Quttinirpaaq National Park Draft Management Plan, 2020

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Executive summary

Located on northern Ellesmere Island, Quttinirpaaq National Park is Canada’s northernmost national park, representing the Eastern High Arctic Natural region in Canada’s National Park System Plan. Initially established as a National Park Reserve in 1988, Quttinirpaaq National Park protects 37,775km², and is the country’s second largest National Park. The park’s landscape is dominated by glaciers and mountains and includes a variety of uniquely adapted ecosystems, resulting in protection of substantial biodiversity.

Together, Parks Canada and Inuit are managing Quttinirpaaq National Park through the Joint Park Management Committee as outlined in the Nunavut Agreement and the Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement for Auyuittuq, Sirmilik and Quttinirpaaq (IIBA). This management committee advises the Minister on any matters pertaining to park management for ministerial approval.

This management plan replaces the 2009 management plan for Quttinirpaaq National Park and reflects the priorities of Parks Canada and Inuit partners. The plan outlines the importance of Quttinirpaaq to multiple groups, including Inuit from the adjacent communities of Resolute and Grise Fiord, whose ancestors lived here. Quttinirpaaq is a place of global importance to understand the impacts of climate change.

The vision articulated in this plan underlines the importance of conservation, partnerships and enhancement of opportunities for appreciation and understanding of the local, regional, national and global significance of the park’s natural and cultural values. Three key strategies, a zoning plan and an area management approach are identified to guide management activities to realize the Park’s vision.

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1.0 Introduction

Parks Canada Agency manages one of the finest and most extensive systems of protected natural and historic places in the world. The Agency’s mandate is to protect and present these places for the benefit and enjoyment of current and future generations. Future-oriented, strategic management of each national park, national marine conservation area, heritage canal and those national historic sites administered by Parks Canada supports the Agency’s vision:

Canada’s treasured natural and historic places will be a living legacy, connecting hearts and minds to a stronger, deeper understanding of the very essence of Canada.

The Canada National Parks Act and the Parks Canada Agency Act require Parks Canada to prepare a management plan for each national park. Implementing the Nunavut Agreement requires this plan be developed by a Park Planning Team, consisting of an equal number of members appointed by Parks Canada and the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA). The Quttinirpaaq National Park Management Plan, once approved by the Joint Park Management Committee (JPMC) and the Minister responsible for Parks Canada, guides management for the next ten years and ensures accountability to Canadians. This plan outlines how park management will achieve measurable results in the implementation of the Nunavut Agreement (NA), the Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement for Auyuittuq, Quttinirpaaq and Sirmilik National Parks (Baffin IIBA), and Parks Canada Agency’s mandate.

Inuit and other Canadians were engaged by the Park Planning Team to shape the future direction of the national park through the management planning process. This plan has been reviewed by QIA and the Qikiqtaaluk Wildlife Board, and approved by the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board. It sets clear, strategic direction for the management of Quttinirpaaq National Park (the Park) by articulating a vision, key strategies and objectives. As per the Baffin IIBA, Parks Canada, in cooperation with the QIA, will report annually on progress toward achieving the plan objectives and will review the plan every ten years or sooner if requested by the JPMC, QIA or Parks Canada.

This plan is not an end in and of itself. Parks Canada and Inuit will maintain an open dialogue on the implementation of the management of Quttinirpaaq National Park, to ensure that it remains relevant and meaningful.

 

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2.0 Significance of Quttinirpaaq National Park

Quttinirpaaq National Park is Canada’s northernmost, and second largest National Park, covering 37,775 km² (Map 1). Quttinirpaaq is an Inuktitut word meaning “at the top,” referring to its location at the top of the world. It was named by the people of Grise Fiord and Resolute in 2001. The park’s landscape is dominated by glaciers and mountains, yet includes a remarkable diversity of unique and localized ecosystems including a polar desert, the deepest freshwater lake north of the Arctic Circle, and distinct microbial systems. Along the northern coast, glaciers spill into deep marine fiords, and multi-year ice shelves support unique, ice-dependent communities. Some of the area’s lowlands and wetlands are surprisingly lush, with a remarkable variety of plants and animals for a region shrouded in snow and darkness for half the year. Muskoxen, small herds of Peary caribou, Arctic wolves, Arctic hares and a variety of birds can be found here.

Quttinirpaaq plays a significant role in understanding human history in the Arctic, with some of the oldest, and one of the densest concentrations, of prehistoric Arctic archeological sites within its boundary. Dating back over 4000 years, these sites provide evidence of the migration of Independence I people from the sub-arctic through to Greenland along a route known as the Muskox Way. The area is important to today’s Inuit as their direct ancestors, Thule Inuit, travelled and lived in the park area for several hundreds of years. Thule Inuit came to this area about 1000 years ago and evidence of their year-round presence is found throughout the park. The Lake Hazen/Tasialuk Basin (Map 2) has been an important hunting and fishing ground for Greenland Inughuit until quite recently.

This region became known to southern Canadians in the era of the Cold War (1947-91) due to the Canadian Defence Research Board (DRB) who established three camps in what is today Quttinirpaaq National Park. The DRB conducted integrated scientific research spanning meteorology, glaciology, oceanography and other disciplines between the 1950s and 70s. Their research, and subsequent studies in these northern most ecosystems, has been informing science for well over six decades. The Park is viewed as a global point of reference for the effects of climate change. As the impacts of climate change are more pronounced near the poles, observations made this far north can provide a window into changes and challenges anticipated for southern regions.

Quttinirpaaq National Park represents the Eastern High Arctic Natural Region within the Canadian National Park’s System Plan. The eastern shores and ice shelves of the Park are within the Remnant Arctic Multi-Year Sea Ice and Northeast Water Polynya Ecoregion which the International Union for the Conservation of Nature proposes has outstanding universal value. The Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans considers this ecosystem an Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area (EBSA) of the Arctic Archipelago Region.

Quttinirpaaq National Park was first established as a Park Reserve in 1988. Following the signing of the Nunavut Agreement in 1993, the Baffin IIBA was negotiated with QIA and signed in 1999. Quttinirpaaq was subsequently established as a National Park with a cooperative management committee (the JPMC) when the Canada National Parks Act came into force in 2001. The park is a tangible expression of Canadian Arctic Sovereignty.

In 2004, Canada included Quttinirpaaq National Park on its tentative list for future nomination for inclusion on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) list of World Heritage Sites. Proposed under four separate criteria: successive human occupation; natural beauty and superlative natural phenomena; geological processes representing major stages of earth’s history; and the presence of a diversity of arctic species, Canada believes that the natural and cultural values of Quttinirpaaq are globally significant.

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3.0 Planning context

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4.0 Vision

Quttinirpaaq National Park is perched at the top of the world. Windswept and glacier carved, the years of change have traced their history across the expanse of northern Ellesmere Island and laid bare the history of geologic formation. Numerous cultural sites scattered throughout the expanse of the park bear testament to human ingenuity and adaptability, where people took advantage of the natural routes and gentler climate provided by the landscape.

Quttinirpaaq holds value as a place uniquely situated to provide insight into the state of the Arctic and the changing global environment. Relatively undisturbed by current human activity, Quttinirpaaq’s unique and diverse ecosystems are healthy and remain connected to the greater systems surrounding it. Though signs of climate change are visible, life thrives here, and cultural resources are treasured and protected.

Mutual trust and respect are the foundations of building knowledge: Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and science are equally essential to our understanding and management of the park.

Quttinirpaaq National Park welcomes park visitors, Inuit and other park users; meaningful experiences foster appreciation for the park as well as the Eastern High Arctic Region. The park’s infrastructure and assets will adequately serve all park user needs and reflect a thoughtful, low-impact approach that considers future change. Parks Canada has strong relationships to support the achievement of its mandate and its commitments to cooperatively manage the park with Inuit. Strong connections between the park, local communities, Nunavummiut and Canadians at large foster appreciation and understanding of Quttinirpaaq and the greater region. Innovation and resourcefulness guide Parks Canada’s success in fulfilling all aspects of its mandate and commitments.

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5.0 Key strategies

Three key strategies describe the integrated approach to the management of Quttinirpaaq National Park for the next ten years. These strategies are based on priorities determined by the Park Planning Team, Joint Park Management Committee and Parks Canada, and meeting the objectives will direct how human and financial resources are allocated in order to realize our shared vision. They are also consistent with Canada’s Arctic Policy Framework (released September 10, 2019). Many of the targets are cross cutting and serve more than one objective. Where applicable, references to relevant Articles in the Baffin IIBA have been included to demonstrate the direct link between management plan commitments and IIBA implementation.

Target dates are relative to the date of signing of the plan, and unless otherwise specified, targets are to be met within the 10 year life of the plan, or are ongoing commitments.

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Key strategy 1

Honouring shared commitments

Core objectives of the Nunavut Agreement are to encourage self-reliance, and the cultural and social well-being of Inuit. The Baffin IIBA is a tool used to honour Inuit rights and provide opportunities for Inuit to benefit from the establishment, planning, management and operation of the park. Guided by the Inuit Societal Value of Pijitsirniq (serving and providing for family and/or community) this strategy addresses meeting the Nunavut Agreement and Baffin IIBA commitments to this goal. Parks Canada works with other federal departments to be an active member of the associated communities of Resolute and Grise Fiord. Through capacity building for participation in management, economic and employment opportunities in these communities, Parks Canada seeks to provide ways for Inuit to benefit from the establishment, planning, management and operation of Quttinirpaaq National Park.

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Key strategy 2

Working together

Quttinirpaaq National Park supports a number of different user groups. It is traditional home and hunting ground for Inuit. It is also a hub for northern research, a staging point for military operations and place for adventuring. Its remoteness, however, means access is a financial and logistical challenge for everyone, which makes working together on shared goals essential. For Parks Canada, major challenges include: upkeep of infrastructure that is key to program delivery; delivery of visitor opportunities; and enhancing our understanding of the parks’ natural and cultural heritage. Additionally, conservation is more successful when aligned with regional initiatives for activities inside and outside the park. Quttinirpaaq management will be guided by the Inuit Societal Value of Qanuqtuurniq (being innovative and resourceful) to pro-actively seek out ways to work with others to ensure continued success. Effective two-way communication and relationship building with communities is essential to realize this success.

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Key strategy 3

Learning from people and land

This strategy underlines the opportunity Quttinirpaaq provides to learn from the unique coexistence Inuit share with land and wildlife. It is a place where we can study the effects of geologic forces and change in rocks, ice and ecosystems over millions of years. Quttinirpaaq offers the opportunity to understand Arctic ecosystems and climate change in an environment used, but relatively unchanged by human activity and situated close to the North Pole. Quttinirpaaq management will bring together science and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit to foster Avatittinnik Kamatsiarniq (respect and care for the environment) and increase our understanding of the natural and cultural resources of the park and the greater region. This knowledge will be used to encourage global appreciation and understanding of the high arctic, the impacts of climate change and humanity’s ingenuity and ability to adapt to challenges and changing circumstances.

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6.0 Zoning

Parks Canada’s national park zoning system is an integrated approach to the classification of land and water areas in a national park and designates where particular activities can occur on land or water based on the ability to support those uses. The zoning system has five categories:

• Zone I - Special Preservation;
• Zone II - Wilderness;
• Zone III – Natural Environment;
• Zone IV - Outdoor Recreation; and
• Zone V - Park Services.

Three zones are used in Quttinirpaaq National Park, as can be seen in Maps 3 and 4. The current zoning plan is consistent with management practices as well as Section 8.2.8 of the Nunavut Agreement which states that “each National Park in the Nunavut Settlement Area shall contain a predominant proportion of Zone I - Special Preservation and Zone II – Wilderness”. Zoning provisions do not apply to Inuit exercising traditional harvesting rights within Quttinirpaaq National Park (NA Art. 5.7.16).

The major change in zoning from the previous plan is the shift to Zone II with an Area Management Approach for the Lake Hazen/Tasialuk Basin (Maps 3), as described in section 7.0. Otherwise, zoning remains relatively unchanged from the previous management plan, with the addition of several Zone I sites for the recently identified/listed species at risk, Porsild’s Bryum, and adjustment of the areas of Zone III around airstrips and camps to more accurately accommodate current and projected use patterns. The prohibition on sport fishing in Quttinirpaaq National Park, approved by the NWMB in 2006, remains in effect.

6.1 Zones

Zone I: Special Preservation

Zone I provides strong protection to several of the unique natural and cultural features of Quttinirpaaq National Park. Motorized use within these sites is not allowed, except for exceptional circumstances, as permitted by the superintendent, upon the advice of the JPMC. Camping within the boundaries of a Zone I is not permitted. There are six Zone I areas.

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Zone II: Wilderness

The majority of the park is Zone II, Wilderness. Zone II provides visitors with the opportunity to experience this essential wilderness, relatively undisturbed, where suggested routes are unmarked, and unmaintained, and still require a level of skills to find ones way.

Limited access by aircraft may be permitted on a case by case basis. Winter/spring access to Mount Barbeau and other glaciated areas was identified as an adventure ski opportunity which would be greatly simplified by air access. Due to seasonal changes, however, a specific landing location cannot be identified so these requests will be considered individually.

Zone III: Natural Environment

Zone III areas provide opportunity for low-impact visitor experiences. These are the areas of the park with the greatest levels of access and activity. The majority of park infrastructure and major access points for the park have been designated Zone III. The size of these zones has been modified somewhat from the previous plan to fit more closely with current use patterns and to simplify permitting. Controlled motorized use is permitted in these areas but users, except for park operations, require a permit. Aircraft access is limited to businesses running commercial operations in the Park.

Three Zone III areas are current Parks Canada operational sites. This includes: Tanquary Fiord Base of Operations; Lake Hazen/Tasialuk Camp; and Ward Hunt Island. For all three sites, Zone III encompasses the buildings and airstrips as indicated on the inset maps.

For Tanquary Fiord, the fiord itself, the shoreline around camp, and a small strip of shoreline north of the MacDonald River outflow is also Zone III to allow for small vessel landings. Private yacht access is permitted.

At the Lake Hazen/Tasialuk Camp, the Zone III was extended to allow planes to land on the lake when ice-covered, as this is a safer option in the spring. An additional Zone III extension over land is solely for the purpose of boring for materials to repair the airstrips, which should happen at a distance from the lake that prohibits runoff.

It should be noted that Ward Hunt Island is not yet part of Quttinirpaaq National Park of Canada, although Parks Canada administers this land. Once the island is included within the land description of the park in the Canada National Parks Act, initiatives for the island will be implemented.

A fourth, and new Zone III includes the northern entrance to Discovery Harbour, and the shoreline of a small bay and unmaintained airstrip immediately west of Fort Conger. Zoning this Natural Environment allows for simplified permitting of aircraft landings, allows cruise ship zodiac landings on the beach and permits private yacht access. (See Map 4b).

The final two small Zone III sites are two DND microwave towers and stations. DND makes frequent helicopter visits to these sites during the summer season for maintenance. Visitor access is not permitted.

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7.0 Lake Hazen/Tasialuk Basin Management Area

Lake Hazen, or Tasialuk, as it is known to many Inuit, is the deepest lake north of the Arctic Circle. The unique conditions of the Lake’s drainage basin, with a mountain range to the north, and a plateau to the south, create a micro-climate that is warmer and thus, more fertile, than the surrounding polar desert. Because of this, the Lake Hazen/Tasialuk Basin ( Map 5) is considered a polar oasis, with meadows of lush grasses and marshes of flowers a stark contrast to the largely unproductive landscape found elsewhere in the High Arctic.

The Lake Hazen/Tasialuk Basin is nestled in a natural corridor between mountain and glacier along the route known as the Muskox Way, a migration corridor for Independence I people across northern Ellesmere to Greenland. The density of recorded archeological sites in this area demonstrate its importance to multiple groups of people spanning over 4000 years, from Paleo-Inuit, to Thule and to Greenlandic Inughuit cultures more recently. The biodiversity of the entire region has provided food and shelter for those who passed through, those who stayed, and those who came simply to harvest resources. For these reasons, the entire Lake Hazen/Tasialuk Basin was initially designated Zone I in the first management plan.

Visitation in the Lake Hazen/Tasialuk Basin has been low in the past few years, however there are numerous hiking opportunities in the area, including a part of the Muskox Way. Furthermore, Lake Hazen/Tasialuk has already been the subject of important scientific research documenting its sensitivity to climate change and the unprecedented changes to hydrology, nutrients, temperature, algae growth, ice cover and fish conditions over the past 300 years.

Taking an area management approach to this region highlights the importance of maintaining a high level of protection for this very special naturally and culturally sensitive region, while ensuring that continued research and small-scale visitation is consistent with Parks Canada zoning in other locations as we shift the zoning from a Zone I to a Zone II. (Note, the Lake Hazen/Tasialuk Camp is a small Zone III within this management area.) The area management approach is an opportunity to specifically consider the opportunities and challenges in this geographical area.

The following objectives have been defined to address the management issues in the Lake Hazen/Tasialuk Basin.

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8.0 Summary of Strategic Environmental Assessment

In accordance with The Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals (2010), a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is conducted on all management plans. The purpose of SEA is to incorporate environmental considerations into the development of public policies, plans, and program proposals to support environmentally-sound decision making. Individual projects undertaken to implement management statement objectives at Quttinirpaaq National Park will be evaluated to determine if assessment is required under the Nunavut Planning and Project Assessment Act.

The scope of the SEA included the area within the park boundary and considered influences from stressors outside of the park. The time frame considered was ten years from the date of the plan, at which time the plan will be reviewed. Valued Components evaluated included the tundra (vegetation, active layer, Peary Caribou, Polar Bear, Porsild's Bryum) and freshwater (water quality, Arctic Char) ecosystems.

Valued Components were found to not be significantly at risk from cumulative effects, as the primary stressor to the Park's natural environment is the changing global environment. The management plan includes approaches to understand impacts to these valued components including:

1. Connecting with partners, stakeholders, and Inuit from the park’s adjacent communities to promote and strengthen regional collaboration related to understanding impacts of the changing global environment on the park's natural systems, and
2. Continuing the active involvement of Inuit in the management and operations of Quttinirpaaq.

Engagement with the public and Inuit was conducted on the plan, including a summary of the SEA, and results used to inform the SEA and management plan.