Park Management Plan Annual Report, 2025-2026

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.

• In August and September 2025, fire specialists completed ignitions on the Porcupine Valley prescribed fire, burning approximately 470 hectares. The goals of this project are to restore the historic fire cycle in the Porcupine Valley, reduce forest fuels to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, and to restore and enhance habitat for grizzly bears and endangered whitebark pine.

Objective 1.2: Ecological integrity of aquatic ecosystems is improved.

• Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) prevention was conducted through public education, signage, and compliance checks at Emerald Lake to monitor aquatic health and inform adaptive management.
• The Yoho Wastewater Treatment Plant biomonitoring results indicate that the water quality in the Kicking Horse River downstream of the discharge continues to be within natural reference conditions.

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 Multi Species Action Plan for species at risk is being updated to reflect the current status of species in the park. The final plan is anticipated before the end of 2026.
• Educational content on westslope cutthroat trout was included in the 2025 visitor guides. Interpretive programs and activity stations provided content on species at risk, including grizzly bear, westslope cutthroat trout and little brown myotis.

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.

• Forest thinning is underway in the wildlife corridor adjacent to the Field community. This will enhance wildlife movement around the community, while reducing the risk of wildfire impacting the village.

Objective 1.5: Cultural resources are identified, documented and protected.

• Parks staff accompanied Indigenous Guardians on site visits to several locations in the park to learn about associated Indigenous cultural values.

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.

• An assessment of trail sign needs has been completed for most of the park.
• New swing gates were installed on campground access roads and at popular day use areas to aid seasonal access control and improve security.
• Between 2024 and 2025, 20 campsites were rehabilitated at Lake O’Hara

Objective 2.3: Accessibility and inclusivity are improved in accordance with the purpose and principles of the Accessible Canada Act

• New picnic tables designed for accessibility are currently being constructed and will be distributed throughout the park in 2026.
• A building design for a new triplex in Field has been completed. The design includes one barrier-free unit and accessible parking.

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

• Significant improvements were begun on the Emerald Lake Lakeshore trail in summer 2025 to address poor trail conditions on the east side of the lake. Parks Canada worked closely with the Friends of Yoho to complete 300m of boardwalk installation, with further work expected in 2026.
• Interpretive signage was installed at Takakkaw Falls in the Secwepemc language.

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.

• An aquatic stewardship plan was developed collaboratively with the Ktunaxa Nation and the Secwepemc Nation. This plan is being implemented with input from Indigenous partners.
• Secwépemc Guardians are actively engaged in monitoring in Yoho and Kootenay National Parks.
• Ktunaxa Nation Council, Aknusti Guardians are engaged and planning to revisit Kootenay and Yoho National Parks in September 2026.
• Akisq̓nuk First Nation, are building their capacity to engage Parks Canada and advance their role as stewards through their own guardians, harvesters, and collaborators.
• Recognition of Ktunaxa and Secwepemc Guardians through Video monitors at Yoho VRC.

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

• Information regarding economic opportunities shared with Ktunaxa Nation Council and Secwepemc Nation
• Tools and instruments to support Indigenous procurement are being identified and implemented where appropriate.
• Successes are being realized through open tender opportunities such as the Campground Firewood contract with Kenpesq’t, an economic entity of Shuswap Band.

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

Objective 4.2: Canadians are engaged in learning about the park, allowing them to experience and form meaningful connections without visiting in person.

• Videos made in collaboration with Ktunaxa Nation and Secwepemc Nation are now shared in campground evening programs.

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

• To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Royal Ontario Museum’s (ROM) research of the Burgess Shale, Parks Canada and ROM staff collaborated on a variety of events. These included in-park presentations during the 2025 summer season, a social media campaign showcasing the research and continued discoveries at the Burgess Shale sites in Yoho and Kootenay national parks, and participation of Parks Canada staff in a special talk and panel discussion in Toronto in October celebrating 50 years of ROM research on the Burgess Shale.
• 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.

• The former gas station at Great Divide Lodge was demolished in October 2025. The lodge lease has now expired and will not be renewed. A site assessment and hazardous materials inventory has been completed for the lodge, with plans for future demolition and remediation of this site.

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 draft was completed in 2025, following engagement sessions in 2024. Engagement on the draft plan occurred in early 2026. The plan will be completed later in 2026.
• Wildfire risk reduction work is underway around the community. Thinning of forest regeneration within the community fireguard was initiated in October 2025. Further work on this fireguard will occur in 2026.

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.

• Strategies to reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species, together with monitoring programs and educational efforts have been developed and are being implemented in collaboration with regional partners.
• Draft Multi Species Action Plans were completed in consultation with regional partners.

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 is reducing disturbance in key corridors by discontinuing trail maintenance and discouraging human use on most of the Ice River trail and in the Amiskwi and McArthur valleys.

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.

• The Yoho National Park climate summary that highlights predicted changes for key climate variables in the park was completed and is publicly available. Climate Summary Report, 2024 (PDF, 800 KB)
• Climate change and its effects are explained in new interpretive panels installed at Takakkaw Falls.
• To mark the UN International Year of the Glacier, content was created for the Yoho National Park Facebook account. The two posts received a combined 179,000 views.

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 is ongoing in the Field Community Fireguard.
• 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.

• Ten Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations were installed at the Parks Canada offices in Field.

Objective 1: Park facilities are upgraded and maintained to improve visitor experience.

• Eight bear food storage lockers were installed at each of Laughing Falls and Twin Falls campgrounds, replacing the aging hang poles.

Objective 3: Visitors have opportunities to learn about local history and culture.

• Interpretive signage with Indigenous content was installed at Takakkaw Falls.