we love Gatineau Park

Because most of the reaction to the Gatineau Park Ecosystem Conservation Plan has been focused on rock climbing it might come as a surprise that rock climbers are not seen to be the greatest threat to Gatineau Park.

Stranger still, the single biggest threat to the Park stimulates pretty minimal recommended actions in the Ecosystem Conservation Plan.

Maybe it isn’t so strange after all because the finding is that the biggest threat to Gatineau Park is climate change.

The NCC is not alone in not really knowing how to address that threat.

It seems to be the elephant in every room that no one is talking about.

I asked my city councilor what the City of Ottawa’s plans are with respect to climate change.

The answer – silence.

The Gatineau Park Ecosystem Conservation Plan recommendations for action on climate change come down to three things:

• keep on monitoring;
• come up with a Green Transportation Plan; and
• implement the adaption strategies from a 2005 report.

Monitoring is a fine idea, but it won’t in any way counter the greatest threat to Gatineau Park.

The adaption strategies from the 2005 Climate Change study are given a low priority in the Ecosystem conservation plan, and I can see why.

They don’t amount to much either.

Here is the entirety of that “adaptation strategy” with respect to Gatineau Park ecological conservation:

Integrate climate change issues into Gatineau Park’s conservation plan (e.g., species at risk), Park research strategy (e.g., indicators of ecological integrity in long-term monitoring) and ecological restoration plans (e.g.,sustainability of restored species).

That’s it.

So that leaves us with the Green Transportation Plan, the intent of which (according to the Ecosystem Conservation Plan) is “to limit and control the motor traffic and travel in central parts of the Park which are dedicated to conservation.”

It seems to me that if climate change is the biggest threat to the ecosystems of Gatineau Park, none of these “actions” will make the slightest difference.

Shouldn’t we be aiming a little higher?

I have two suggestions.

1. that the Green Transportation Plan address both the carbon footprint of park users and also the NCC’s operations within the park.
2. that the NCC harness the love that people hold for Gatineau Park to spearhead CO2 reduction initiatives that extend far beyond Park boundaries.

If it’s legitimate that rock climbers need to get off sensitive parts of the Eardley Escarpment it’s legitimate that people who love Gatineau Park should double their miles walked, biked, bused and car pooled.

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The following are lines drawn from the Ecosystem Conservation Plan supporting the fact that it puts climate change at the top of its list of threats to Gatineau Park.

“Climate change, for example, is certain to upset the Park’s natural dynamics.”

“climate change will be the stressor with the greatest impact on the Park’s ecosystem in the coming decades”

Two of the impacts of climate change are listed as “Impoverishment of indigenous populations and biodiversity & Alteration of ecosystem structure and function”

“Based on future development trends around the Park and anticipated climate change in the next 50 years, the relative stability of ecosystem health will certainly be threatened. Accordingly, if no steps are taken to reverse the impacts of certain stressors, the health of the Park will quickly begin to deteriorate.”

“For example, habitat fragmentation, climate change and other stress factors are causing the reduction and even the disappearance of certain indigenous species, as well as the colonization and expansion of undesirable non-native species.”

The Gatineau Park Ecosystem Conservation Plan dedicates its initial 4 sections to establishing the context for the actions being recommended. Section 5 describes the plan itself starting with a discussion of priorities and process so that the following section related to climate change is in fact the first section in the Plan that lists recommended actions.

5.4.2.1 CLIMATE CHANGE AND ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION

1. CONTEXT AND CURRENT SITUATION

Over the last decade, climate change has seriously threatened ongoing efforts to save many species and ecosystems, mainly because of global warming, atmospheric pollutants and acid rain (Scott et al., 2005). Several internationally-recognized scientific studies and environmental organizations have concluded that climate change is a major issue for protected areas, especially with regard to biodiversity.

Of the four main environmental concerns mentioned in the Gatineau Park Master Plan (NCC, 2005c), three are directly connected to climate change:

• Risk of habitat loss. The more climate conditions change, the greater the risk of habitat deterioration and loss for certain species. Some plant and animal communities will evolve as a result of climate change.
• Risk of natural process disturbance. Climate change will alter some of the natural processes in Gatineau Park, including major disturbance factors such as forest fires and insect and disease cycles. The distribution of certain species will also change, leading to an increase in the number of “new” species.
• Risk of biodiversity loss. Climate change will alter the biodiversity in Gatineau Park. Some rare species found in the Park that are adapted to the cold, could be threatened by a warmer climate, while others from the south could become acclimatized.

The study of Gatineau Park ecosystem health (DDM, 2006a) concludes that air quality, in terms of pollutants, is acceptable. Ozone concentrations, however, remain relatively high, which may influence the health of the environment over the short term. The characterization parameters are close to, but below, the thresholds for human health (based on the standards of the Québec Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs, 2006).

Given the range of its activities and its commitment to environmental protection, the NCC took an essential step by including the question of climate change in its strategic planning (Scott et al., 2005). It has established a number of adaptation strategies focusing on the recreation and tourism sectors. It has also confirmed its leadership in the area of scientific research and partnerships by taking part in research projects with various government departments to collect data on climate change. These involve, among other things, setting up stations to measure acid rain and atmospheric pollution in Gatineau Park, and a pilot project on tulip flowering. The NCC continues to support initiatives aimed at reducing the impact of urban development in the National Capital Region. For example, the Gatineau Park Master Plan (NCC, 2005c) stipulates that no other roads will be built in the Park, and that strategies to develop a green transportation system are currently being devised.

2. CONSERVATION APPROACH

Climate change is a worldwide problem that cannot be resolved at the local level. Nevertheless, Gatineau Park can act as a pioneer in the application of real strategies to minimize activities leading to climate change. Actions can be taken throughout the Park via different partnerships, for example in the areas of transportation and research. This approach will confirm the NCC’s clear commitment to leadership and innovation in the field sustainable environmental management (DDM, 2005b).

3. KEY CONSERVATION ACTIONS

• Assess and implement the adaptation strategies presented in the report on climate change (Scott et coll., 2005), based on the context of changing ecosystems and the activities that take place in the Park.
• Develop a Green Transportation Plan in accordance with the recommendations made in the Gatineau Park Master Plan (NCC, 2005c), in order to limit and control the motor traffic and travel in central parts of the Park which are dedicated to conservation.
• Continue partnerships with Québec’s Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune and Environment Canada in monitoring programs for acid rain and atmospheric pollution.