Management Plan

A New Management Plan

Introduction

The park is required by the Canadian National Parks Act to develop a management plan and have the plan tabled in Parliament. The purpose of a management plan is to provide clear direction for protecting, managing, and operating the park over the next 10 to 15 years.

Public involvement was essential to the management planning process. A management plan is a key instrument for ensuring that Parks Canada delivers on its commitments to the people of Canada. The process of management planning allows Aboriginal communities, stakeholders, partners, local residents, and the public to have an effective voice in shaping the future of the park.

During the month of March 2010 the management planning team held consultation sessions with staff, key stakeholders and partners and the public to gather feedback as part of the management plan process.

A New Approach

The draft proposals presented here reflect recent developments in Parks Canada management and accountability including a new approach to management planning. Notable elements of the new approach include:

• Developing a ‘Vision' that evokes the long-term desired state for the park.
• Defining ‘Key Strategies' that set priorities for the future management of the park and integrate the three mandate elements of Parks Canada – protecting heritage resources, facilitating opportunities for visitor experiences and public outreach education.
• Identifying ‘Objectives' and ‘Actions' that characterize the strategies and can be measured to demonstrate success.
• Developing focused ‘Area Approaches' for specific areas within the park that are subject to a unique range of management challenges and opportunities.
• Ensuring that the public is meaningfully engaged throughout the management planning process.