Ontario's Natural Heritage Areas - Ministry of Natural Resources

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Figure 5-2. National Marine Conversation Areas in Ontario in relation to Ecoregion boundaries. 0 25 50 Kenora Thunder Bay FATHOM FIVE NATIONAL MARINE PARK OF CANADA kms Georgian Bay L . S u p e r i o r L . M i c h i g a n LAKE SUPERIOR NMCA (Parks Canada)* Sault Ste. Marie Ontario’s Natural Heritage Areas 122 Windsor L . H u r o n Timmins L . E r i e North Bay Toronto 0 125 250 375 500 kms 5S 4S 3S 4W L . O n t a r i o 2W 3W 0E 1E Ottawa 2E 3E 4E 6E 7E Ecoregions 5E *NB: The boundary for the Lake Superior Proposed NMCA is an approximation only. This map is illustrative only. Do not rely on this map for legal administrative purposes. Do not rely on it as being a precise indicator of routes, locations of features, or as a guide to navigation. This map may contain cartographic errors or omissions. Published October, 2008 © 2008, Queen's Printer for Ontario Produced By: The Provincial Geomatics Service Centre Project Number: 7400_023 Projection: Lambert Conformal Conic Datum: North American Datum 1983
Image by T.J. Beechey In selecting a potential National Marine Conservation Area, consideration is given to a range of factors, including: • Quality of regional representation. • Comparative importance for maintaining biodiversity. • Protection of endangered species critical habitat. • Outstanding natural or cultural features. • Current or anticipated marine protected areas. • Minimizing conflict with resource users. • Jeopardizing the sustainability of marine ecosystems. • Aboriginal claims and treaties implications. • Education and enjoyment potential. • Ecological research and monitoring value (Parks Canada, 2006a). The feasibility of establishing a National Marine Conservation Area is assessed during a collaborative process that can involve many participants, including federal, provincial, and territorial governments, communities, stakeholders, and Aboriginal peoples (Parks Canada, 2006a). In proposing the boundaries of a potential National Marine Conservation Area, every effort is made to establish an area with a size and configuration that: • Protects a wide diversity of marine ecosystems representative of the marine region. • Accommodates the habitat requirements of viable populations of marine species that are native to the marine region. • Does not fragment sensitive, highly diverse, or productive marine communities. • Protects exceptional marine phenomena, and rare, threatened, or endangered marine flora and fauna. • Includes important sites for ecological research and monitoring. • Offers opportunities for public understanding and enjoyment. • Results in minimum long-term disruption of the social and economic life in the surrounding region. • Does not encompass permanent communities (Parks Canada, 1994:51). Management Objectives and/or Guidelines National Marine Conservation Areas are almost always associated with large and dynamic open ecosystems where the rates of change associated with many important ecological processes are rapid. Given the open, dynamic nature of aquatic ecosystems and their links to terrestrial ecosystems, management usually involves close collaboration and cooperation between many agencies and organizations (Parks Canada, 1994:51). Instead of attempting to protect marine ecosystems in an unaltered state free of human activity (the primary goal in terrestrial National Parks), management effort in National Marine Conservation Areas is directed towards the conservation of these areas in a manner comparable to the World Conservation Strategy prepared by the IUCN/UNEP/ WWF in 1980 (Parks Canada, 1994:48). In this context, conservation embraces a number of management techniques, including preservation, maintenance, sustainable use, and restoration. Therefore, protection is attained through management of a range of human activities to ensure the greatest sustainable benefit to present generations while maintaining the potential of the area to meet the needs and aspirations of future generations (Parks Canada, 1994:48). 123 Ontario’s Natural Heritage Areas
Page 1 and 2: Part II Ontario’s Natural Heritag
Page 3 and 4: 4. International Designations and M
Page 5 and 6: The Ontario IBP/CT work helped defi
Page 7 and 8: Figure 4-1. The Site Regions and Si
Page 9 and 10: Image by D. Paleczny philosophy and
Page 11 and 12: 1 ALPS SAND HILLS 2 AUSABLE RIVER -
Page 13 and 14: International Biological Programme
Page 15 and 16: Figure 4-5. International Biologica
Page 17 and 18: Figure 4-6. International Biologica
Page 19 and 20: 4.2 Ramsar Convention Sites Introdu
Page 21 and 22: Figure 4.7. Ramsar Convention Sites
Page 23 and 24: 4.3 Biosphere Reserves Introduction
Page 25 and 26: Figure 4.8. Biosphere Reserves in O
Page 27 and 28: 4.4 World Heritage Sites Introducti
Page 29 and 30: • Sets out the obligations of a c
Page 31 and 32: 4.5 Important Bird Areas Introducti
Page 33 and 34: In general, the threshold for ident
Page 35 and 36: Figure 4.10. Important Bird Areas i
Page 37 and 38: 5. National Designations and Mechan
Page 39 and 40: Figure 5-1. National Parks in Ontar
Page 41 and 42: Motorized access is not permitted i
Page 43: The Crown, in Right of Canada, owns
Page 47 and 48: In the Conservation Zone, provision
Page 49 and 50: The Degree of Protection for Nation
Page 51 and 52: outstanding examples of biotic and
Page 53 and 54: experience, without significant int
Page 55 and 56: Selection Criteria Candidate areas
Page 57 and 58: 5.6 National Wildlife Areas Introdu
Page 59 and 60: Figure 5-5. National Wildlife Areas
Page 61 and 62: Selection Criteria The Government o
Page 63 and 64: • A considerable group of species
Page 65 and 66: The greenbelt is comprised of seven
Page 67 and 68: Image by P.A. Gray • Natural Area
Page 69: Image by D. Paleczny objective of n

Ontario's Natural Heritage Areas - Ministry of Natural Resources

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