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CONSERVATION STRATEGY

PARCS QUÉBEC - SÉPAQ [1]

CONSERVATION STRATEGY National parks of the Parcs Québec network - Sépaq



CONSERVATION STRATEGY National parks of the Parcs Québec network - Sépaq Société des établissements de plein air du Québec Place de la Cité, Tour Cominar 2640, boulevard Laurier Bureau 1300 Québec (Québec) G1V 5C2

www.parcsquebec.com/conservationstrategy May 2013

http://www.parcsquebec.com/conservationstrategy



In 1999, the government of Québec entrusted the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (Sépaq) with the mandate to manage, conserve and develop Québec’s network of national parks located south of the 50th parallel.

Being directly involved with the management of national parks is a privilege but also comes with important responsibilities. The teams involved are aware of this fact and proudly meet the resulting challenges. This determination is paramount because the importance of national parks extends well beyond their boundaries: they are part of a global initiative since Category II protected areas, designated as national parks, are recognized on an international scale.

All players at Sépaq are aware that the goal of their work is to preserve these incomparable gems, accessible for discovery by the local population and outside visitors alike. They are also sensitive to the fact that they must act properly so as to bequeath this legacy to future generations. Thus the day-to-day management of these exceptional areas must inevitably be based on clear guidelines and principles in order to ensure the preservation of this natural and cultural heritage.

While the Parks Act and the Policy on Parks has always been the cornerstone guiding Parcs Québec’s management teams, Sépaq now has more than a decade of experience in this area under its belt. This document is the result of such an evolution.

As a complement to the Policy on Parks, the Conservation Strategy outlines the principles and methods of management favoured by Sépaq with respect to conservation in national parks. It is intended for managers as a guide to carrying out their work as well as for anyone interested in the conservation and management of Québec’s national parks.

It is therefore with great enthusiasm that I present our Conservation Strategy. For further information, I invite you to consult our dedicated staff, at work in the field day after day to conserve Québec’s most beautiful territories.

Happy reading!

Martin Soucy - Vice-president of exploitation – Parcs Québec

VICE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE



TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTEXTUALIZING THE CONSERVATION STRATEGY ................................................. 3

OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSERVATION STRATEGY ........................................................ 5

1. STRATEGIC CONSERVATION ORIENTATIONS ......................................................... 6

2. MANAGERIAL ELEMENTS ......................................................................................... 9

2.1 Knowledge acquisition.......................................................................................... 9

2.1.1 Inventories .................................................................................................... 10

2.1.2 Monitoring .................................................................................................... 10

2.1.3 Research ....................................................................................................... 10

2.2 Managing natural and cultural heritage ............................................................ 11

2.2.1 Interventions in the natural environment ................................................... 11

2.2.2 Ecological impact assessment and monitoring .......................................... 12

2.2.3 Preservation and restoration of cultural heritage ...................................... 13

2.2.4 Peripheral anthropogenic pressures ........................................................... 14

2.3 Territorial protection ........................................................................................... 15

2.3.1 Regulatory application ................................................................................. 15

2.3.2 Territorial expansion .................................................................................... 16

2.4 Ecological integrity monitoring ........................................................................... 16

2.5 Education and communication ........................................................................... 17

3. COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS ................................................................ 18

4. MANAGEMENT PLANS AND GUIDES ..................................................................... 20

4.1 On a network-wide scale .................................................................................... 20

4.2 For each park ....................................................................................................... 21

DEFINITIONS .................................................................................................................. 23

APPENDIX A Subjects requiring basic knowledge ............................................................................. 24



CONTEXTUALIZING THE CONSERVATION STRATEGY

In 1977, the government of Québec adopted the Parks Act, which in turn led to the creation of a parks network to protect areas deemed representative of Québec’s natural regions. At that time, the Act differentiated between two types of parks: conservation parks, devoted to ensuring the protection of the national heritage, and recreation parks, created to promote the pursuit of outdoor activities.

In 2001, the government modified the Parks Act by eliminating the notion of a recreation park and designating all parks created under the Act as “national parks,” thus transforming the network of provincial parks into a national parks network meeting the criteria of category II protected areas set out by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The mission of Québec’s national parks is outlined in the Act:

"[…] the primary purpose is to ensure the conservation and permanent protection of areas representative of the natural regions of Québec and of natural sites with outstanding features, in particular because of their biological diversity, while providing the public with access to those areas or sites for educational or cross-country recreation purposes.”

As such, the national parks have a two-part mission characterized by conservation on the one hand and accessibility on the other. The parks are protected areas where development is controlled and designed specifically to enable the public to discover these protected areas through educational



and/or outdoor activities. The national parks areas are not therefore set aside in a glass case, but rather are very accessible, and as a result are vulnerable to certain internal and external pressures.

Moreover, the management of national parks involves other concerns aside from their conservation. As the agency designated by the government to manage the national parks located south of the 49th parallel, Sépaq ensures the smooth functioning of all activities and operations within their boundaries (recreational and educational activities, accommodation services, maintenance, etc.) as well as overseeing development therein. Since a number of these activities and operations intersect at the level of various facets of management, the parks must be provided with multidisciplinary teams that successfully incorporate the concepts of conservation, client service, facility maintenance, and development, all reflected in Sépaq’s strategic plan by issues encompassing all these aspects.

Among the latter, “heritage conservation” identifies the objectives directly linked to the current strategy. These objectives of the strategic plan call for the implementing of a conservation strategy, the mobilizing of stakeholders in areas peripheral to the parks, and the acquiring of knowledge. They stem from an essential need to structure the conservation approach by incorporating knowledge and management of park areas and moving beyond these elements by taking the influence of the peripheral zones into account as well.

This is the legal and organizational context of the conservation strategy. Specifically drawn up for Parcs Québec managers working at Sépaq, the strategy identifies the broad orientations in conservation and the management aspects structuring our actions, thus serving as a complement to the government’s policy concerning conservation in the parks (parks policy: conservation – under revision) produced by the Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement, de la Faune et des Parcs (MDDEFP). This strategy also follows up on and replaces the document entitled Stratégie d'acquisition de connaissances, de recherche et de conservation (knowledge acquisition, research and conservation strategy) produced by Sépaq in 2003.



OBJECTIVES OF THE


Maintaining a balance between conservation and accessibility is a daily challenge for managers of national parks. Such a balance is always delicate, and thus it is crucial to be able to count on an entire set of management tools to respond to the mission in an effective and appropriate manner. The conservation strategy is a crucial element of this tool box, playing the key role of orienting all of our actions and defining what “ensuring conservation” in the national parks really means. The objectives of the conservation strategy break down as follows:

Objective 1 Set forth the major strategic orientations for conservation

Objective 2 Identify the aspects of management that structure the conservation tasks to be carried out

Objective 3 Outline the framework for cooperation and partnerships that may serve to support conservation actions

Objective 4 Present the plans and guides that make up the conservation tool box

Each of these four objectives is specifically addressed in the following sections, thus establishing the foundations for conservation management. This approach ensures the maintaining of a balance between conservation and accessibility in the national parks of southern Québec, without compromising the sustainability of the areas in question.



STRATEGIC CONSERVATION ORIENTATIONS

The strategy is based on eight major orientations emerging from our conservation initiatives.

1.1 IMPROVE OUR BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE

In order to manage a park effectively and appropriately, it is crucial to have a comprehensive knowledge of the territory and its various characteristics. Hence the better we know a park, the easier it will be to make decisions and establish conservation initiatives that are both appropriate and effective. Although managers are, generally speaking, well informed about their territories, there are still a number of specific points that need to be documented. This is why knowledge acquisition is among the top priorities when it comes to planning the tasks that need completing.

1.2 ENSURE THAT BIODIVERSITY AND NATURAL ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES ARE MAINTAINED

Parks are created to protect natural areas on an ongoing basis while ensuring that they are accessible to the general public. Ecosystems must be free to evolve naturally, sheltered from the anthropogenic pressures brought

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to bear on non-protected areas. Management procedures must therefore try to avoid interfering with natural processes as they unfold within the area in question. Managers must however plan actions designed to protect sensitive or threatened sites and make every effort to restore degraded sites, whenever it is possible and appropriate to do so, in order to raise the level of ecological integrity.

1.3 MINIMIZE THE IMPACTS OF THE ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES OFFERED

Parks are accessible areas where outdoor recreation activities are encouraged. As such, certain impacts on natural environments are unavoidable. This fact must be taken into account when developing new activities or infrastructure as part of appropriate and effective planning procedures and in order to minimize these impacts from the time such projects are designed. Actions could also be required in order to monitor the impacts of specific activities or infrastructures, and it may be necessary to intervene should unexpected or significant consequences be identified.

1.4 PREVENT CONFLICTS INVOLVING HUMANS, PLANT LIFE AND WILDLIFE

The presence of human beings and the developments they bring about within natural environments may engender conflicts with the species inhabiting them. Preventive actions in line with the choice of developments and infrastructures, along with a raising of awareness among visitors and employees, may greatly reduce the risks of cohabitation problems. If conflicts do arise in spite of all prevention efforts, interventions must be envisaged to resolve these problems and minimize the impacts on species, as well as on visitors and development.

1.5 ENSURE THAT THE CULTURAL HERITAGE IS MAINTAINED

Protecting a territory implicitly involves protecting its cultural heritage. This aspect may be particularly important wherever humans occupied the area well before the creation of a park. Actions designed to protect the cultural heritage, whether archeological, built or intangible, must therefore be established. Whenever it is possible and appropriate to do so, cultural elements must be restored in order to better showcase them and ensure their long-term survival.



1.6 ENSURE THAT RULES AND REGULATIONS ARE RESPECTED

Québec’s national parks exist by virtue of the Parks Act (L.R.Q., c. P-9), which defines a park, while laying out their geographic boundaries and the legal means to guarantee that these boundaries are protected. The Act, the regulation stemming from it, as well as other laws and regulations associated with environmental protection that are applicable in the parks, only serve their purpose if they are applied in the field. Prevention, consciousness raising, and actions designed to ensure that these rules and regulations are respected therefore remain indispensable elements of conservation management.

1.7 MONITOR THE STATE OF ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY

Conservation initiatives are of course designed to ensure territorial protection. But in order to verify whether these actions and a set of operations in a given park are thoroughly effective in ensuring this protection, the necessary monitoring tools must be in place as a means of determining whether the ecological integrity of the area is actually being maintained or improved.

1.8 MOBILIZE ACTORS FROM AREAS PERIPHERAL TO THE NATIONAL PARKS SO AS TO PROMOTE THE FULFILLING OF THEIR CONSERVATION MISSION

Although managers have the power to intervene in regards to a number of elements within the boundaries of a park, this power does not extend to activities taking place on its periphery. Regional actors must therefore understand that activities and interventions outside the territorial boundaries of a park can have repercussions on the integrity of the natural environments within them. They must also understand the ecological services that healthy parks can bring to the region. The main strategy adopted by managers in an attempt to spread this message is through community involvement with the goal of mobilizing regional stakeholders, local populations and visitors so that they fully understand the global and regional importance of parks and the need to become involved in order to help protect both the parks and the peripheral areas.



MANAGERIAL ELEMENTS

The conservation initiatives, stemming from the orientations outlined above, include five management-component categories, which in turn serve to specify the tasks, interventions and activities associated with conservation and to structure the daily operations of conservation managers. They are as follows:

1- Knowledge acquisition

2- Managing natural and cultural heritage

3- Territorial protection

4- Ecological integrity monitoring

5- Education and communication

2.1 KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION

Knowledge acquisition rounds out basic knowledge and helps with decision making so as to facilitate the most enlightened management choices, in this way minimizing the risks of negative repercussions on natural environments. Basic knowledge of a park encompasses a territory’s natural and cultural elements that need to be documented. These elements may take the form of lists, cards, reports, or summaries, and may be archived in their respective

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parks. If the basic elements are not documented, knowledge-acquisition projects must be planned to counteract this shortcoming. The subjects to consider as basic knowledge are listed in Appendix A. Knowledge acquisition takes three forms:

2.1.1 INVENTORIES

An inventory involves drawing up a list of elements for a specific area of study (a park or a park sector for example). Inventories may be far reaching and include all elements or species, or concentrate only on a specific group (inventories of plant life, amphibians, lakes, etc.). Inventories are carried out for the following reasons: a) to complete a park’s general data base; b) to document a site or sector in anticipation of a specific development; c) to prepare a monitoring project; or d) to set the stage for new management methods.

2.1.2 MONITORING

Monitoring involves tracking the evolution of a particular element over time and may be established to a) keep track of a fragile element, making it possible to intervene if there is deterioration; b) serve as an indicator of environmental change; or c) verify the potential impacts of activities and infrastructures.

2.1.3 RESEARCH

Research involves any form of knowledge acquisition that seeks to understand how natural environments and their components work and how the cultural elements of the territory develop. Research is deemed a) fundamental if it is designed to explain a phenomenon for the purposes of pure knowledge and the general advancement of science; or b) applied if it is designed to help with management or understand a specific problem and identify ways to resolve it.



2.2 MANAGING NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE

Designating a territory as a protected area is not in itself enough to ensure its protection. Managers must be proactive so as to help maintain or improve the quality of natural and cultural heritage.

2.2.1 INTERVENTIONS IN THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

In Québec’s national parks, the evolution of environments through natural ecological processes is the preferred pathway, and human interventions designed to direct this evolution are reduced to a minimum. Interventions are carried out only if a) components or functions of the natural environment are threatened; b) elements associated with the park’s essential purpose are threatened; or c) degraded sites need to be restored to re-established ecological processes that are as close as possible to natural processes. These interventions are categorized according to the following situations:

Degraded sites: The past and current presence of human beings on the territory explains the existence of certain degraded sites. At the very least, these sites must be stabilized to ensure that the degradation does not worsen, and whenever possible they should be restored, based on a targeting of the highest possible level of ecological integrity.

Rare or at-risk species and habitats: If the unique or vulnerable components of a natural environment are at risk of becoming degraded or of disappearing, actions designed to modify the processes in place and to promote these components may be introduced.

Exotic invasive species: The appearance of exotic invasive species in a natural environment may have significant consequences on the diversity of existing species. Whenever feasible, we must provide for interventions to eradicate these invasive species, or at the very least to slow down their spread.

Conflicts with plant and animal life: We speak of depredation whenever animals cause damage or harm to humans or their infrastructures. Certain plant species, such as poison-ivy, may also cause problems. As a preventive measure, or whenever undesirable situations arise, interventions must mitigate or eliminate the consequences of these conflicts in order to minimize the impact on species, humans and infrastructures.

Disturbance management: A disturbance may be of human origin (a spill, illegal forest cutting, etc.) or of natural origin (a lightning-induced forest fire, windfall, an epidemic, etc.). Natural disturbances are considered to be an integral part of an ecosystem’s function, and no intervention should interfere with these processes1. However, if rare or unusual habitats are threatened, it becomes necessary to intervene in an attempt to protect these elements. In the case of disturbances of human origin, interventions should be carried out, whenever possible, with an eye on minimizing their impacts. Fire management is a special

1 Here we are speaking of ecological interventions only. Certain natural disturbances may have consequences as regards the safety of visitors and personnel, thus making it necessary to intervene.



case. All fires will be fought so as to minimize the damage that they cause. The relatively restricted area of parks and the risk that the fire will spread to peripheral areas justify this approach. Certain epidemics of natural origin (wildlife disease, spruce budworm, etc.) could also be combated if they represent a threat for peripheral habitats. Disturbances are usually isolated and unexpected events and are therefore difficult to manage. Risk analysis and a certain degree of monitoring may nevertheless make it possible to intervene in the environment as a preventive measure or to prepare intervention plans to address events that are more likely to arise.

Landscape management: Landscapes are often the main attractions that draw visitors to the parks. The creation of a number of parks has been justified, in particular, as a means of protecting specific natural landscapes or landscapes with a cultural value. Without the interventions of managers, some of these landscapes could disappear due to the growth of vegetation. Interventions may therefore be required to maintain vista clearings or humanized environments of a cultural value. These issues may also extend beyond the boundaries of the park and require the collaboration of regional stakeholders.

2.2.2 ECOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING

It is impossible to receive visitors in the parks or to enable various activities without impacting natural environments to a certain extent. The challenge faced by managers therefore consists in developing and maintaining reception infrastructures and supervising activities so as to minimize the scope of these effects. To do so, we must anticipate, assess, monitor and manage these impacts. The interventions listed below are the preferred means of reaching this goal in the parks:

Characterization of development sites: Before any new facilities or infrastructures are constructed, a study must be carried out to a) identify the site(s) where a development project will have the least impact; and b) ensure that rare or unusual habitats will be protected. This analysis must also identify the mitigation measures that will minimize impacts on natural environments, both during and after construction.



Infrastructure monitoring: It may be necessary to monitor the potential impacts of infrastructures in order to a) verify whether the real impacts of a new facility closely correspond to the anticipated impacts; b) verify whether the use of a given infrastructure brings about a degradation of the natural environment; and c) verify whether the established correction or mitigation measures have proven effective.

Sport fishing monitoring: Sport fishing constitutes the only major harvesting activity allowed in the parks. In order to bring this activity in line with conservation principles, we must ensure that it does not compromise the integrity of the populations being tapped. The monitoring of fish statistics makes it possible to adjust fishing methods so as to respect this objective.

2.2.3 PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE

As is the case for natural heritage, managers must plan actions designed to ensure the preservation, and in certain cases, the restoration of cultural heritage. Various interventions may prove necessary, depending on the nature of the heritage in question.

Archeological heritage: All known archeological sites should be protected so as to avoid damage resulting from human activity. In some cases, measures could be taken to protect the site against natural disturbances, so as to ensure that all the information that the site might eventually provide is secured. For considerations of education and with

the goal of preserving this heritage, development is to be considered for those sites deemed the richest and most representative.

Built historical heritage: Well before being designated as protected areas, the territory of a number of parks was used by certain First Nations communities, then by the first settlers, with both groups leaving their mark on the land in several ways, including resource extraction, communication routes, and recreational activities. Past infrastructures, or their remnants, may serve as a representative window upon these by-gone eras. Actions facilitating the protection of these components of the built heritage, or having the potential to do so, may be implemented, and the most meaningful components may also be restored and even incorporated into current park operations without compromising their historical significance.

Intangible heritage: Intangible heritage refers to traditions and knowledge inherited from ancestors or descendants, such as oral traditions, social practices, rituals, traditional know-how, and knowledge of nature and the universe. This intangible heritage is protected first and foremost by way of knowledge acquisition and the documentation of these traditions and practices, and it will survive only if it is recounted and perpetuated.



2.2.4 PERIPHERAL ANTHROPOGENIC PRESSURES

Long-term preservation of a given area is significantly affected by the activities unfolding on its periphery. On the other hand, strictly speaking, our power of intervention is limited to the administrative areas of the park. Hence a manager’s work includes dialoguing, becoming involved and collaborating with the regional community in order to find solutions that will guarantee a maximum level of conservation.

Determining risks and challenges: It is crucial to identify the ecological risks and challenges stemming from activities taking place outside of the park (industrial activities, agriculture, sources of pollution, urban sprawl, landscape protection, etc.), then to ascertain the possible repercussions of these activities on the ecosystems of the park. This will enable managers to a) establish management procedures in parks that may limit or attenuate the effects of these peripheral actions; and b) structure the arguments required to educate regional stakeholders.

Educating regional stakeholders: Education in the form of consciousness raising is the main tool available to park managers to protect the territory against the real or potential impacts of peripheral activities. Dialogue, involvement and collaboration are the essential tools for educating the various regional stakeholders concerning the role and importance of the parks in the regional landscape, and, as a result, concerning the importance of ensuring that their ecological integrity is maintained. By way of this education process, regional decision makers must be led to better incorporate the parks’ mission into the planning

and management of regional activities, both for the benefit of the parks and for the areas on their periphery.



2.3 TERRITORIAL PROTECTION

Territorial protection encompasses all legal and regulatory actions designed to ensure that the ecological integrity of a park is maintained.

2.3.1 REGULATORY APPLICATION

The application of laws and regulations in the parks is the responsibility of on-site staff and officers from the wildlife-protection service (SPF). Park staff includes wildlife-protection assistants who are appointed by the SPF after receiving specific training. They have the power to issue infraction reports within the boundaries of the park for breaches of the Parks Act or Regulation, or of other applicable environmental legislation. However regulatory application involves much more than simply issuing infraction reports, encompassing, above all, education and monitoring.

Educating visitors and prevention: If visitors and local residents are well informed concerning the regulations and why they exist, risks of infractions (and therefore deterioration of the natural environment) will greatly diminish. Park managers must ensure that regulatory signalization and the general information that visitors receive are comprehensive and appropriate, including clear indications to visitors that they are in an area where specific regulations apply. Discovery and education activities based on the importance of the regulations in place are effective means of communication as well.

Territorial monitoring: Another significant prevention component involves the planning of appropriate territorial monitoring by SPF officers and park staff. The perception that a territory is regularly patrolled has a deterrent effect for individuals with bad intentions. Patrolling also increases opportunities for educating visitors. However, given the areas to be covered, it is unrealistic to think that we can be everywhere at once. Thus monitoring is adapted in order to ensure, first and foremost, that the sectors and components that are most sensitive and vulnerable to harm during a specific season will be given priority coverage by our monitoring activities.

Intervention: Unfortunately, some individuals do break laws and violate regulations. It is the duty of all employees who witness a infraction, first of all, to warn the offender(s) to cease the illegal activity and then to inform a manager, a park-protection assistant or an SPF officer. Assistants and officers are authorized to intervene and to produce infraction reports. In any circumstance, the priority is to put a stop to the illegal activity as quickly as possible, thus reducing the damage, or risk of damage, to the integrity of the natural environment. This priority goes beyond the necessity of issuing a infraction report.



2.3.2 TERRITORIAL EXPANSION

One of the best ways of ensuring habitat conservation and maintaining ecological processes is to promote the protection of an area that is as large as possible. Although determining the boundaries of a park falls under the jurisdiction of the MDDEFP’s parks service, park managers may support the service’s initiatives in a number of different ways. Managers are strategically positioned to identify opportunities and document proposals for expansion given their solid knowledge of the territory and of related conservation issues. A regional community that is aware of the role and importance of parks also represents an important asset when such opportunities arise.

2.4 ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY MONITORING

The conservation initiatives outlined in the preceding paragraphs are designed to ensure that the level of ecological integrity is maintained or improved. Although the objective of these actions is clear, and we can rule on their effectiveness on a case-by-case basis, it is nevertheless more difficult to draw up a comprehensive portrait of changes to the ecological integrity of a given area, thus making it necessary to put actions in place to carry out these assessments.

Ecological integrity monitoring program (EIMP): Applied in all of southern Québec’s parks in 2004, the EIMP is made up of indicators designed to monitor changes in the level of ecological integrity. These indicators make it possible to measure and analyze selected parameters of the natural environment so as to synthesize the information emerging from complex phenomena and to make this information easier to understand. The EIMP enables managers to a) ascertain the overall effectiveness of management principles in light of the conservation mission; b) detect the existence or appearance of abnormal situations and adopt corrective or mitigation measures, whenever applicable; and c) distribute information concerning changes in the parks’ state of health to government authorities, partners, users, and the general public.

Local monitoring programs: For certain parks, particular problems associated with specific ecosystems or habitats make it necessary to introduce local monitoring programs enabling monitoring of changes in



the target environment with greater precision than the EIMP can provide. These programs can also be implemented in conjunction with other regional organizations and extend beyond the administrative boundaries of a park.

Climate change: Current global warming processes, and the warming that will, in all likelihood, continue for a number of decades to come, have the potential to profoundly affect the composition, structure and functions of Québec’s ecosystems. Given that they are least affected by anthropogenically induced stress, protected areas may serve as excellent reference sites for ascertaining the nature and speed of these anticipated changes. In this respect, certain monitoring conducted in national parks may help to establish climate change indicators on a provincial scale.

2.5 EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION

Even though the current strategy deals specifically with conservation, and education represents a separate dimension of parks management, there is nevertheless an important area where the two do in fact converge. Education is one of the components of the national parks’ mission and represents an essential conservation tool. Through educational initiatives and the dissemination of our conservation achievements, it is possible to reach visitors and educate them concerning the importance of national parks and the protection of ecosystems, thus promoting behavior that is more respectful of the natural environment and encouraging these people to act as ambassadors for the national parks and their mission within their communities.

By way of their educational program and the communication tools in place, the national parks are able to implement a wide variety of methods for disseminating information, including organized activities, interpretation panels, blogs, park newspapers, and the putting in place of the Park Path Explorer concept, all designed to highlight the role and importance of the national parks and help fulfill their conservation mission.



COLLABORATIONS AND

PARTNERSHIPS

Respect for the broad conservation orientations in the national parks of southern Quebec is in large part due to the work done by Sépaq managers. However, the participation and collaboration of many other stakeholders are also essential, starting with the MDDEFP’s parks service, which ensures an expansion of the parks network and the implementation of the Policy on Parks.

At the governmental level, several other provincial ministries (particularly the MDDEFP, the MRN and the MCC) and federal departments (particularly Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Parks Canada) are indispensable partners. The expertise provided by these organizations enhances the quality of the actions carried out in the parks. In return, these partners benefit from the results of our actions, which then benefit the entire area in question.

Institutions of higher education (colleges and universities) also provide the scientific expertise required by the parks since research resulting from these partnerships is an important source of knowledge about all areas concerned. For researchers, the parks serve as natural laboratories offering several logistical and temporal advantages. Through this exchange, the parks contribute to the development of science and the training of tomorrow’s specialists.

Special interest groups and volunteers are also partners and play a significant role in our conservation actions. Their involvement can take many

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forms. Some organizations have a more political role to play and they ensure that all actions by governmental authorities take parks and the environment into account. Other volunteer groups, local ornithologist associations for example, offer their expertise and time directly to the parks.

On a larger scale, Sépaq is an active member of the Canadian Parks Council. This greatly facilitates exchanges with other Canadian agencies in charge of managing protected areas, such as Parks Canada, Ontario Parks, and BC Parks. Exchanges also exist at the international level with the National Park Service in the United States and Parcs nationaux de France.

Park managers deal with all these partners and collaborators by a) proactively fostering exchanges and partnership possibilities; b) being open and accommodating so as to ascertain and maximize potential mutual benefits inherent in any proposed offer; and c) keeping track of the best practices of other national park networks in North America and elsewhere around the world.



MANAGEMENT PLANS

AND GUIDES

To help structure the elements and actions presented in this conservation strategy, it is important to have in place management tools that are adapted to our needs. This toolkit consists of orientation documents pertaining to the entire network, as well as documents specific to each park. These documents may be available to the general public or be for internal use only. Some are also in the development or planning stages. Appendix B outlines the particularities of each tool.

4.1 ON A NETWORK-WIDE SCALE

Parks Policy: The Parks Policy and its explanatory booklets are support documents produced by the MDDEFP’s parks service for agencies entrusted with the management of Québec's national parks. Booklets on "L'éducation" and "Les activités et les services" are available online at:

http://www.mddep.gouv.qc.ca/parcs/cadre/politique.htm

Information tool for researchers: This tool is available on Parcs Québec's website under the "Conserve and protect / Scientific research" tab of each park and on the homepage. The component documents provide information concerning research in the parks, knowledge acquisition needs specific to each park, research potential, the facilities available to researchers, and application forms for scientific research authorization.

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http://www.mddep.gouv.qc.ca/parcs/cadre/politique.htm

http://www.sepaq.com/pq/conserver/recherche_scientifique.dot?language_id=1



Natural and cultural heritage management guides: A number of conservation-management problems are recurrent and are sometimes experienced across the entire parks system. Theses guides recommend prevention and intervention methods to help managers deal with such problems as effectively as possible.

Installation-site characterization guide: This guide helps managers carry out the environmental analysis required prior to the installation of infrastructure anywhere in the parks.

Ecological integrity monitoring program (EIMP): This document outlines EIMP principles and the overall way EIMP works. Available online at :

http://www.parcsquebec.com/ecologicalintegrity

Manual concerning protection and public safety in parks: This document governs the work of park wardens and other employees with responsibilities related to regulatory enforcement and public safety.

Information-management guide: Parks accumulate a great deal of information pertaining to the territory and the ecosystems that comprise it. This guide proposes tools and means of conserving all of these data, as well as provisions for their exchange and sharing.

4.2 FOR EACH PARK

Master plan: When a park is being created, the MDDEFP’s parks service produces a master plan that describes the challenges of heritage conservation and identifies the structuring projects for the development of the park. This document serves as a basis for managers to guide the development of the park.

Business statement: Stemming from Sépaq's strategic plan, this statement sets development and management priorities for a park, including the conservation component, for a five-year period.

Conservation plan: This planning tool for all of the park’s conservation actions is presented in the form of a control panel and of project files that record all the information related to planned and implemented actions. It is the main work tool of those in charge of the conservation and education service.

Protection plan: This plan governs actions associated specifically with regulatory enforcement in a park. It identifies priority issues and action, defines the roles of each, and establishes guidelines for collaboration with the wildlife-protection service. The protection plan is a specific section of the conservation plan.

http://www.parcsquebec.com/ecologicalintegrity



Knowledge Summary: Comprised of texts, tables and maps, this document assembles everything known about the natural and cultural heritage of the park.

Local ecological integrity monitoring program: The EIMP of a park is made up of the indicators monitored in the park. As such, each park manages its own program and produces its own ecological-integrity progress report. The EIMP is a specific section of the conservation plan.



A FEW DEFINITIONS

Parcs Québec Refers to the network of national parks within Québec that fall under the Québec government’s jurisdiction. As of January 1, 2013, this network comprised 24 national parks and one marine park.

Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (Sépaq) An organization created by the Québec government for the purpose of managing public infrastructure and land intended for recreational use and tourism. As of January 1, 2013, Sépaq manages 49 establishments, including 22 national parks situated south of the 50th parallel (other network parks, located in Nunavik, are managed by the Kativik Regional Government). Parc marin du Saguenay–Saint‐Laurent is co‐managed by Sépaq and Parks Canada.

Parks service of the Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement, de la Faune et des Parcs (MDDEFP)

The parks service, under the aegis of the MDDEFP’s ecological heritage and parks authority, is responsible for planning, creating and developing Québec’s network of national parks, as well as providing a framework for their management through the development of park‐related policy and companion documents.

Parks Canada Separate from Parcs Québec and Sépaq, Canada’s national parks are federal parks managed by the Parks Canada agency. There are three such parks in Québec (Mauricie, Forillon and Îles-Mingan).

Ecological integrity Ecosystem integrity refers to the state of natural environments in relation to the anthropogenic pressures that affect them. The more an ecosystem functions without anthropogenic interferences, in other words its components, structure and functions are little modified by pressures of human origin, the more it will be said that an ecosystem is characterized by a high level of ecological integrity. This concept is fundamental to national park management as managers seek to maintain or improve the level of territorial ecological integrity.



APPENDIX A SUBJECTS REQUIRING BASIC KNOWLEDGE

Ecosystemic context of the territory

• Mapping and description of the representative natural region • Mapping and description of the bioclimatic region • Mapping and description of the geological region • Mapping and description of regional watersheds • Regional climatology

Basic knowledge of natural heritage

• Geology • Geomorphology • Microclimatology • Hydrography, hydrology and limnology • Pedology • Wetlands • Plant life

o Ecoforestry mapping o Vascular plants o Bryophytes o Aquatic plants

• Mosses and lichens

• Wildlife o Mammals o Birds o Amphibians and reptiles o Fish o Arthropods o Mollusks and other invertebrates

• Paleontological heritage

Legally designated species

• Locating species with a legal designation

Special concern species and habitats

• Locating special concern species • Locating and characterizing special concern habitats

Basic Knowledge of cultural heritage

• Archeology and aboriginal presence

• Colonization

• Religious heritage

• Built heritage

• Intangible heritage

• History of natural-resource extraction

• History of recreational tourism activities

• History of park creation



Photos

Cover : Pierre-Émmanuel Chaillon; Manon Paquette; Denis Desjardins Page 12 : Rémi Malraison

Page 2 : Alain Mochon Page 18 : Jean-François Houle

Page 3 : Pierre-Émmanuel Chaillon Page 19 : Steve Deschenes

Page 5 : Mathieu Dupuis Page 20 : Rémi Boucher

Page 6 : Pierre-Émmanuel Chaillon Page 22 : Sépaq

Page 9 : Mathieu Dupuis



CONSERVATION STRATEGY National parks of the Parcs Québec network - Sépaq Société des établissements de plein air du Québec Place de la Cité, Tour Cominar 2640, boulevard Laurier Bureau 1300 Québec (Québec) G1V 5C2

www.parcsquebec.com/conservationstrategy May 2013

http://www.parcsquebec.com/conservationstrategy

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