Gros Morne National Park of Canada

Resource Issues

In setting the course for ecosystem management at the park, the plan identifies resource problem issues, and provides a critical analysis followed by recommended options for resolving the problems. Recommended actions include directed scientific research , development of management strategies and plans, and programs for law enforcement, public education, and ecological monitoring . Twenty five issues related to ecosystem management were identified and discussed. A ranking scheme was applied to prioritize these issues. The issues and their priority ranking are listed below.

1. Domestic Timber Harvest
2. Oversnow Vehicle (OSV) Use
3. Salmonid Species
4. Black Bear Ecology
5. Peripheral Land Use
6. Geological/Aggregate Resources
7. Newfoundland Marten
8. Moose and Vegetation Impact
   
   
   High Priority :
9. Arctic Hare Ecology
10. Park Zoning
11. Rock Ptarmigan Status
12. Woodland Caribou Ecology
13. Harlequin Duck Status
14. Uncommon Tree Species
15. Rare Flora
16. Site Rehabilitation
    
    
    Medium Priority :
17. Water Quality Monitoring
18. Park Boundaries
19. Waste Management
20. Sand Dune Management
21. Fossils/Rare Minerals
22. Common and Arctic Terns
23. Invasive Exotic Plants
24. Snowshoe Hare Snaring
25. Beaver

These management issues relevant to scientific research and monitoring, along with the recommended resolution actions have been summarized.

Table of Contents | Background | Legal and Policy Context | The Ecosystem Conservation Plan

Domestic Timber Harvest

Issues:

• wood harvesting, in conjunction with moose browsing is affecting forest succession;

• current wood harvest may not be sustainable.

Action:

• continue to implement the domestic harvest plan;

• complete current forest inventory and moose exclosure study;

• explore alternative options for domestic wood supply in the area, including salvaging from commercial operations, and silviculture on crown lands in the enclaves;

• phase out cutting blocks by 2050 through improving wood supplies in enclaves and crown land adjacent to the park;

• develop restoration plans for harvested areas.

Oversnow Vehicle Use

Issues:

• potential negative impacts on terrain, vegetation, and wildlife;

• loss of wilderness integrity, and erosion of park values.

Action:

• complete and implement OSV management plan;

• conduct public review of the OSV plan;

• continue research into the effects of OSV use on vegetation and wildlife;

• conduct environmental assessment of OSV plan based on research and public review.

Salmonids

Issues:

• stocks have declined dramatically;

• pressure to open up Western Brook to angling;

• pressure to enhance the recreational fishery to the possible detriment of native stocks;

• policy directs park to permanently close representative benchmark areas to angling.

Action:

• conduct swim-through surveys;

• develop management strategies in context of aquatic ecosystem management plan;

• permanently close one or more representative areas;

• promote conservation of native biodiversity through park programs and involvement in activities external to the park.

Black Bear Ecolog

Issues:

• ecology is poorly understood;

• waste management activities are affecting behaviour.

Action:

• implement Bear Management Plan;

• fence Lomond dump and monitor bear activity;

• continue existing study with NWD;

• develop law enforcement strategies for poaching.

Peripheral Land Use

Issues:

• land use in the Western Newfoundland and Northern Peninsula region may negatively affect ecological integrity, and may also negatively affect the integrity of the park (activities of concern include: fisheries, forestry, oil/gas exploration, cabin development and outfitter camps, commercial/recreational development, road development, etc.).

Action:

• develop partnerships with other agencies to work towards conservation of important sites or habitats in the region;

• acquire current data on land use activities and participate in regional planning and research where appropriate (ex. Western Newfoundland Model Forest).

Geological Resources and Aggregate Extraction

Issues:

• loss of resources;

• degradation of sites;

• lack of rehabilitation/restoration plans.

Action:

• no new extraction sites in park;

• reduce aggregate need through minimizing development, and recycling old road materials;

• develop rehabilitation/restoration plans as part of ongoing extraction plan.

Newfoundland Marten

Issues:

• endangered species;

• not known whether any animals survive in the park, or what quality and quantity of marten habitat exists in the park.

Action:

• conduct track transects, and bait station work to determine marten presence or absence;

• study habitat suitability, in order to determine park's role in recovery efforts.

Moose and Vegetation Impact

Issues:

• high moose densities in conjunction with domestic harvesting are threatening the sustainability of the domestic wood supply, and may alter forest succession.

Action:

• continue ongoing study with NWD on moose demographics, population, and effects of herbivory; explore potential for predator reintroduction;

• monitor population;

• develop moose management plan.

Arctic Hare

Issues:

• uncommon species;

• low reproductive potential;

• possibly susceptible to disturbance due to OSVs, hikers, and dogs.

Action:

• conduct research on arctic hare population, demographics, and disturbance;

• prohibit snowmobiling in arctic hare habitat, and prohibit dogs from Gros Morne Mountain during the summer breeding season.

Rock Ptarmigan

Issues:

• uncommon (sub)species;

• lack of data;

• may be threatened by OSV, hikers, and dogs.

Action :

• initiate research on population and demographics;

• prohibit dogs from Gros Morne Mountain during spring and summer breeding season.

Woodland Caribou

Issues:

• multi-year study needs to be completed;

• effects of OSV use and land use beyond park boundaries;

• complete acquisition of baseline data for use as indicator species.

Action:

• complete current study with NWD;

• subsequently monitor population, range conditions, and effects of human disturbance.

Harlequin Duck

Issues:

• eastern N.A. population endangered;

• occasionally breed in park in small numbers.

Action:

• conduct research on harlequin duck habitat in the context of national recovery plan for the species;

• monitor harlequin duck activity in park;

• develop education and enforcement programs.

Rare and Uncommon Trees

Issues:

• five tree species, at the northern limit of their range, are rare or uncommon;

• protection of these trees is important in maintaining native biodiversity.

Action:

• inventory trees;

• study regeneration;

• designate important locations as environmentally sensitive sites;

• restrict domestic cutting in important areas;

• monitor sites;

• include information in Vegetation Management Plan.

Rare Flora

Issues:

• park requires comprehensive data on rarity, sensitivity, and endangerment of rare plant communities.

Action:

• develop Vegetation Management Plan;

• conduct inventory of lichens, fungi, aquatic plants;

• study impact of visitor activities, such as hiking and snowmobiling.

Waste Management

Issues:

• existing landfills in park and enclaves present environmental, aesthetic, and safety concerns (water contamination, site degradation, unnatural food source for bears and gulls);

• no waste management strategy exists.

Action:

• upgrade Lomond facility for the short term, including fencing;

• develop comprehensive waste management strategy with the local communities;

• eventually close the Lomond dump and dispose of reduced garbage volumes at other approved site (pay fees).

Fossils and Rare Minerals

Issues:

• degree of visitor impact is unknown; lack of surveillance.

Action:

• conduct surveillance of sites, and restrict access if necessary;

• review research permit process and ensure proper collection and documentation procedures are adhered to.

Common and Arctic Terns

Issues:

• terns abandoned former colonies due to gull increases, aided by human factors;

• monitoring required to determine health of population, and to assess effects of declining gull population.

Action:

• monitor nesting activity of terns and gulls;

• promote protection of colonies outside of the park;

• minimize effects of human actions through regulations on disposal of fish offal.

Invasive Exotic Plants

Issues:

• introduced invasive plants have become established;

• native plant diversity may be threatened.

Action:

• examine plant records and identify sensitive sites;

• gauge threat of specific introduced plants;

• develop a list of priority sites for active management within the Vegetation Management Plan.

Snowshoe Hare Snaring

Issues:

• no accurate data on effects of snaring activity, or on the sustainability of the resource.

Action:

• require harvesters to report all catches, and enforce regulations;

• conduct track transects in harvesting areas to determine presence of other species.

Beaver

Issues:

• beaver dams often-constructed in vicinity of park roads or facilities.

Action:

• develop protocol for dealing with flooding situations and "problem beavers".