For generations, people have come here for a day picnic or an overnight camping trip to escape the city's . All habitat for species-at-risk are identified and mapped. The fence functionally splits the park into two blocks that are largely ecologically independent of each other and the surrounding landscape. In Elk Island, 96 percent of the park is within Zone II, of which 16 percent is aquatic and 84 percent is terrestrial. Grassland ecosystem health and the grassland area have seen declines in recent years. Under the most recent assessment of conservation monitoring indicators, the condition of forests is considered fair rather than good as reported in the 2019 assessment. The park covers an area of 75 square miles (194sq km). Zone V Park Services covers Park Services including the park administration building, operations compound, lagoon, oil yard and staff residences west of Astotin Lake, the Wahkotowin Visitor Information Centre, three animal handling facilities and their access roads (elk, plains bison and wood bison handling facilities), Tawayik Lake Recreation Area and the Mud Lake parking lot. Paddle on Astotin Lake. Further reading on things to do in . Wahkotowin Visitor Centre at Elk Island Elk Island National Park is recognized as a jewel in the province and a sanctuary of nature and culture. Informing partners, stakeholders and Canadians about how ongoing decisions, actions or projects fit with the management plan is done through business planning, and annual implementation updates and other communications. You don't have to go home after watching a beautiful sunset at Elk Island National Park. It protects a portion of the transitional grassland ecosystem, a landscape that once stretched across the central portion of the continent. The parks contribution to conservation goes beyond bison and elk. Things to Do in Elk Island National Park | Hike Bike Travel There will also be an emphasis in engaging communities in the Beaver Hills region so that they feel connected to the park. Elk Island National Park expansion has increased overall landscape connectivity, conservation, and ecological stewardship of the Beaver Hills Biosphere. Make Elk Island National Park your Weekday Destination Exposure in a range of regional and national online platforms, media and film featuring the park is maintained from 2022 levels. There is a gap in data with respect to understanding the impacts of intense human activities on the environmental resources of the park; however, the management of some impacts from human use and human-wildlife conflicts will be minimized through tools such as the visitor use management plan and regional initiatives. The impacts of climate change further add to the challenge of managing for ecological integrity and protecting cultural resources. In some cases, the targets are derived from indicators or thresholds related to Parks Canada monitoring programs. Zoning is an important management tool that supports the vision for Elk Island by directing visitor use to appropriate areas of the park, and ensuring that rare, sensitive ecological or cultural areas are protected. Elk Island National Park is also located adjacent to Canadas largest hydrocarbon processing region known as the Industrial Heartland of Alberta. The map contains a legend and a 0 to 3 km scale at the top left corner. Elk Island National Park is located within the boundary of the Beaver Hills Biosphere along with several Provincial Protected Areas. Larger in area than Switzerland, [3] it is the second-largest national park in the world. This understanding contributes to evidence-based decision making that supports ecological integrity being maintained or restored over the life of the plan. Look for herds of bison, elk or one of more than 250 bird species that call this special place home. Parks Canada collaborates with key partners such as Explore Edmonton and Travel Alberta to promote the park in successful joint tourism campaigns for both summer and winter. Recognition as an ecologically or culturally sensitive area ensures that the values for which a site has been designated are protected and respected in any park management decisions or actions. Parks Canada will create and participate in opportunities to identify and coordinate climate change mitigation and adaptation actions. This will inspire people to learn about and visit this unique tourism destination and create their own meaningful connections to the park, particularly in the shoulder and winter seasons. Six topic-specific detailed plans guide park management or are in development: This draft management plan was developed by a team of Parks Canada staff who support Elk Island National Park with input from Indigenous people and the parks stakeholders. The Internet will be used to reach people interested in reviewing the draft plan. An increased understanding of the impacts of climate change will also help to develop effective visitor opportunities and visitor use management approaches that are sustainable. Elk Island has cultural resources associated with historic settlement in the late 1800s and early 1900s, as well as park-era built heritage. Elk have been managed with moderate success to reduce their hyperabundance, while the moose population in the north block of the park continues to be decimated by liver fluke. Elk Islands continued leadership role within the Biosphere will facilitate improvements in addressing regional environmental challenges. Parks Canada will expand its network and collaborations with institutions and organizations with climate change expertise. By 1890, the bison herds of North America had reduced from 30 million to less than 1000 animals. The management plan commits to the exploration of land acquisition opportunities, as well as a strategy for a partnership approach to acquiring lands over the life of the plan. The average annual area burned has been maintained at no less than 202.5 hectares per year. Astotin Lake is a focal point of the park. It is to the east of Edmonton, near Vegreville. In cases where the fragility of the area precludes any public access, every effort will be made to provide park visitors with appropriate off-site programs and exhibits interpreting the special characteristics of the zone. Elk Island is uniquely situated adjacent to the Greater Edmonton Metropolitan area just 35 minutes from the city of Edmonton (Map 1: Regional Setting). This zone may also be used to protect areas that are too sensitive to accommodate facility development or large numbers of visitors. The zoning (Map 3: Elk Island National Park Zoning) in Elk Island National Park has been amended from the 2011 management plan to reflect new knowledge and visitation pressures. Plan your visit - Elk Island National Park - Parks Canada Indigenous partners, stakeholders and the public will be consulted on the draft management plan and the summary of the draft strategic environmental assessment. Visitor infrastructure investments will focus on improving accessibility and creating a safe and inclusive environment for visitors and staff. This key strategy focuses on an integrated landscape-level approach working with regional partners in support of shared goals for conservation of biodiversity, ecological sustainability, and the support of the tourism economy. The prevalence of invasive species is in decline throughout the park. Green house gas emission from park operations are declining relative to 2022 levels. The scenic parkway rounds out the visitor service offer. The map contains a legend at the top left corner and a 0 to 10 km scale at the bottom right corner. Parks Canada monitoring programs (state of park assessments). The pavilion is an open kitchen shelter which was built in 1934 and has welcomed generations of picnickers for nearly 90 years. Education programs will be developed and delivered to visitors, promoting awareness about their role in reducing overall invasive species presence in the park. 0953828. Climate change projections for Elk Island show significant increases in temperature and frost free days, as well as decreases in annual snow depths. Indigenous staff recruitment has increased from a 2022 baseline, particularly from Indigenous partner communities and the Edmonton capital region. In Elk Island, less than 1 percent of the park is in Zone V, including: The Park Superintendent may authorize motorized access in any zone for administrative and operational purposes. The barn at the former Tawayik Warden Station was completed in 1938 and is closely associated with the historic role of park wardens and horses. Winter infrastructure and visitor services have been identified as having strong potential to increase visitor enjoyment. Target audience needs and desired experiences will be fundamental to the ongoing improvement and revitalization of experiences offered at the park. An introductory phase of Indigenous and stakeholder consultation was held in spring and fall 2021. Parks Canada will also continue to participate in regional impact assessments and regulatory review processes for proposed projects that may have trans-boundary effects on the parks ecological integrity, cultural resources and visitor experience. Elk Island National Park, located 35 km east of Edmonton has been an important refuge for bison, amongst many other species of animals. Wetland development at Elk Island National Park, Alberta, Canada - Springer Parks Canadas focus will be to identify approaches to ensure that visitor opportunities in the park will be informed by a better understanding of visitor-use management approaches, potential cultural and ecological impacts, the finite spatial capacity of the park, condition and characteristics of facilities and infrastructure, and any potential safety issues, to ensure visitor opportunities are sustainable and can accommodate people of different abilities, social identities, backgrounds and interests. Targets offer tangible ways of measuring progress toward achieving each objective. The locations of Calgary, Edmonton and Elk Island National Park are marked. The range of innovative personal, non personal and virtual opportunities that enables target audiences to learn and create connection to the park is maintained from 2022 levels. This designation applies to small areas that contain significant and sensitive resources that require special protection and visitor-access management to protect resources. The visitor enjoyment indicator has improved with an increasing trend in the next state of the park assessment. Parks Canada and land managers within the biosphere share common goals, including ensuring ecological integrity and landscape-scale ecological connectivity, promoting sustainable development and tourism, and protecting cultural resources. Wherever possible, targets are based on measurable data that are monitored by Parks Canada through Agency-wide programs; other benchmarks and targets may need to be established and measured locally by the park.
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