Ontario's Natural Heritage Areas - Ministry of Natural Resources

Selection Criteria
Candidate National Parks are selected in consultation
with provincial and/or territorial governments, other
federal agencies, non-government organizations,
affected Aboriginal peoples, and the interested public
(Parks Canada, 1994:27). Given that each situation is
unique, the steps leading to the creation of a new
National Park reflect individual circumstances. The
normal sequence is:
• Identify representative natural areas.
• Select a potential National Park.
• Assess park feasibility.
• Negotiate a park agreement and obtain clear
title.
• Establish a new National Park in legislation (Parks
Canada, 1997).
Representative natural areas qualify for consideration
in unrepresented natural regions if:
• The area portrays the geology, physiography,
vegetation, wildlife, and ecosystem diversity
characteristic of the natural region.
• The area’s ecosystems are healthy and in a
natural state. If a candidate area is degraded,
stressed, or significantly modified, it must have
the potential for being restored to a natural state
(Parks Canada, 1994:26).
In selecting potential National Parks, consideration is
given to:
• The extent to which the area represents the
ecosystem diversity of the natural region.
• The potential for supporting viable populations
of wildlife species native to the natural region.
• The ecological integrity of the area’s ecosystems
and surrounding lands.
• The occurrence of exceptional natural
phenomena, and rare, threatened, or
endangered wildlife and vegetation.
• The existence of significant cultural heritage
features or landscapes.
• Opportunities for public understanding,
education, and enjoyment.
• Competing land and resource uses.
• Possible threats to the long-term sustainability of
the area’s ecosystems.
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• Complementarity with the objectives of existing
or planned protected natural areas of other
jurisdictions in the region.
• The potential for establishing an adjacent
National Marine Conservation Area that is
representative of its marine region.
• The implications of Aboriginal rights,
comprehensive land claims, and treaties with
Aboriginal peoples.
• International criteria for National Parks (Parks
Canada, 1994:26).
Management Objectives and/or Guidelines
The National Parks Act precludes most extractive
activities such as mining and logging, but does
provide for limited forms of traditional subsistence
activities, such as hunting and fishing by local people
for an agreed upon period in new National Parks
where there are no outside alternatives. Management
plans provide the framework for decision-making
within a National Park. The National Parks Act
requires public consultation during the preparation
of a park management plan and stipulates that
the maintenance of ecological integrity through
the protection of natural resources is the first
priority in consideration of park zoning and visitor
use. Management plans for National Parks with
international or other national designations (e.g.,
World Heritage Site, Biosphere Reserve, Ramsar
Convention Site, Canadian Heritage River, or National
Historic Site) include strategies for protection and
promotion of the values that define these additional
designations (Parks Canada, 1994:30).
Zoning is an important technique employed by Parks
Canada. Areas are classified and managed according
to ecosystem and cultural resource protection
requirements, and their capability and suitability to
provide opportunities for visitor experiences. Parks
Canada uses five zones:
Zone I-Special Preservation:
Preservation is the key consideration in this zone.
Specific areas or features are preserved if they contain
or support unique, rare, or endangered natural or
cultural features, or are among the best examples of
the features that represent a natural region.