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Jasper National Park

Jasper National Park of Canada

Marmot Basin Ski Area Site Guidelines for Development and Use

5.11 Vegetation Management

Ski Area Management Guidelines

"The Long-Range Plan will include a run improvement and vegetation management strategy that ensures:

  • a sustainable alpine and forest ecosystem;
  • preventing the spread of exotic non-native invasive plants and their elimination where practical;
  • non-native species are not introduced;
  • the reclamation of degraded landscapes, no longer in use, to natural conditions
  • wildfire facility protection;
  • the maintenance and enhancement (where practical) of wildlife habitat and movement in all seasons;
  • the protection of habitat for species at risk;
  • minimizing water erosion; and
  • the maintenance and enhancement (where practical) of the health of aquatic ecosystems"

Page 3, Ski Area Management Guidelines , Minister of Environment, December 7, 2006

Park Management Plan Direction

  • Control or eliminate non-native species.
  • Maintain long-term composition and structure of vegetation communities.

Objectives

  • Protect sensitive soil-vegetation complexes including rare plants.
  • Reduce or eliminate erosion issues related to operational access roads/practices.

Existing Situation

  • Provincially rare plant species and significant plant communities exist in the leasehold.

Site Guidelines

5.11.1 Prepare a run improvement and vegetation management strategy as part of a Long-Range Plan. The strategy is to address:

  • The ecological parameters (see Section 5.2);
  • Glading and new run proposals;
  • Consideration of impacts on sensitive species such as caribou (see SEA);
  • Identification and control of known invasive plant species;
  • A spatial analysis of diverse, fragmented, naturally occurring areas such as those subject to frequent avalanche disturbance; vegetation management strategies and new ski terrain design should reflect these natural conditions (see SEA);
  • Identification, mapping and management of known rare/sensitive species so that potential impacts can be avoided and monitored (see SEA);
  • Public safety and avalanche control approaches for new runs and gladed areas where necessary;
  • Wildfire facility protection while maintaining a mosaic of forest class structure reflective of the historic forest fire regime (see SEA); apply 'FireSmart' principles;
  • Stabilization of current erosion sites; and
  • Maintaining wildlife food sources for valued ecosystem species.

5.11.2 A Best Management Practice will be developed to guide glading activity and tree removal.

5.11.3 An Integrated Pest Management Plan will be a component of an Environmental Management System.

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