4 weeks later...

At the beginning of the semester when I learnt I would have to spend 4 weeks researching a tourism related environmental issue, I instantly dreaded the assignment. After spending considerable amounts of time researching different aspects of National Parks, I quickly changed my mind about dreading the assignment. I decide against researching only one specific area of National Parks, example pollution or water usage, and decided to broaden my research area to everything and anything related to these protected grounds.

I’ll admit, before engaging in this assignment, I didn’t know much about National Parks, aside from admiring their beauty. This assignment has helped me understand the history of National Parks and the struggle that many people had to endure in order for us to enjoy what many have left behind. It is extremely humbling knowing that many individuals fought, and are still fighting to preserve land from hunting, logging, etc. National Parks are the homes of many species of animals, insects, plants, and birds, and millions of people intrude their homes yearly.

Why are we fighting so hard to destroy what so many people have fought to preserve? One more person won’t hurt the environment, 5 million have already been here; 1 missing rock – no one would never notice; 204 Olympic sized pools of missing water – who needs it; elks destroying cars in downtown Banff because there is no wolves to control the population – well you shouldn’t have parked your car there. Oh, don’t forget to back your shot gun in your picnic basket along with the salt and pepper.

The point of the matter is we are slowly destroying nature’s beauty, animal’s homes, and thousands of different species. Species are becoming extinct, water is being destroyed, and the pollution from millions of vehicles are destroying our ozone layer. I’m not saying stop visiting National Parks, go and enjoy the beauty of it, but leave it just as you have found it. Do not be a part of turning Banff National Park into another Vancouver. Remember, National Parks are ‘for the benefit and enjoyment of the people’. Enjoy the beauty today, without compromising the beauty of tomorrow.

Preserving Sable Island

Halifax, Nova Scotia has created a stir in Atlantic waters recently. With talk of turning Sable Island into a National Park, many are concerned. Nestled 300 km’s southeast of Halifax into what was once known as the “graveyard of the Atlantic”, and regulated by the Canadian Coast Guard, Stable Island hosts less than 100 tourists yearly. With numbers this small, it may seem strange for environmentalists to worry about damaging the ecological integrity of the island.



Stable Island is known for its vulnerable, mystique beauty, and increasing the amount of green house gas emissions through motorboat transportation is the last thing this island needs. Currently, the island remains well protected from an influx of tourists. Interested tourists must apply to the Coast Guard for authorization to visit the island well in advance.



Advocates supporting the creation of turning Stable Island into a National Park argue that limits can be set on the number of tourists the island can sustain without damaging the environment. In recent years, a cruise ship found its way to Sable Island allowing its passengers to explore the island. No damage was done to the island and all that the passengers left were their footprints; however, some believe this is only the beginning to an influx of tourists to the island. Critics are worried that tourists will “love Sable Island to death” - a common worry regarding all National Parks.

Before officials make the final decision a task group has been ordered to asess the island and determine if the island would be fit to be a National Park. Results are expected by the end of next month. Once officials review the findings, the public will have an opportunity to voice their opinion as many already have.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/wild-horses-couldnt-keep-them-away/article1493334/

Criteria to Becoming a National Park

I’ve always hated beauty pageants. Advocates of beauty pageants argue that the competing women are judged based on their integrity, talent, intelligence, and very little of the competition is based on the individuals’ physical beauty. Let’s get real, these women go through training and practice what they need to say, spray tanners, makeup artists, hair extensions, Vaseline coated teeth – what is so beautiful about that? At least the National Park Service is honest. In order for an area to become a protected National Park, it must be beautiful. Naturally beautiful.



The National Park Service outlines four critical steps that must be taken prior to determining if an area is worthy of being labelled a National Park. The first step is a beauty pageant of potential National Parks. Each land mass is marked based on its physical beauty, suitability, as well as feasibility. The area must have a combination of natural, historic, or cultural resources that when combined, represent unique aspects of local heritage. Each National Park must be able to provide the public opportunities to conserve natural, cultural, and scenic features as well as provide recreational and educational opportunities for everyone. There is nothing pretentious or fake about this phase of judgement.



The second and third step in the formation of a National Park or Heritage Site involves the public voice. Does the community surrounding this area want millions of tourists invading the area yearly, (consider Turkey and the travel groups). The proposed site must add to the national story by reflecting the traditions, customs, cultures, beliefs, voices and opinions of the people. The people of the potential National Park must show widespread public support, and push for the area to become protected grounds. If the people surrounding the area are against the formation of a National Park this makes the process more difficult and may even bring the debate to an immediate closure.



The fourth and final step, in the development of a National Park is funding. Everything comes down the green paper that we all fight for. Policy makers must determine if residents, businesses, non profit organizations and governments will support the formation of a National Park in their area. These organizations must have the option to be involved in the planning and organization of a financial plan. These plans assist each entity with understanding what their individual role is in the formation of the National Park. Along with financial plans, boundary maps and plans must be laid out in complete detail, describing in extreme detail the rules and regulations, what will and will not change, etc. Community members and businesses must also work together to ensure the economic activity within the proposed area is running as smoothly as possible. Everyone must agree with the fore casted plans.



National Parks have the potential to benefit everyone. National Parks can be a fantastic source of income for local businesses that lay within and around the National Park boundaries. Turning a prospective area into a National Park is no easy task, but when the formation is completed – it is well worth the battle.
Now this is what I call a beauty pageant.




http://www.nps.gov/history/heritageareas/rep/criteria.pdf

Petroglyphs & Kejimkujik National Park

Long before Roosevelt and certainly long before our generations learned about National Parks, people of Native descent were discovering and wondering the beautiful lands we now call National Parks. It is said that prehistoric people used petroglyphs and pictographs to tell stories, mark territories, give directions, as well as many reasons that may still be unknown to us today. Petroglyphs are rock carvings, created by banging one rock on top of another to carve an image into a larger rock face. Pictographs were created by mixing clay with a binder such as blood, and painted onto rocks typically inside caves where they would be less susceptible to weather damage.



Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site of Canada displays a vast variety of this ancient art form. National Parks are meant to showcase some of the world's finest nature sites, wildlife, and scenery. Few National Parks have the privilege to contain artwork that is thousands of years old; however, Canada was a popular area for prehistoric natives that left behind a legacy of their own. Kejimkujk National Park is nestled in the centre of traditional canoe routes between the Bay of Fundy the Atlantic Coast, located in Nova Scotia, Canada. Estabilished in 1967, this is Canada's only island based National Park, and had several different Indian Tribes inhabiting the land. 4,500 years ago, the Maritime Archaic Indians occupied the grounds; the nomadic Woodland Indians came next, setting up campsites along the river and lake shores. Finally the Mi'kmaw, descendants of the previous tribes, took over the land and marked their territory. Because of natural erosion and weather, the petroglyphs are the only traces left of the Mi'kmaq tribal communities.



Because the petroglyphs and pictographs are quickly fading, many tourists take advantage of the guided tours Kejimkuijik National Park offers, which allows tourists to see these ancient stories that one would otherwise never see. Petro and pictographs are an important part of Canadian heritage that cannot be preserved and put into museums around the world. These guided tours allow everyone the opportunity to feel a part of Canadian history that will not be around forever. Although not protected in a National Park, Kamloops has a display of pictographs near Kamloops lake that is only accessible by boat. These artwork displays will soon diminish as well due to the accessibility of water and weather damage.




http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ns/kejimkujik/index.aspx

Climate Change and the Affects on National Parks

The entire world's climate is changing, and we have no one to thank but ourselves. We have created this mess, and, as the Jerimiah Camp would state: "we're in deep, deep trouble". The changes in climate will, and are already affecting the ecological integrity of our National Parks.



Climate change is caused by green house gas emissions, carbon dioxide, and methane, as well as natural causes. The 5 million tourists to Banff National Park alone, do not help to slow this process down. With millions of vehicles driving in and out of National Parks every year air pollution not only damages the direct environment, but also the ozone layer. Parks Canada has stated that carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere may double this century! With temperatures on the rise, think of the Arctic Parks that are feeling the heat the most! Auyuittuq National Park glaciers will shrink,while summer weather may become wetter and foggier. Think of the ice fields in Jasper, and how rapidly they are retreating. At the rate we're going, Glacier National Park of Canada may have a shorter lifespan than originally thought! The rise of sea level and the erosion of shorelines are affecting many of our coastal parks as well.



Climate change does not only affect the forestation and glaciers, but also the animals. Wildlife depends on the vegetation of their surroundings. For example, the muskoxen, depends on the vegetation of Tuktut Nogait National Park; however, with constant changes in vegetation, these unique animals may become harder to find.



What can we do to help slow down climate change? Stop releasing so many green house gases into the air! Reduce the number of hours on your river boat and private jet. Turn off lights when you leave the room, reduce household waste, recycle, use more non motorized forms of recreation fun! The climate is constantly changing, help slow down any unnatural rates of climate change. It doesn't just affect you.



http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/index.aspx

Preserving Canada's National Parks

When we think of a national park, we believe that they are protected, sacred lands that can never be harmed. Reality is, our National Parks are currently in danger, and we are the ones that are harming them! From lowering rock faces and over population, habitat loss and fragmentation, air pollution and pesticides, to missing water in Lake Louise; we are harming the environment that we cherish the most. Consider this: if every tourist that visits Banff national park, approximately 5 million per year, were to take away 1 rock; rock faces would drop approximately 1 foot per year! Imagine if this happened on a yearly basis, Banff National Park rockfaces would slowly depleat.



With 5 million visitors to Banff National Park every year, 2,870,293 to Yellowstone National Park in 2008, and million tourists per year to the Grand Caynon National Park, numbers of tourists are on the rise. With the increasing level of human use in National Parks across the world, infrastructure is greatly affected. Increased tourists lead to an increase in hotel stays, leading to an increase in sewage. To keep up with the demand for hotels, restauants, shopping, etc, Banff National Park has become a self containing city all on its own. Over development is harming these protected grounds, but the demand of tourists is not slowly down. Over population not only harms infrastructure, but increases the air and water quality in surrounding areas.



In Canada, over 90% of Carolinian forests have been converted to farmland or towns. Banff is well on its way in paving over the National Park by adding more and more infrastructure. In doing so, where do the animals fit in? Elks, bears, moose, etc, don't adjust their lifestyle to fit ours. As we continue to build more and more, large carnivores will continue to inhabit land where tourists spend most of their time in downtown Banff. The solution: build fences to prevent animals from coming into the town of Banff and running across highways across the world. The problem: fragmenting the wildlife's home and disrupting wildlife. Building a fence 5 feet high will not prevent animals from getting into towns and running across highways. Think about it... animals can jump!!



We may not be worried about preserving National Parks today, but consider our future generations. If we want our grandchildren to enjoy what we take for granted everyday, we must change our ways NOW!

http://www.yellowstone-natl-park.com/stats.htm
http://hubpages.com/hub/Top-National-Parks-in-America

Yellowstone National Park: The World's First National Park

Sometimes, we easily pass by some of the best opportunities without realizing the potential of what 'could be', especially if you are the first person to set eyes on a wondrous opportunity. A second chance may also come and go; however, a third passing by would be unforgivable! We all know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, luckily for the world today, John Muller and Ferdinand Vandiveer Hayden recognized beauty when they saw it. . Yellowstone was passed by Western migrators as well as the discovers of gold in nearby Montana. These travellers had failed to recognize the potential that lay within the grounds of Yellowstone.


In June of 1871, Hayden set out with 34 team members to explore every inch of Yellowstone. After their journey throughout the grounds, Hayden put together a 500 page report detailing of all his party's findings, sketches, photos, and paintings. Hayden brought forth his report to Congressman, Superiors, and anyone else who would listen to his stories and discoveries in hope to eventually create protected grounds.

March 1, 1872, history was created, all because of one individual who recognized beauty and sacred grounds. Although Yellowstone was not yet labelled the first national park, the grounds were protected and it became illegal to hunt. The army was sent in to protect the grounds and were ordered to remove anyone caught hunting, or vandalizing, the grounds of Yellowstone. Edgar Howell, the most infamous poacher, was caught killing all the bison he could find; unfortunately , the worst the army could do was to expel Howell from the park as there were no laws in effect to prevent hunting.

In 1890, Yellowstone became the world's first national park. The journey to get to this point was long and difficult, but well worth it in the end. John Muor worked hard to make this happen - he believed that national parks were sacred, and should be protected. George Bird Grinnell was also a part of the creation of Yellowstone national park. Grinnell launched a campaign to help protect Yellowstone against commercialization. Even before Theordore Roosevelt became the president of the United Sates of America, he admired, encouraged, and supported Grinnell's efforts and quickly joined Grinnell's battle for Yellowstone. In 1901 Rooseevelt became president; at the same time, Grinnell's conservation philosophy served as the basis of theAmerican Conservation Program.

On April 24, 1903, Rooseevelt gave an inspiring speech. "The Yellowstone Park is something absolutely unique in the world so far as I know. Nowhere else in any civilized country is there to be found such a tract of veritable wonderland made accessible to all visitors. The park was created, and is now administered for the benefit and enjoyment of the people. The government must continue to appropriate for it...". Roosevelt stated that parks are a democratic experience. Poor need a place to stand by the rich and feel equal, thus the creation of Yellowstone - The world's first national park. The famous quote: "for the benefit and enjoyment of the people" is no carved into Yellowstone archway, for everyone to enjoy.

New Gun Law for the United States of America

Congratulations to the citizens of the United States of America! March 1, 2010, marks the day when you are permitted to carry your handguns, shotguns, and rifles, into American national parks - depending on the sate you are in of course. This new federal law does not speak for every state; it is up to the individual state to determine what it will permit regarding firearms. Consider if the national park you are visiting lies between the boundaries of two different states. Again, depending on the individual state, you may or may not, be permitted to carry your firearm. If you are alone and stumble across a Grizzly bear in your travels, ensure to flash them your double barrelled shot gun - that will certainly scare them away! Keep in mind that although it may be legal to carry your firearm, it remains illegal to fire a weapon or kill an animal.

Consider the level of safety and security in today's society. An estimated 3,600 major crimes including 5 homicides and 37 rapes were reported in American national parks in 2008. As Roosevelt stated during his opening speech at Yellowstone national park, the world's first national park, the park was created "for the benefit and enjoyment of the people". Does that speech. Does that speech still apply to today's society? National parks are supposed to be a sanctuary for people that want to get away from life's daily hustle and bustle, worries, and work, and simply want to enjoy nature's beauty. Now, when you take your family for a Sunday picnic, you not only have to be watchful of wildlife and mosquitoes, but now shotguns as well! Children are growing up thinking that it is okay to carry firearms with them literally everywhere they go.

Because of this new law, there are no relaxing sanctuary's for people to escape to and let their worries disappear. "Visitors are going to go to national parks with an increased amount of suspicions, weariness and concern", said Bill Wade, president of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees. Wade continued to say that the "new law will erase the park system's reputation as a place of solitude and safety.

Don't get me wrong, I fully support gun owners and their desire to practice their sport. As an avid target shooter myself, I jump at every chance I get to practice; however, I would never carry a firearm into a national park and cause havoc and unnerve everyone around me simply because I am a target shooter and I want the whole world to know. I do not understand the reasoning behind this new law, it still remains illegal to fire your weapon or hunt; therefore, I cannot justify bringing a rifle into a national park.

Congratulations again governor's of the United States of America. You are well on your way to ruining national parks.

For more details, visit: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/18/AR2010021805124.html

Protecting British Columbia's Flathead Valley

"A unique community of carnivore species resides in the Transboundary flathead region that appears unmatched in North America for its variety, completeness, use of bottomlands, and density of species that are rare elsewhere." Dr John Weaver

British Columbia's Flathead Valley provides not only beautiful scenery and postcard perfect pictures, but also a home for many diverse animal species, mainly grizzly bears. As one of the only untouched, undeveloped wilderness areas left; the Flathead Valley is the birth place of many varieties of flowers, roaming grounds for animals, as well as a key connecting point for animals moving north and south. The Flathead Valley also provides some of the purest, fresh water flowing through waterfalls and rivers, containing over 300 aquatic insects, 10 species of native fish, and 12 species of introduced fish.

"Despite the biological productivity of the area it is the most threatened portion of the Yellowstone to Yukon landscape. The biological functionality of the landscape is threatened by human actions ranging from recreation, resource extraction and probable major expansion of the Highway 3. Currently this landscape provides large mammals with the opportunity to move between the south side of Highway 3 and the north. This maintains what we believe... is a large, connected population unit. This unit includes animals from Glacier National Park and southward. To the northern in Canada,m there is gene flow with animals in Wateron Park and the rest of the Canadian Rockies west and northward. This connectivity means that large mammal populations are the more resilient to changing environmental conditions because they have more habitat and genetic diversity to draw on in times of stress." Dr. Stephen Herreo

British Columbia's Flathead Valley is a beautiful sanctuary for both humans and wildlife. Just a month ago this land was threatened by the desire for ineffective land use and selfish humans that believe mining comes before national history and homes for wildlife.

On February 9, 2010 The province of British Columbia announced a ban on all mining, oil, and gas development in the Flathead Valley. I believe the Flathead Valley offers everything and more than a protected National Park. It has been saved, although not yet protected with the label of a National Park. Future generations will be thankful for these grounds, and by turning the Flathead Valley into a National Park will help preserve this sanctuary for many years to come. Saving the Flathead Valley from mining corporations is a step in the right direction. I believe that with the persistence of British Columbians, the Flathead Valley will be added to Canada's 42 National Parks.

Canada's Newest: Mealy Mountains National Park

Welcome, Canada'a newest, and largest Atlantic national park! The Mealy Mountains National Park is located in Newfoundland and Labradour, and is 11,000 square kilometers! Newfoundland offers Canada a vast variety of culture, scenary, and wildlife, and the Mealy Mountains National Park captures it all. Providing locals and tourists the opportunity to wittness threatened woodland, caribou herd, moose, black bear, ospery, bald eagles, and a threatened population of harlequin ducks, this newly renound National Park is an asset to Canada.

National Parks are meant to be protected and presserved. The parks are a haven for the endangered species and thousands of different trees and plants. However, in this case, the locals within the region are permitted to continue to cut wood for personal use, hunt, trap and fish; although no new developments will be approved within these protected grounds.

I strongly support heritage, personal values, and maintaining a healthy, independant lifestyle; but allowing people to continue about their regular ways in a protected ground does not make sense to me. Why would the government label these grounds as a National Park while still allowing people to hunt, trap, and fish, considering the number of endangered species that lay within these boundaries? National parks, fish, animals, trees, etc, are all considered natural resources. In most cases, natural resources are overconsumed as they are non excludable. To me, Mealy Mountains National Park will not be a National Park, until the grounds are completely protected, and hunting is banned.

To learn more about Canada's newest National Park, go to:

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVnews/20100205/national_park_100206/20100206?hub=Canada

Road Trip!

This past summer my boyfriend and I decided to take a quick road trip to visit his brother in Red Deer, Alberta. We let on a Friday evening after work and figured we would be able to drive straight through to Calgary, and I would be ready to shop first thing Saturday morning! My step dad suggested we take our time and enjoy the scenery instead of rushing and saving shopping for another time. I am SO happy we took his advice and spent the night in Jasper at the Astoria Hotel.

We left Saturday morning and continued on our drive to Calgary. I kept bugging him to stop at the ice fields so we could get a picture, since I hadn't been there since I was a baby, and he had never been. The lady at the toll booth told us they were only about an hour away, well, it took us over 2 hours to drive 100km. I had forgotten how beautiful Canada really is, and make him stop at every single rest spot, scenic point, and pull off, along the highway so I could take a couple 'quick' pictures. I wanted to ensure we both had the chance to witness some of Canada's best scenery and remember it.

We drove alongside the emerald coloured lakes, snowy mountaintops, and literally hundreds of tourists until we reached Banff. Matt made sure to ask me if I wanted to stop anywhere and take dozens more pictures while we were here. Unfortunately, I declined. I didn't want to lose any valuable shopping time, and besides, we would drive through Banff once again on our way back home, we could stop then.

After a fun weekend of shopping, visiting with family, and lots of pictures we began the drive back home. I was so tired that I slept through the entire drive home. Matt offered to stop in Banff once again so we could check out the famous National Park that everyone always talks about, but I just wanted to get home and see my dog and fall asleep. Once we got home I immediately regretted my decision.

A coworker of Matt's wanted us to stop and take pictures for him since he had never left Kamloops before, and I was in too much of a rush to shop and sleep to stop and enjoy one of Canada's finest offerings. Too many of us take these things for granted, expecting everything to remain in tact until we find time in our hectic schedules to go back and enjoy the scenery. Reality is, these parks won't be here forever. The Canadian government has spared this land for now, but do you really think it will be around for our future generations to enjoy just as it is today? We must begin to work together to preserve this land, and stop taking it for granted. Make sure you stop to smell the roses! And take pictures while you're at it :)