Law of parks and protected areas in Alberta.

• Author: Poulton, David W.

In the last several years Alberta has engaged in a vigorous public debate respecting those areas set aside as parks and protected areas. Part of this debate has focused on the ability of provincial legislation to assure the continued security of these areas. This discussion culminated this spring with the introduction to the Alberta legislature of the Natural Heritage Act, a highly controversial piece of legislation intended to consolidate and reform the existing legislation. With that legislation now on hold, it is appropriate to reflect on where we are, and how we got here. The Function of Protected Areas For several years, Alberta has been publicly committed to the concept of sustainable development (see page 10). An important component of that concept is the establishment and maintenance of protected areas. These are commonly accepted to be areas, designated by law, where the top priority is the preservation of nature, as free as possible from human-induced stresses. Thus, they are to be legally free of industrial and commercial activities. While kept free of intensive and destructive recreational activities, in most cases they would be open for nature-based recreation, such as hiking, camping, cross-country skiing, fishing, and hunting. Protected areas perform a variety of functions within the general concept of sustainable development: From an ecological perspective, if properly configured, they preserve a fully functional eco-system, including all of its component species and functions, which is a more efficient means of environmental protection than species-specific measures. Entire systems are more resilient than individual components. By preserving an adequate population of each species, they act as reservoirs of genetic diversity found within each species. Because we do not understand all of the dynamics of eco-systems, and have not even identified a significant portion of the earth's species, the preservation of a whole system serves as a safeguard against inadvertent losses due to our ignorance. From a scientific perspective, protected areas serve as natural laboratories for study and research. This is important as we strive to expand our knowledge of how nature works. It is perhaps more important, however, to provide a guideline to how we handle ourselves outside of protected areas. As industry strives to operate in an environmentally-sensitive manner, protected areas serve as benchmarks against which impacts on non-protected areas may be measured. Protected areas are the controls in our ongoing experiment in the development of our world. The recreational and spiritual value of natural areas, free from the concerns of the populated world, cannot be underestimated. Protected areas give us places of beauty, of adventure, and of solitude. They connect us with our history, as a species and as a nation. In extremes, they can put us in touch with the challenge of survival in the same way it was faced by our ancestors. By enshrining the designation of such sites in law there is an assurance that they will endure for the benefit of generations to come. The Alberta Experience Most of the protected...