Park Management Plan Annual Report, 2024-2025

The protection of natural and cultural resources, park landscapes, and ecological integrity is fundamental to Parks Canada’s mandate. Progress has been made on various ecological conservation objectives.

Objective 1.1: Ecological integrity of forest ecosystems is improved.

• Fire is a natural process that plays an essential role in maintaining healthy forest ecosystems. In 2024, nine wildfires burned a total of 10.7 hectares in the park. No prescribed fires were initiated due to the hot, dry conditions and very active wildfire season in the region.

Objective 1.2: Ecological integrity of aquatic ecosystems is improved.

• In autumn 2024, an aquatic ecosystem restoration project was initiated in Olive Lake with a rotenone treatment applied to remove non-native trout. Native westslope cutthroat trout will be reintroduced to the lake once all non-native fish have been removed.
• Parks Canada continued the Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) prevention program with the closure of park waters to recreational use following the detection of whirling disease in Yoho National Park. Monitoring conducted within the park did not detect any AIS.

Objective 1.3: The status of local populations of species at risk is improved through park conservation measures that promote species recovery and address known threats, including climate change considerations.

• A new Multi Species Action Plan for species at risk is in preparation that will include several recently listed species.

Objective 1.4: The ecological impacts of human use are addressed by reducing disturbance in key wildlife corridors and other important habitat areas, promoting stewardship among park users, and by active management that mitigates potential impacts and enhances wildlife habitat in selected areas.

• A trail review planning exercise has confirmed that the former Tokumm Creek and Luxor Pass trails will now be managed as wilderness routes with no trail maintenance. These changes are designed to reduce human disturbance in these key wildlife connectivity corridors.

National parks offer unparalleled opportunities for visitors to connect with nature and culture. Parks Canada’s commitment to enhancing visitor experiences while ensuring ecological sustainability is evident in the following achievements:

Objective 2.1: Sustainable, well-designed infrastructure accommodates visitor use and protects park ecosystems.

• Trail sign standards have been developed and approximately 100 new trail signs have been fabricated, with installation expected in 2025.
• A capital investment plan and a maintenance plan for real property assets have been developed to ensure the sustainability of key park assets.
• Road improvements were completed within Marble Canyon and McLeod Meadows campgrounds.

Parks Canada is committed to deepening and strengthening our relationships with Indigenous peoples. Through collaborative agreements and initiatives, we aim to recognize and respect Indigenous connections while advancing shared priorities.

Objective 3.2: Park management is strengthened through the participation of Indigenous communities and the braiding of Indigenous knowledge into park programs.

• In collaboration with the Shuswap Band, the existing interpretive trail through the Redstreak Restoration Area was renamed the Letwilc7úl̓ecw trail. New interpretive exhibits were installed along the trail describing some of the important medicinal plants found in the area.

Objective 3.3: Indigenous partners benefit from economic opportunities associated with the park.

• The Secwepmec Guardian Program was initiated in the park during summer 2024.
• Indigenous fire crew contractors completed forest ecosystem restoration work in the Dry Gulch area.

Through innovative programs and educational initiatives, Parks Canada strives to foster meaningful connections and shared stewardship. Here are some notable achievements:

Objective 4.3: Canadians are engaged in learning about the park, allowing them to experience and form meaningful connections without visiting in person.

• Two virtual outreach programs were delivered, reaching students across Canada and the United States. Eyes in the Wild engaged 415 students real time and has over 550 recorded views, while Wings in the Canyon reached 885 students real time with over 330 views. Both were part of the Peak Discovery Series through Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants. These programs successfully built connections with youth beyond park boundaries and shared key conservation messages.
• Connected: A Parks Canada Podcast
  This podcast shares stories of species at risk, including grizzly bears and whitebark pine. As of December 2024, it has over 3,100 listens in English and French across Canada, the US, UK, and France. Available on major platforms, it earned a Bronze Award from Interpretation Canada and continues to support educational outreach.

Through careful management of development and land use, Parks Canada aims to protect the park's unique qualities for future generations.

Objective 5.1: Development and land use is managed using existing tools and other techniques as necessary to ensure the human-use footprint remains within established growth limits.

• Consolidation and rationalization of operational facilities at Kootenay Crossing has begun. One disused staff house has been removed and planning for further infrastructure consolidation is underway.

Objective 5.2: Wilderness areas are managed to maintain wilderness character and ecological integrity.

• A trails review planning exercise has been initiated to identify maintenance priorities, trail activity guidelines, and potential changes to the trail network related to trail quality and ecological concerns.

Parks Canada collaborates with regional partners to achieve landscape-scale conservation and maintenance of wildlife corridors.

Objective 6.1: Collaboration with regional partners promotes environmental stewardship and conservation.

• Parks Canada is collaborating with the Kootenay Connect project, and the Nature Conservancy of Canada to improve ecological connectivity within the Columbia Valley.
• Parks Canada continued aquatic recreation restrictions, monitoring and education to reduce the risk of the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species.

Objective 6.2: Wildlife corridors continue to function as movement pathways for animals traveling between the mountain parks and lands managed by others.

• Parks Canada contributed funding to the construction of a wildlife overpass on the Radium Hill. Work has commenced on this project that is intended to reduce vehicle-wildlife collisions and resulting wildlife mortality on Highway 93/95.
• Ecological restoration work continued in the Dry Gulch area where eight hectares of in-grown forest were treated to restore open forest/grassland habitat. A total of 30 hectares has been treated to date. This project contributes to the larger grassland restoration efforts that have been conducted in southern Kootenay National Park such as at Sinclair Canyon and the Redstreak bench.

Parks Canada aims to understand and address the impacts of climate change through research, monitoring, and proactive management strategies.

Objective 7.1: Research and monitoring to enhance understanding of the effects of climate change on key ecosystem parameters is supported within the park and the results are shared with park visitors and Canadians.

• A climate change summary that highlights predicted changes in key climate variables for the park has been drafted. This 2-page document will be posted to the park website in 2025.

Objective 7.2: The threats posed by climate change to park ecological and cultural resources, infrastructure, and operations are mitigated through active management and adaptation based on available scientific research, monitoring, and predictive modeling.

• Wildfire and incident response plans are being developed to reduce the risk to critical infrastructure during an incident.

Objective 7.3: Carbon emissions from Parks Canada sources are reduced.

• Level 1 electric vehicle charging stations have been installed at the Parks Canada Radium offices.

Objective 2: Robust visitor use data allows a better understanding of visitor use patterns.

Five trail counters were installed along the Rockwall Trail in 2024, bringing the total number of counters to six.