Auditor General – Conservation in Parks 2010

Conservation of Ecological Integrity

Conservation of Ecological Integrity in B.C. Parks and Protected Areas – Auditor General for BC, August 2010

In 2010, the Auditor General examined the operations of the Parks Department. The following extracts summarize the report of the Auditor General to the Parks Department.

A key aim for the majority of our provincial parks and protected areas is the conservation of their ecological integrity and the Parks and Protected Areas Division (BC Parks), within the Ministry of Environment, is the agency responsible for this. Since 1993, ecological integrity has featured prominently in BC Parks planning.

Today, the goal in the BC Parks Program Plan (2007–2012) is that “BC Parks is recognized for its leadership in the proactive stewardship of ecological and cultural integrity.”

Environmental Trends in BC 2007

The ministry’s Environmental Trends in British Columbia 2007 Report lists a variety of reasons for protecting areas, many of which are related to ecological integrity.

The importance of conserving ecological integrity in British Columbia’s parks and protected areas include:

• Ecosystem services include food production, water purification, waste treatment, oxygen production, climate regulation, flood protection, erosion control  and many other services.
• To protect biodiversity: Many protected areas in British Columbia include habitat for rare and endangered species, important genetic resources, and unique botanical or zoological phenomena.
• To preserve wilderness: Protection allows species the best possible circumstances to live and adapt to long-term changes such as global climate change.

The Auditor General’s findings on the following questions were:

• Does the ministry have a vision, plans and operational policies for conserving ecological integrity in the parks and protected areas system?

Findings:

1. 1. Weaknesses in planning for the overall parks and protected areas system may be putting the conservation of ecological integrity at risk
   2. The ministry does not have sufficient and reliable information to determine what the management actions should be for the conservation of ecological integrity

• Is the ministry ensuring that ecological integrity is being conserved in the province’s Class A parks and ecological reserves?

Findings:

1. 1. The size of many parks and most ecological reserves is too small
   2. Parks and protected areas are not adequately connected to other protected areas
   3. The ministry is not ensuring that ecological integrity is being conserved in the province’s Class A parks and ecological reserves

• Is the ministry reporting on the state of ecological integrity within the parks and protected areas system?

Finding:

1. 1. The ministry is not publicly reporting on its conservation efforts within the province’s parks and protected areas system

Recommendations

We recommend that:

• the ministry update its BC Parks Program Plan so that it includes clarification of ecological integrity and performance targets that adequately address the ministry’s goal of proactive stewardship of ecological integrity.
• the ministry complete the strategic direction and procedural guidelines for its Conservation Management Program and ensure that the Conservation Program policies are consistently upheld.
• government develop a plan to address current gaps in the parks and protected areas system.
• the ministry obtain the information it needs in order to determine management actions for the conservation of ecological integrity and ensure that its policy of developing a five-year conservation management activities plan (research, inventory and monitoring) is met.
• the ministry review and update its Master Plans Policy to clarify what type of management plan is required for each park and protected area, how ecological integrity in each area will be conserved and when each plan should be reviewed and updated.
• the ministry conduct annual planning for each park and protected area to determine what actions are needed to address conservation objectives, threats and stressors, determine priorities from this plan, and monitor and evaluate action items against conservation objectives.
• the ministry report periodically to the Legislative Assembly and public on how it is conserving ecological integrity in the province’s parks and protected areas system.