Parks Canada Agency

Corporate Plan
2008/09 - 2012/13

Section II: Analysis of Program Activities

Program Activity 2: Heritage Resources Conservation

Program Activity Description:

This program includes maintenance or restoration of ecological integrity in national parks through protection of natural resources and natural processes; ensuring the commemorative integrity of national historic sites managed by Parks Canada and influencing the commemorative integrity of those managed or owned by third parties; the protection and management of cultural resources under the administration of Parks Canada; and, the sustainable use of national marine conservation areas including protection of unique marine ecosystems. This program also includes fulfilling legal responsibilities assigned to Parks Canada by the Species at Risk Act and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. The protection of Canada’s most special natural and cultural resources ensures that current and future generations will enjoy a system of protected heritage places.

Planning Highlights:

In order to achieve the expected result, Parks Canada plans to undertake the following activities:

• Through active management or restoration initiatives, the Agency will work towards addressing the conservation issues in Canada’s national parks. Priority ecological issues will be identified in Management Plans and the ecological integrity condition and trends will be reported in State of Park Reports. Active management projects will be initiated to improve aspects of ecological integrity.
• Parks Canada will lead the development of national recovery strategies for species at risk that are found primarily on lands and waters it administers. Parks Canada will also participate, along with the lead department (Environment Canada or Fisheries and Oceans Canada) in the development of recovery strategies for other species at risk that occur regularly but not primarily on Parks Canada's lands and waters.
• Parks Canada will continue to work towards maintaining and improving the commemorative integrity of the national historic sites it administers, notably by investing in its built cultural resources and by maintaining its historic objects collection in good or fair condition. Investments in built cultural resources will be made using social science research information and visitor information trends to better support visitor experience.
• Parks Canada will also continue to work towards improving the condition of cultural resources located in national parks and of priority heritage buildings in townsites.
• Strategic development of the NMCA program will include applying a national zoning framework that fosters achieving the ecologically sustainable use of conservation zones within NMCAs and developing a national monitoring program to measure the state of ecological sustainability in the operating sites.
• The Agency will continue to support the protection of cultural resources not administered by Parks Canada through a national cost-sharing program and through the Historic Places Initiative.

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