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Jasper National Park of Canada
Marmot Basin Ski Area Site Guidelines for Development and Use
5.11 Vegetation Management
Ski Area Management Guidelines
"The Long-Range Plan will include a run improvement and vegetation management strategy that ensures:
- a sustainable alpine and forest ecosystem;
- preventing the spread of exotic non-native invasive plants and their elimination where practical;
- non-native species are not introduced;
- the reclamation of degraded landscapes, no longer in use, to natural conditions
- wildfire facility protection;
- the maintenance and enhancement (where practical) of wildlife habitat and movement in all seasons;
- the protection of habitat for species at risk;
- minimizing water erosion; and
- the maintenance and enhancement (where practical) of the health of aquatic ecosystems"
Page 3, Ski Area Management Guidelines , Minister of Environment, December 7, 2006
Park Management Plan Direction
- Control or eliminate non-native species.
- Maintain long-term composition and structure of vegetation communities.
Objectives
- Protect sensitive soil-vegetation complexes including rare plants.
- Reduce or eliminate erosion issues related to operational access roads/practices.
Existing Situation
- Provincially rare plant species and significant plant communities exist in the leasehold.
Site Guidelines
5.11.1 Prepare a run improvement and vegetation management strategy as part of a Long-Range Plan. The strategy is to address:
- The ecological parameters (see Section 5.2);
- Glading and new run proposals;
- Consideration of impacts on sensitive species such as caribou (see SEA);
- Identification and control of known invasive plant species;
- A spatial analysis of diverse, fragmented, naturally occurring areas such as those subject to frequent avalanche disturbance; vegetation management strategies and new ski terrain design should reflect these natural conditions (see SEA);
- Identification, mapping and management of known rare/sensitive species so that potential impacts can be avoided and monitored (see SEA);
- Public safety and avalanche control approaches for new runs and gladed areas where necessary;
- Wildfire facility protection while maintaining a mosaic of forest class structure reflective of the historic forest fire regime (see SEA); apply 'FireSmart' principles;
- Stabilization of current erosion sites; and
- Maintaining wildlife food sources for valued ecosystem species.
5.11.2 A Best Management Practice will be developed to guide glading activity and tree removal.
5.11.3 An Integrated Pest Management Plan will be a component of an Environmental Management System.
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