Special places 2000 : Alberta's natural heritage : policy and implementation plan

SPECIAL
PLACES

/dibcsrra

GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA

POLICY AND
IMPLEMENTATION
PLAN

ALBERTA'S
NATURAL
HERITACE

FOR ADPITIONAL COPIES OF
THIS PUBLICATION, CONTACT:

Alberta Environmental Protection
Edmonton Information Centre
Bramalea Building
Main Floor
9920- 108 Street
Edmonton, Alberta
T5K2M4

Telephone: (403) 422-2097

ME$$AOE FROM THE PREMIER

Albertans enjoy on unparalleled
quality of life due largely to our
abundant natural resources as well
as our healthy and active economy.
The Government of Alberta is com-
mitted to providing responsible
stewardship of these resources, and
continually improving our quality of
life, through sustainable development
- paying attention to both the envi-
ronment and the economy. An
atmosphere of certainty is necessary
for continued economic growth, and
completing our protected areas
system will provide a framework that
allows for economic and environ-
mental stability.

Special Places 2000 represents an
important component of our commit-
ment to sustainable development.
Ensuring that the complete diversity
of Alberta's unique landscapes exists
for future generations is a reflection
of the leadership required to effec-
tively manage our resources. There-
fore, it gives me great pleasure to
participate in the announcement of
the Special Places 2000 initiative.

A great number of Albertans, indus-
try and stakeholder groups took the
opportunity to provide us with their
points of view over the past two years
during the Special Places consultation
process. Albertans will continue to
play a key role in the implementation
process. The information produced
on Special Places 2000 will hopefully
encourage you to remain involved
and up-to-date with this most impor-
tant initiative.

The long term success of the initiative
depends on Albertans working
together to make the best decisions. I
look forward to the not too distant
future when our system of protected
areas is completed, and all Albertans
can take advantage of the benefits
that will result.

Sincere!

MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER

Over the past two years, Albertans took
the opportunity to provide their points of
view on a draft policy that would see
Alberta complete its system of protected
areas. Special Places 2000, a policy that
will preserve representative samples of our
province's diverse landscapes, is the result
of that extensive public consultation
process.

It is with great pleasure that we introduce
the "made in Alberta" Special Places policy
and implementation process that, upon
completion, will ensure that future genera-
tions of Albertans can enjoy our rich
natural heritage.

Albertans and stakeholder groups from
across the province contributed directly to
the development of Special Places. Simi-
larly, the long term success of Special
Places will depend upon their continued
involvement - from nomination of candi-
date sites, to the designation of new
Special Places, and through support of the
day to day management of these sites.
Those Albertans directly affected by the
policy and the designation of new sites, will
participate directly, at the grass roots level.
At the completion of our network of Special
Places, all Albertans will reap the benefits.

In addition. Special Places assists us in
achieving our goal of sustainable develop-
ment. Balancing our environmental
responsibilities with economic realities
provides a challenge with no easy solu-

tions. Developing a protected areas policy
that would be accepted by the majority of
Albertans was not easy, but it was neces-
sary. However, we are confident that the
Special Places program, with its emphasis
on community stakeholder involvement, will
allow us to designate and manage pro-
tected areas with the support of all
Albertans.

Special Places 2000 seeks to balance the
goal of preservation, with the parallel
goals of outdoor recreation, heritage
appreciation, and tourism/economic
development. Not all goals will be met in
each Special Place. Levels of protection,
access and development will be addressed
through management plans developed by
stakeholders based on sound scientific
criteria keeping the overall intent of the
Special Places 2000 policy in mind.

I wish to thank all Albertans who have had
a hand in developing this policy, and
encourage all to remain informed as this
most important initiative progresses.

Tytund
Minister

Alberta Environmental Protection

INTRODUCTION

Reputation is important. The
reputation of this province — already
known nationally and internationally
for its diverse beauty and rugged
individuality — is important to its
future. Special Places 2000 will help
strengthen Alberta's standing in the
international community on this new
front, which can only lead to new
and exciting opportunities for
Albertans.

Special Places 2000 is consistent with
the Government of Alberta strategy
document entitled "Seizing
Opportunity — Alberta's New
Economic Development Strategy". A
section from this document reads:

Also, Premier Klein commented on
preservation during his January 1 7,
1 995 television address to Albertans.

''We're involved in preservation.
We're helping to keep up the strong
pioneer tradition in Alberta of safe,
family oriented communities, clean
air, water, and lots of green spaces
and recreation opportunities, pride in
our province and strength in our
country. "

"Sustainable development —
managing progress on the economy
and the environment at the same time
will form the context for provincial
economic strategies. We must link
environmental and economic
agendas if we are to see future
benefits of either. "

VIEW

^^ec\o\ Places 2000 is a Government
of Alberta initiative that embraces the
theme of preservation while at the
same time recognizes the importance
to the province of creating a climate
for attracting investment, generating
wealth, and creating jobs. Special
Places 2000 balances preservation
of Alberta's natural heritage with the
other three goals or cornerstones:
outdoor recreation, heritage
appreciation, and tourism and
economic development.

One only needs to look in Alberta's
backyard to find examples of existing
Special Places such as provincial
parks, natural areas, ecological
reserves and wilderness areas.
These preservation/ conservation
oriented sites, which contribute to the
four goals of Special Places, allow
for a considerable range of uses:
livestock grazing, oil and gas
development, recreation and tourism
development, and cultural and
heritage appreciation.

Alberta has done a excellent job of
setting aside lands with preservation
and conservation values; we are not
starting from "square one".
Currently 1 5.4 million acres (6.2
million ha) of Alberta is legislated,
and contributes to the goals of
Special Places 2000. An additional
7.3 million acres (2.9 million ha) is
managed to meet various
components of these goals. In total
22.6 million acres (9.2 million ha) of
Alberta's landbase meets all or some
of the goals of Special Places.

TING SPECIAL PLACES

Existing special places contribute to
our sustainable development
objectives in different ways:

• Dinosaur Provincial Park and
World Heritage Site — This Park
provides a national and
international tourist destination
contributing heavily to local and
provincial economies. At the same
time the paleontological and
badlands values are the most
important preservation and
heritage appreciation values in
Alberta's existing Special Places.
The park, widely recognized for its
high level of preservation, has
accommodated limited, carefully
considered oil and gas, and
grazing activity.

• Cypress Hills Provincial Park —

Preserves a unique landscape and
wildlife habitats. Cypress Hills
continues to be one of the most
popular sites in our present system
- it caters to over 500,000 tourists
and recreationists each year. At
the same time, the site provides
1 2,000 Animal Unit Months of
livestock grazing per year. All four
cornerstones of Special Places are
balanced at Cypress Hills.

• Small sites such as Egg Island
Ecological Reserve satisfy a single
objective — in this case the
preservation of the only nesting site
for Caspian Terns in Alberta.

Alberta's network of Special Places,
when complete, will ensure that all
four objectives of the strategy are
achieved.

In order to measure the
"completeness" of Alberta's system, it
is necessary to recognize that six
distinct and unique natural
landscapes exist in the province. In
our current system, these landscapes
are represented to varying degrees.
However, we have gaps in our
system. Special Places 2000 focuses
on providing the policy, the science,
and the process, by which these gaps
will be identified and filled - thereby
completing a system that includes the
environmental diversity of the
province's six Natural Regions, by the
end of 1998.

Based on a credible process of
selecting sites systematically -
considering economic, ecological,
social and cultural considerations -
Special Places will, in a balanced
manner, preserve landscapes for the
benefit of future generations of

•3'

Albertans. At the same time,
completing the initiative in a timely
way provides a climate of certainty
for resource-based industries,
reduces financial risk, and creates a
positive international image for
Iberta business.

f

he value of Special Places 2000 is
recognized by one of this province's
significant resource revenue
generators, the oil and gas industry.
The Canadian Association of
Petroleum Producers (CAPP) supports
Special Places. It describes the
success of Special Places as:

''...a strategic interest for our industry
and indeed, for the ongoing
economic prosperity of Alberta/'

Support for Special Places 2000 was
gained early in the public
consultation process from Alberta's
forest industry. The Alberta Forest
Products Association, jointly with the
Alberta Environmental Network
commented that:

''There should be protection, through
legislation, of special places on the
commercial timber base where there
are unique natural environments or
features that meet well defined
scientific criteria../'

Activities of another important
industry, the agriculture sector, are
compatible with Special Places.
Some of the province's best
grasslands are under the stewardship
of Alberta ranchers. Grazing will
continue in new Special Places as an
accepted, sound management
practice. Grazing already occurs in
existing Special Places, where
livestock grazing is part of the
management of four ecological
reserves and seven provincial parks,
if grazing currently exists within a
candidate Special Place, this grazing
will continue.

Special Places also support and
attract a variety of recreation and
tourism opportunities. Activities
supported by Special Places include
hiking, backcountry camping,
guiding and outfitting. Albertans and
visitors to the province will be in a
position to take advantage of nature
and outdoor recreation based
tourism opportunities - from
campgrounds and related services, to
less intensive ecotourism activities.

Special Places can only succeed with
the commitment and cooperation of
leaders of government, industry, and
interested groups, and will assist
Albertans preserve a proud natural
heritage for future generations.

POLICY
STATEMENT

The vision for Special Places 2000,
Alberta's strategy, is to complete
a network of Special Places that
represent the environmental diversity
of the province's six Natural Regions
(20 sub-regions) by the end of 1 998.

CUIPINC PRINCIPLES

The four goals: preservation,
outdoor recreation, heritage
appreciation, and tourism/
economic development, are the
foundation and cornerstones of the
Special Places initiative.

The Government is committed to
ensuring that there is consultation
among government departments,
agencies, stakeholders and local
citizens.

The land classification system
called Natural Regions (sub-
regions) and Natural History
Themes provides the scientific basis
for the identification, reviev/ and
designation of Special Places.

Most of the land base requirements
for Special Places 2000 will be
identified by the end of 1 996. The
balance will be identified by the
end of 1 997. The entire system of
Special Places is expected to be
complete by the end of 1 998.

The land base target will be limited
to the amount required to provide
representative samples of the

natural regions (sub-regions) while
achieving all the goals in an
integrated and balanced manner.

All factors including ecological,
social, cultural and economic will
be included in the site selection,
recommendation and decision
making process using an integrated
and balanced approach.

A wide spectrum of designations
using both legislative and policy
mechanisms would be available
under the Special Places 2000
initiative in order to designate and
manage sites.

•6-

IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS

The Minister of Environmental
Protection is responsible for
plementotion of the process.

All recommendations for site
designations will be referred to
Standing Policy Committee on
Natural Resources and Sustainable
Development and Cabinet by the
Minister, for decisions.

Consultation v/ith key stakeholders
will be used to determine the
details of the site selection and
nomination process (see diagram
and explanation on pages 9 and
1 0) based on the following
principles. Representation from the
public, including all interests, is
necessary in the site selection and
management process. The
Government is committed to
balanced and fair representation
from all interests, including tenure
holders, key stakeholders and the
public, in the implementation of this
initiative. Balanced and fair
representation ensures that those
participants whose interests are

affected are provided an
opportunity to participate in the
process that reflects the level of
impact on them.

There is a need for strong local and
regional participation and
endorsement in the identification
and nomination of candidate sites
and a need for a provincial
coordinating body.

The Provincial Coordinating
Committee will report to the
Minister. Membership will reflect
the sectors who have an interest
and would advise the Minister on
implementation and management
of Special Places.

At the local level, committees would
represent local interests and users.

The Government will provide
professional and technical support
as required in the identification,
assessment and implementation
process.

•7-

There will be ongoing consultation
and cooperation among
government departments and
agencies throughout the
identification, assessment and
implementation process.

Special Places 2000 will help
provide a context for the
preservation components arising
from the Forest Conservation
Strategy, the Wetlands Policy, the
Heritage Rivers Program and
related initiatives. A new and
improved Integrated Resource
Planning (IRP) process will be the
mechanism of land use planning
for Alberta and will be the
foundation under which these
initiatives will be implemented.
These initiatives will be reviewed on
an ongoing basis to ensure the
highest possible integration,
coordination and effective use of
existing policies.

Activities and uses for specific sites
should be based on a framework of
management intent and principles,
site specific management plans
developed with local input and key
stakeholder input, and legislation,
where required.

• The government will honour all
commitments to tenure holders,
utilizing the existing renewal
processes. When potential sites
are being identified, reviewed and
possibly designated, the impacts on
tenure holders will be addressed
through the management planning
process.

• Efforts will be made with other
provincial jurisdictions to ensure we
have a coordinated approach.

♦8'

SPECIAL PLACES NOMINATION
AND REVIEW PROCESS

1

Site nominated
by any Alberta n

2

Provinical
Coordinating
Committee
reviews
nomintion (*)

Interdepartmental Wm
comment

Local Committee
contributes to
management
principles (*)

Provinical ^
Coordinating

ommittee
review of
management
principles (*)

Government,
scientific, technial and
logistical assistance

Interdepartmental
comment

5

Ministerial and
Cabinet review
and approval (*)

* Progress tow^ard site
designation may be
discontinued at
these points.

6 Site
establishment
and management

• Sites Nominations can be

made by any Albertan by
completing a Special Places 2000
site nomination form. Nomination
forms are available from
Environment Protection, Edmonton
Information Centre by phoning
422-2079

• Provincial Coordinating
Committee nomination review
includes an assessment of the site
based on the Special Places 2000
policy and principles and/or
scientific criteria with regard to
filling the preservation gaps in the
existing protected areas network.

• Interdepartmental
^^^^ Committee comment will be
|= y7 made within 45 days of referral
regarding consistency of the
nomination with approved
integrated resource plans,
legislation and other government
policies.

• Local Committee contribution to
management principles will
include: identification of issues that
need to be resolved, comments on
proposed boundaries, options for
designation, and guidelines for
ongoing activities.

• Provincial Coordinating
Committee review of
management principles will be
based on consistency with Special
Places 2000 policy and principles.

• Interdepartmental
Committee comment on
management principles will be
made within 45 days of referral
regarding consistency with
approved integrated resource
plans, legislation and other
government policies.

• Discontinuing a nomination may
occur at the points indicated by (*).
This may occur for example, if
there is consensus that the goals
and principles of Special Places
2000 cannot be achieved due to
irresolvable issues. Should this
occur, revised boundaries may be
considered or the Provincial
Committee will re-evaluate
opportunities to fill the gaps as
required to achieve the Special
Places 2000 policy.

•10-

March 1995

Pub. No.: 1/552 _

ISBN: 0-7732-1436-4 Printed on Recycled Paper