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, two wildfires burned a total of 18.6 hectares in the park. No prescribed fires were initiated due to the hot, dry active wildfire season in the region.

Objective 1.2: Ecological integrity of aquatic ecosystems is improved.

• 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 Emerald Lake.
• The Field Wastewater Treatment Plant continues to function effectively, with downstream aquatic biomonitoring indicating that the Kicking Horse River remains within natural reference condition.

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 Amiskwi, McArthur Valley and Ice River-Leanchoil trails will now be managed as wilderness routes with no maintenance. These changes are designed to reduce human disturbance in these key wildlife connectivity corridors.
• The Ross Lake fireguard was completed creating a 49-hectare patch of open habitat near the Continental Divide that will provide high quality foraging habitat for wildlife.

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. An assessment of trail sign needs throughout the park is in preparation
• Ten of the 20 campsites in the Lake O’Hara Campground were rehabilitated during September 2024.
• A capital investment plan and a maintenance plan for real property assets have been developed to ensure the sustainability of key park assets.

Objective 2.4: Sustainable trails and facilities provide a range of high-quality visitor experiences.

• A new hiking trail was developed on Mount Stephen from the community of Field to the site of the former footbridge across Stephen Creek. This trail on the east side of Stephen Creek was created to replace the existing trail segment on the west side of the creek that was subject to persistent erosion and degradation due to slope instability related to fine soils and poor drainage conditions.

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 and management decisions.

• The Shuswap Band provided Secwepemc cultural training to approximately 25 Parks Canada staff in Invermere.

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.

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 5.2: 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.

Objective 5.4: The village of Field is a sustainable visitor centre for welcoming and orienting visitors to the park while providing comfortable living environments for eligible residents.

• The Field Community Plan is under development, with community engagement sessions completed in 2024.

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 recreational restrictions, monitoring and education to reduce the risk of the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species.

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 risk reduction work was completed on 3.5 hectares of land surrounding Emerald Lake Lodge.
• Forest removal was carried out on 49 hectares of land near Ross Lake to create a landscape level fireguard designed to reduce the risk of a catastrophic wildfire spreading between the Kicking Horse Valley in British Columbia and the Bow Valley in Alberta.

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

• Level 1 electric vehicle charging stations have been installed at the Parks Canada facilities in Field.

Objective 1: Visitor facilities in poor condition are upgraded to improve visitor experience.

• Potential locations for a new summer hostel near Takakkaw Falls or in the village of Field were investigated with Hostelling International.

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

• A seasonal traffic counter was installed on Yoho Valley Road during summer 2024.