bow Ecological Management Area

5.6.4.3 Spray/Bow Ecological Management Area

The Spray/Bow EMA comprises the southern part of the park, south of the Trans Canada Highway and the Town of Banff. There are heavily used backcountry areas and the Sunshine Ski Area. The EMA is bordered on the east and west by provincial parks, including Spray Lakes and Mt. Assiniboine, and some BC forest land. Popular destinations are Sunshine Meadows, the Egypt Lake area and trails in the Bryant area en route to Mt. Assiniboine. Goat Creek trail is popular for mountain biking. The Middle Spray valley is one of the three core female grizzly bear areas.

Strategic Goals

To sustain the grizzly bear population in the south end of Banff National Park

To provide a range of backcountry recreational opportunities.

To manage human use more closely in the Bryant unit because of its importance to female grizzly bears

Objectives

• To place a priority on the protection of the core female grizzly bear area.
• To ensure backcountry management reflects social and ecological goals.
• To provide opportunities for moderate levels of summer use at the accessible north and south ends of the EMA.
• To continue the high levels of winter use at Sunshine.

A larger version of the Spray/Bow Ecological Management Area

Lands Adjacent to the Town of Banff (LATB) NEW!

Strategic Goals

• To maintain and restore ecological integrity in the montane ecoregion
• To make the LATB area a showcase for meaningful experiences, appreciation and understanding for all visitors

Objectives

• To provide safe and convenient trail crossings of the Trans Canada Highway and the Canadian Pacific Railway
• To improve trail connections from the Town of Banff to adjacent areas
• To enlarge the system of formal trails
• To enhance scenic driving opportunities
• To improve visitor experiences at popular locations
• To improve all forms of information and communication
• To improve the effectiveness of wildlife crossing structures and the Cascade wildlife corridor
• To reduce the fragmentation of wildlife habitat by informal trails

Key Actions

1. Expand the formal trail system from approximately 130 kms to approximately 200 kms and decommission up to 250 kms of informal trails, as detailed in the following Key Actions. The general principles which apply to the revised trail system are to:
• direct trail use away from wildlife crossing structures and the Cascade wildlife corridor
• monitor the revised trail system for use levels and for impacts on wildlife; adaptively manage as appropriate
• resolve specific trail condition and use conflict issues
• work with trail stewardship groups to implement these actions
2. Investigate opportunities for trail users starting from the Town of Banff to safely cross the TransCanada Highway (TCH) and the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) both to the east and west of town:
• Investigate the feasibility of a trail crossing structure across the TCH and CPR, east of Banff Avenue and separate from the highway interchange
• Until a structure can be provided, direct human use to the Cascade River underpass; any trail route from the town to the underpass will require cooperation with CPR
• Provide formal trail connections on each side of Banff Avenue from the town to the Cascade River underpass – a total of approximately 6 kms; on the west side of Banff Avenue provide a trail along the edge of the Indian Grounds, within the trees so as to minimize damage to the sensitive grasslands; on the east side of Banff Avenue, provide a trail from the Pinewoods site; these trails should eventually connect with the proposed crossing structure
• Provide a designated trail between the Third Vermilion Lake and the Five Mile highway interchange and crossing under the TransCanada Highway to connect with the Bow Valley Parkway, a distance of approximately 2.5 kms; locate the trail inside the highway fence in order to eliminate human disturbance at the wildlife underpasses
3. In partnership with the Town of Banff, provide a multi-use family oriented “ring” trail around the town by linking existing trails and by providing new links where needed and ecologically feasible; include a connector to Tunnel Mountain campgrounds
4. Explore the feasibility of a 20 km trail between Banff and adjacent communities to the east; locate the trail inside the TCH fence in order to avoid disturbance of wildlife habitat and crossing structures; modify the fence location to enable an improved trail user experience if no significant ecological impacts would result; the trail might eventually form part of a regional trail through the Bow Valley
5. East of the Cascade River underpass:
• provide a continuous trail between Cascade River underpass and the Lake Minnewanka Day Use Area. The preferred route is to extend the existing Cascade Ponds - Lower Bankhead trail to Lake Minnewanka via Upper Bankhead, the first part of the Cascade trail and a short connection to Lake Minnewanka
• provide a trail connection from Two Jack campground to the Lake Minnewanka trail
• provide a trail connection from the underpass to Johnson Lake via the “Watertower trail”
• monitor trail use and wildlife movements between Cascade River underpass and L. Minnewanka; make adjustments as necessary (e.g. relocate trail segments) if any wildlife disturbance concerns become apparent
6. Investigate the feasibility of providing a designated trail between the Brewster Creek trailhead and the Five Mile TCH interchange, inside the TCH fence; this would complete a loop trail around the Vermilion wetlands
7. Provide a network of primary and secondary trails on the Tunnel Mountain bench
• a primary trail encircling Tunnel Mountain Campground, with connections to the Town of Banff and Cascade underpass
• secondary trails north and east of the campground and south and east of the Hoodoos viewpoint
• primary trails are hard surfaced (but not necessarily paved) and suitable for a wide variety of users; some will accommodate strollers and wheelchairs. Primary trails will be well signed (including distance and difficulty) and well maintained. Total length is approximately 8 kms
• secondary trails are single track, with varying grades and surface conditions and lower construction and maintenance standards. Total length is approximately 20 kms
• all trails will be multi-use, except for some closures to specific uses if necessary for safety or environmental reasons
• the network will utilize existing formal trails and some existing informal trails; there will be no new trail development in undisturbed areas
• remaining informal trails will be de-commissioned
• loop trails will be provided where possible
• trails will avoid sensitive areas such as wildlife corridors and areas of sensitive vegetation
• the most southerly section of trail, closest to the confluence of the Bow and Cascade Rivers, will be monitored for trail use and for wildlife movements in the area as it is close to the important Duthill wildlife underpass; if disturbance of predators is detected, adaptive measures, up to and including trail closure, will be implemented
• Parks Canada will work with trail user groups and others to implement these actions, including identifying appropriate trails, decommissioning unwanted trails, providing ongoing maintenance of the trail network, monitoring trail use and wildlife movements, discouraging off-trail travel and determining adaptive measures as necessary
8. Designate two trails on the east side of Tunnel Mountain (total length approximately 2 kms) for use as technical mountain bike trails, subject to the following conditions:
• the establishment of a mountain bike stewardship group to take responsibility for the trails, prevent trail proliferation and direct use to the two trails
• the rehabilitation of unauthorized technical mountain bike trails in the Tunnel Mountain area
• upgrading and maintenance guided by the standards of the International Mountain Bike Association
• design features to ensure safety where the mountain bike trails intersect the riverside trail
• no other technical mountain bike trails will be provided or authorized in the LATB area
9. Designate the warm springs wetland between Mountain Avenue and Valleyview as an Environmentally Sensitive Site – an area containing significant and sensitive features that require special protection:
• retain the existing Upper Bridle Trail for commercial horse use and establish a new adjacent parallel trail for other users
• retain the boardwalk trail
• formalize the trail alongside Mountain Avenue between the town and the Upper Hotsprings
• decommission informal trails in the area
10. Improve the Minnewanka Loop Road as a scenic drive by:
• providing additional vehicle pull-offs and viewpoints to reduce environmental impact, enhance visitor experiences, provide more opportunities for increased public understanding and appreciation and improve safety
• improving the road surface and drainage
11. Each winter, close the western section of the Minnewanka Loop Road to vehicles, from the Johnson Lake intersection near Cascade Ponds to the Minnewanka parking lot; the eastern section via Two Jack Lake and the Minnewanka dam will remain open year round for access to the Lake Minnewanka area
12. Retain Vermilion Lakes road as a scenic drive and maintain motorized access to Third Lake:
• improve the road surface
• provide more viewpoints at appropriate locations
• recognize the area as a high priority for providing outstanding opportunities for visitor experiences and public understanding and appreciation close to the town
• develop and implement an interpretive plan that focuses on aquatic ecosystems in the montane ecoregion
• this section replaces Section 6.1.3.4 in the 1997 Park Mananagement Plan and the 2004 Amended Park Management Plan
13. Upgrade facilities to improve visitor experiences, increase opportunities for appreciation and understanding and resolve ecological concerns as necessary at day use areas: Johnson Lake, Lake Minnewanka, Mt. Norquay, Vermilion Lakes, Cave and Basin area (including Marsh Loop trail), Hoodoos viewpoint; recognize these popular locations as focal points for providing enhanced heritage presentation
14. Explore the feasibility and the environmental and social implications of an aerial tramway system from the vicinity of the Town of Banff to the Mt. Norquay ski area
15. In partnership with the Town of Banff and the Province of Alberta, investigate the feasibility of providing co-ordinated trail information, including common standards, formats, symbols and published material
16. In partnership with stakeholders:
• develop and implement a comprehensive heritage presentation program for the LATB area, including both ecological and cultural heritage messages
• provide a full range of information about opportunities and conditions in the LATB area
• make the LATB area a showcase of co-operative communication partnerships that enhance the experiences of millions of national park visitors
17. In association with partners, resolve identified trail issues at specific locations:
• Johnson Lake: decommission informal trails
• Stoney Squaw: provide connections between the two mountain bike trails and provide a safe crossing of the TCH
• Banff Springs Hotel/Upper Hot Springs: provide separate trails for hikers/horse riders and mountain bike riders
• Cave and Basin/Marsh Loop: resolve user conflicts, trail damage and environmental impacts
• Bow Falls: provide centralized trailhead facilities in partnership with the Town of Banff
• Sulphur Mountain: provide improved trail identification
• Spray Loop/Tower 1: resolve user conflicts and trail damage
• decommission up to 250 kms of informal trails not endorsed in this plan

5.6.4.4 Cascade/Bow Ecological Management Area

The Cascade/Bow EMA is northeast of the Town of Banff and bordered on the east by Alberta provincial land, including Don Getty Wildland Park and the Ghost Wilderness Area. Lake Minnewanka is the most prominent feature. The area south of the lake has been designated as the Fairholme Environmentally Sensitive Site to protect an important area of montane habitat. Commercial boat cruises and private boating are popular at Lake Minnewanka. Day use and hiking are heaviest at the northwest end of the lake and north of the Town of Banff. Areas further north in the EMA are popular for horse riding, especially commercial trips to three semi-permanent camps. Flint’s Park is a core female grizzly bear area and has the highest concentration of bears of the three such areas in the park.

Strategic Goals

To provide diverse recreational opportunities.

To protect, and where necessary, restore ecological integrity.

Objectives

• To continue to accommodate moderate numbers of visitors and a variety of activities in the Lake Minnewanka area and lower numbers elsewhere.
• To protect the core grizzly bear area at Flint’s Park and improve habitat security.

A larger version of the Cascade/Bow Ecological Management Area

5.6.4.5 East Slopes Ecological Management Area

The East Slopes EMA is in the northeast part of the park, adjacent to Alberta provincial land. It is the largest area of roadless wilderness in the park. Use is low compared to other parts of the park. It is a destination for wilderness travel, especially for horse parties.

Strategic Goals

To preserve the EMA as a remote area with a naturally functioning ecosystem.

To offer visitors a wilderness recreation opportunity not found in other parts of the park.

Objectives

• To ensure that the backcountry management designation reflects management intent.
• To keep use, facilities and management presence to a minimum.
• To seek complementary management of adjacent provincial lands.
• To retain very high levels of habitat security and species diversity.

A larger version of the East Slopes Ecological Management Area

5.6.4.6 Highways and Frontcountry Areas

Several roads pass through Banff National Park, including the Trans-Canada Highway. Secondary roads provide access to popular destinations such as Lake Minnewanka, Upper Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. Individual EMA strategies above include recommendations concerning the secondary roads. This section combines information for the through roads, which affect more than one EMA.

Strategic Goals

To encourage appreciation, understanding and enjoyment of the uniqueness of Banff National Park along park roads and at frontcountry facilities.

To concentrate human use on park roads and at select hardened frontcountry facilities as a means of directing service improvements, focusing interpretation and managing ecological impacts.

To encourage frontcountry visitors to leave their vehicles and experience the park environment first hand.

To continue to examine transportation systems to improve visitor opportunities and reduce ecological impacts.

Objectives

Highway 93 South

• To manage Highway 93 South as a main through road with the range of existing opportunities to enjoy the park.

Trans-Canada Highway

• To provide visitors with welcoming, attractive roadside facilities that give visitors the opportunity to experience the park’s spectacular scenery.
• To keep delays to through traffic to a minimum.
• To provide access to major services.
• To pursue Trans Canada Highway upgrading between Castle Junction and Lake Louise subject to available funding.

A larger version of Highways and Frontcountry Areas

Icefields Parkway

• To allow park visitors, including independent travellers and the motor coach industry, to enjoy the parkway’s world-class scenery.
• To provide opportunities along the parkway to learn about the park’s natural and cultural resources and to stay overnight at a range of accommodations.

Bow Valley Parkway

• To offer visitors a slower-paced scenic drive with several opportunities to enjoy the scenery, to learn about the Bow Valley and the park, and to stay overnight at a range of accommodations.

5.6.4 Backcountry Use

The following Key Actions remain unchanged from the 1997 Management Plan

1. Backcountry Lodges

• Maintain the current capacity of Skoki Lodge
• Prohibit the use of helicopters or oversnow vehicles to transport guests and their supplies to the lodges
• Prohibit the use of horses to transport guests and their supplies to Shadow Lake Lodge
• Allow helicopters and oversnow vehicles to service the lodges

2. Allow the Alpine Club of Canada to maintain huts in specific locations, at or above treeline, as support or emergency facilities for mountaineering activities.

• Prohibit the construction of new alpine huts
• Prohibit the use of helicopters to transport visitors and their supplies to the huts
• Allow helicopters and oversnow vehicles to service the huts

3. Prohibit horse-drawn conveyances in backcountry areas

4. Allow Nordic ski tracks to be set in Zone II areas where required for the operation and management of the park

5. 7 Sulphur Mountain

Sulphur Mountain is on the western boundary of the Town of Banff. The mountain's popularity with tourists began with the establishment of the national park and the use of the Cave and Basin area. In 1904 the government built its first facility on Sulphur Mountain where the Rimrock Hotel stands today. In 1915, the Upper Hot Springs Road opened to motorists. A weather station was built on the mountain's summit in the 1920s. The gondola opened in 1959.

Parks Canada recognizes that human use and development have long had an impact on wildlife and on the mountain's natural and cultural resources. To reduce this impact, the park has access to a variety of techniques:

• closing specific trails permanently or during a particular season;
   
• fencing and closing certain areas (e.g., the closure associated with the Middle Springs II residential development);
   
• reducing lighting around facilities; and
   
• reducing the use of private vehicles by offering visitors other means of transportation.

The area also has the potential to become a centre for education and information where visitors can learn about the park and ways to reduce the impact of human use.

5. 8 Ski Areas

The three ski areas in Banff National Park - Norquay, Skiing Louise and Sunshine - are the cornerstone of winter tourism for the park. Most of the park's winter visitors come to ski at these world-class facilities. This raises environmental issues associated with development and operation of the areas, particularly during the summer. All three ski areas have approved long-range development plans.

The new Development Review and Approval Process (see Section 8.3) will ensure that development that is consistent with the long-range plans is evaluated publicly. With the input of the ski areas, Ski Area Development Guidelines will be prepared to guide the development and operation of ski areas. These guidelines will define how CEAA applies to proposals for development of ski areas, the information required at various stages of the project, and the role of public participation. They will also include appropriate operational guidelines.

• to provide skiers with the opportunity for a satisfying experience that is consistent with the national park setting and the Heritage Tourism Strategy;
   
• to ensure the management of ski areas respects approved long-range plans;
   
• to ensure summer use of ski areas considers questions of habitat security, wildlife movement and human-wildlife conflicts; and
   
• to provide a reasonable degree of certainty regarding future planning, project review and approvals.

• ensure new development is consistent with the approved plans.

5.9 Banff Springs Golf Course Area

The Spray Valley is an important wildlife corridor between Kananaskis Country and the Bow Valley. Because of its location between the Lower Spray and the Bow River, the golf course interferes with wildlife movement through this area.

Built in 1911, the Banff Springs golf course attracts golfers from around the world. The federal government turned over the operation of the 18-hole course to Canadian Pacific Hotels in 1927. CP expanded the golf course to 27 holes in 1988.

Between 100 and 400 elk use the golf course area on a year-round basis. The area attracts elk because there are few carnivores and a plentiful supply of attractive vegetation. As the area is also popular with visitors, these elk are used to being near people. This has raised concern about public safety, particularly as many of these elk also roam through the Town of Banff. The presence of so many elk is also causing extensive damage to natural vegetation around the golf course.

Other factors affect wildlife movement between Sulphur Mountain and the Spray Valley. These include vehicles on the golf course loop road, operation of the sewage treatment plant, and hiking and skiing along the Spray River.

• to encourage carnivores to use the area by reducing human use in the winter and at night;
   
• to minimize the impact of the golf course; and
   
• to address the issue of habituated elk.

• allow only those modifications that benefit the environment.

• encourage carnivores by reducing use of the golf course at night and in the winter;
   
• track the movement of elk through the golf course area and the town beginning in 1997; and
   
• in the fall of 1998, in consultation with the Town Elk Advisory Group, study options for managing habituated elk in and around the Town (e.g., relocating elk that do not migrate).

5.10 Fencing Communities and Facilities

The Banff-Bow Valley Study made various recommendations to reduce human-wildlife conflicts and increase the effectiveness of wildlife habitat and movement. A principal recommendation of that study was the construction of fencing around the Town of Banff and around facilities such as campgrounds, and outlying commercial accommodation (OCAs).

Fencing is only one way to reduce conflicts between wildlife and humans. Facility design (e.g., garbage management), trail location, quotas, and re-establishment of predator-prey relationships, are equally, if not more important. The scientific evidence supporting widespread use of fencing to protect the public or the park's ecological integrity is inconclusive. There is also concern that the widespread use of fencing will affect the ability of visitors to enjoy the park.

• to apply an adaptive management approach to human/wildlife conflicts through the experimental use of fencing; and
   
• to continue to use fencing in conjunction with wildlife crossings as a key mitigation for highway twinning (see Section 6.1).

• based on the results of the study, relocate elk that are habituated to humans; and
   
• encourage public involvement and understanding of the study through a public communication program.

• as a first step, build a fence along the railway tracks and between the Indian Grounds and the town.

• frequent highway patrols to clear bear jams;
   
• rapid clean-up of grain spills on the railway;
   
• campground patrols to ensure sites are kept clean; and
   
• communication programs.

• close certain areas seasonally;
   
• change bear management strategies;
   
• implement public education programs; and
   
• in selected locations, on an experimental basis, test fencing that carnivores cannot get through.