Situation Analysis for the Maligne Valley

Transcription

Situation Analysis for the
Maligne Valley
Photo : Rogier Gruys
DRAFT – October 2013
“Yet there it lay, for the time being all ours—those miles and miles of lake, the
unnamed peaks rising above us, one following the other, each more beautiful than
the last.”
Mary Schäffer, The 1911 Expedition to Maligne Lake
Stay informed at: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/jasper/plan/maligne.aspx
Maligne Valley Area Situation Analysis – Jasper National Park of Canada
Page 1
Table of Contents
1.0 Rationale for Implementation Strategy ...................................................................... 3
1.1 Why do we need an Implementation Strategy? ..................................................... 4
2.0 Current State of Mandate Elements .......................................................................... 7
2.1 Visitor Experience .................................................................................................. 7
2.1.1 Visitors to Maligne Valley ................................................................................ 7
2.1.2 Visitor Offer ................................................................................................... 11
2.1.3 Levels of Visitor Engagement........................................................................ 24
2.2 Resource Protection ............................................................................................ 26
2.2.1 Caribou.......................................................................................................... 26
2.2.2 Grizzly Bears ................................................................................................. 37
2.2.3 Other Wildlife................................................................................................. 45
2.2.4 Movement Corridors ...................................................................................... 47
2.2.5 Wildlife Viewing ............................................................................................. 49
2.3 Cultural Resources .............................................................................................. 50
2.4 Managing Growth and Development ................................................................... 52
2.4.1 Zoning ........................................................................................................... 52
2.4.2 Leases and Licenses .................................................................................... 55
2.4.3 Management of Activities .............................................................................. 56
2.4.4 Infrastructure Design and Capacity ............................................................... 56
2.4.5 Environmental Stewardship........................................................................... 57
3.0 Recent Implementation of Management Plan Direction .......................................... 59
4.0 Opportunities and Objectives .................................................................................. 61
Page 2
1.0 Rationale for Implementation Strategy
Since Mary Schäffer first described Maligne Lake in Old Indian Trails of the Canadian
Rockies in 1911, the Maligne Valley has been a must-see destination for millions of
visitors to Jasper National Park. Defined by the jagged peaks of the front ranges,
spectacular Medicine and Maligne lakes, and an underground karst system, the valley is
home to several rare or sensitive species, most notably woodland caribou and Harlequin
Ducks, and that icon of the Canadian Rockies wilderness, the grizzly bear. Trails and
facilities developed over the past century support a wide range of summer and winter
activities. The valley is a core part of the product offered by many commercial operators
in Jasper National Park.
Direction for the Maligne Valley is set out in the Jasper National Park Management
Plan (2010) in the Maligne Valley Area Concept (pp. 66-69) and the Wilderness Area
Concept (pp. 75-81). The Maligne Valley Area Concept generally covers all the areas
along the Maligne Lake Road that can be accessed by vehicle and Maligne Lake itself.
The Wilderness Area Concept covers a much larger area: the 97% of the park that has
been designated wilderness by regulation 1, which includes a large portion of the Maligne
Valley.
Both area concepts establish objectives in each of the three areas of the Parks Canada
mandate:
•
•
•
to enhance the ability of visitors to connect with the area and update
infrastructure where needed
to maintain the area’s high conservation values and provide space and security
for wildlife–with a focus on caribou conservation, grizzly bear habitat security,
and Harlequin Ducks
to strengthen public appreciation and understanding of the valley’s unique
attributes
Table 1 summarizes the key actions identified in the area concepts.
For the purposes of this planning exercise, we are focusing on the area roughly identical
to the catchment or watershed for the Maligne River (see Figure 1). It was expanded
slightly to encompass the entire Skyline Trail, Jacques Lake and Avalanche Campground
(near Maligne Pass). Although the area does not include the first 6 km of the Maligne
Lake Road, we were mindful of how the area north of the canyon relates to the rest of
the valley.
1
Under the National Parks of Canada Wilderness Area Declaration Regulations (2000)
Page 3
Table 1 Summary of key actions identified in the Jasper National Park Management Plan for the Maligne Valley.
Management Plan Direction
Improving the sense of arrival and orientation in the valley
Updating infrastructure and prioritizing investment at key
locations (e.g. Maligne Canyon, Medicine Lake)
Providing opportunities for three levels of visitor engagement
Reviewing the wilderness offer to ensure that it meets
changing visitor needs and is financially sustainable
Improving communication and interpretation in partnership
with others
Improving wildlife viewing opportunities and management
Implementing caribou conservation measures in support of
caribou recovery
Improving grizzly bear habitat security
Implement the management plan direction for the midMaligne River
Maintaining the wilderness character of the valley
Managing activities to improve visitor experiences and reduce
impacts on the park environment
Exploring new environmental stewardship practices and
green alternatives
Maligne Valley
Area Concept
X
X
Wilderness
Area Concept
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
1.1 Why do we need an Implementation Strategy?
While the area concepts in the park management plan provide broad direction for the
Maligne Valley, more detailed actions are needed to focus implementation efforts over
the next five to eight years. Resource protection and visitor experience objectives are
inter-related and will benefit from a holistic approach that considers how initiatives to
improve either area of mandate can support one another.
Parks Canada’s overarching priorities for the Maligne Valley are to advance caribou
conservation objectives and to reinvigorate dated visitor opportunities and facilities for
long term sustainability. Resource protection and visitor experience objectives are interrelated and will benefit from a holistic approach that considers how initiatives to
improve either area of mandate can support one another. Information gathered through
this initiative will also assist in evaluating the potential benefits and impacts of
proposals from third-parties, including a proposal by Maligne Tours (see p. 6).
An inter-disciplinary team of Parks Canada employees has assembled information to
help us better understand the resource protection and visitor experience issues in the
valley. This information—obtained from a variety of sources, including historical
records, wildlife monitoring data, habitat models, trail and traffic counters, and visitor
surveys—was used to develop this document, a situation analysis for the Maligne Valley.
Page 4
Figure 1 Study Area for the Maligne Valley Implementation Strategy.
Page 5
This document outlines:
•
•
•
what we know about the Maligne Valley, its visitors, wildlife and current
management by Parks Canada
recent implementation of management plan direction in the valley
opportunities to improve resource protection and visitor experience and detailed
objectives for achieving those results
There are many choices to be made as Parks Canada proceeds with management plan
implementation in the valley. This document will provide an information-rich platform
for the next step of the planning process: discussing options for improving the visitor
offer and conditions for wildlife in the valley, a discussion that requires the engagement
of stakeholders and the public.
Maligne Tours
Maligne Tours is uniquely positioned with their base of operations to contribute to
enhancing visitor experience opportunities and park stewardship at Maligne Lake.
They currently operate a day lodge, scenic boat cruises, boat rentals, and interpretive
guiding. They are the custodian of the historic Brewster Chalet and Curly Phillips
Boathouse, and the solar-powered washrooms at Spirit Island.
Concurrent with Parks Canada’s development of the Maligne Valley Implementation
Strategy, Maligne Tours will directly engage the public in discussing their Conceptual
Proposal for renewing their visitor experience offer, including a proposal for commercial
accommodations, and for updating their stewardship commitments. Parks Canada’s
decision-making process will consider Maligne Tours’ Conceptual Proposal on its merits
and in the full context of achieving park objectives for visitor experience and wildlife
conservation. All comments from the public will be taken into account. For more
information please visit:
http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/jasper/plan/maligne/reamenagement-redevelopment.aspx
Page 6
2.0 Current State of Mandate Elements
2.1 Visitor Experience
2.1.1 Visitors to Maligne Valley
An estimated 380,000 visitors make the trip up the Maligne Lake Road every year. The
vast majority of these visitors—approximately 360,000—come to the valley during the
summer 2. Winter is a much quieter time in the valley, with about 20,000 people
travelling the road between November and April.
Between 10 and 15% of visitors to the valley are part of an organized tour; the rest are
independent travelers. Saturday and Sunday are the busiest days in the valley in both
summer and winter.
Our working assumption is that trends in visitation to the Maligne Valley mirror parkwide visitation trends. The volume of traffic on the Maligne Lake Road increased slightly
between 2003 and 2010, on the order of 0. 5% annually; park-wide visitation was stable
over the same time period. In more recent years, park-wide visitation has been
increasing and the 2010 park management plan contains a target to increase overall
visitation by 2% per year.
100,000
98,000
Number of vehicles
96,000
94,000
92,000
90,000
88,000
86,000
84,000
82,000
80,000
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Figure 2 Total number of vehicles travelling southbound on Maligne Lake Road (2003-2010).
Source: Maligne Lake Road Traffic Counter (2003-2010).
2 This estimate is based on annual traffic counts generated by a traffic counter located on the Maligne
Lake Road just south of Maligne Canyon. From 2003 to 2010, an average of 97,000 vehicles per year
travelled southbound into the valley. Although the traffic counts were not classified by vehicle type, we
assumed that 3% of vehicles travelling up the valley were buses (based on a 2007/08 traffic analysis for
the Icefields Parkway) and that these buses would be carrying an average of 40 passengers—close to their
full capacity. We assumed that the other 97% of vehicles in the valley were smaller recreational vehicles or
passenger vehicles. We estimated that the average group size in those vehicles was 2.8, based on the
results of the 2012 Maligne Lake Visitor Survey and similar surveys in other locations in the park (e.g. the
average group size for independent visitors was 2.6 in the Patterns of Visitor Use survey).
Page 7
Percentage of Visitors
A large percentage of visitors (68%) to the Maligne Valley are first-time visitors
(compared with 57% of visitors to Jasper National Park who are visiting the park for the
first time). Most visitors are inspired to visit the valley by its scenery (40%), the desire to
participate in a particular activity (27%) and the valley’s reputation as an iconic
destination (26%). Some visitors are motivated by specific activities, such as the boat
cruise on Maligne Lake (16%) and the prospect of wildlife viewing (12%). Only 2% of
visitors are inspired to visit the valley by the drive.
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Whereas general park visitors
are encouraged to visit the park
by accounts of friends and
family, past experience, and
travel guides or brochures,
Maligne Valley visitors rely more
heavily on printed materials
(guidebooks and brochures),
followed by the
recommendations of others and
then past experience.
Figure 3 Factors that inspired visitors to visit Maligne Lake in
summer 2012 (n=514).
Source: Maligne Lake Visitor Survey (2012).
Nearly half of all visitors to the Maligne
Valley are Canadians. Almost a third hail
from Europe and 18 % are from the
United States. The geographic origins of
Maligne Valley visitors are similar to
those of general park visitors, although a
slightly higher percentage of Europeans
and a slightly lower percentage of
Canadians visit the valley than would be
expected based on data for the entire
park.
Table 2 Geographic origins of visitors to the Maligne
Valley.
Origin
Jasper National Park
Visitors
Maligne Lake
Visitors
Canada
46.9 %
43.0 %
Saskatchewan
2.7 %
1.6 %
Alberta
22.7 %
27.0 %
British Columbia
United States
8.1 %
18.7 %
5.3 %
17.5 %
Europe
23.1 %
32.1 %
Asia
1.7 %
2.3 %
Other Overseas
9.6 %
4.7 %
Sources: Visitor Information Profile (2011) and Maligne
Lake Visitor Survey (2012).
Page 8
Fifty-three percent of visitors to the Maligne Valley are travelling with one other person;
18% are in a group of four. Roughly a third of visitors are over 55 and about another
third are between 35 and 54 years of age. Only 14% of visitors are 17 years or younger,
which is similar to a park-wide finding that only 11% of visitors are 16 years or younger.
Although the Parks Canada Agency has set priorities to attract more New Canadians and
urban youth to national parks, we have little information on these and other types of
visitors to the valley or on how visitor needs, motivations and expectations differ in
relation to characteristics such as age, origin and family status.
Given limited overnight accommodations in the valley, the vast majority of visitors
(96%) are day trippers. The average length of a summer visit to Maligne Lake is 3.5
hours, with 85% of visitors spending between one and six hours in and around the lake.
Only 4% of visitors spend one or more nights in the valley.
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Visitors headed to Maligne Lake stop
most frequently at Medicine Lake and
Maligne Canyon. Although Maligne
Canyon and Maligne Lake both
receive upwards of 300,000 visitors
in the summer, they are not
necessarily the same people. Only a
quarter of the people who visit
Maligne Lake stop at Maligne Canyon
first. Spirit Island is likely the fourth
most visited location in the valley,
based on tour boat numbers.
Figure 4 Locations where visitors stopped on the way
to Maligne Lake.
We have little data on what visitors
do once they reach their destination,
although a 2012 summer visitor
survey provided some indication of
the most popular activities in the
valley (see Table 3). Among the
activities that respondents were
asked about, hiking was the most
popular, followed by dining and then
taking a boat cruise. Additional data
on specific activities is provided in
Section 2.1.2: Visitor Offer.
Table 3 Percentage of Maligne Lake visitors who
participated in different activities in the summer of
2012.
Activity
Participating in Activity
Hiking
49%
Dining
32%
Boat cruise on Maligne
Lake
Picnicking
27%
16%
Boating (Rental or
personal boat)
Wildlife Viewing
16%
11%
Fishing
6%
Page 9
Visitors to the Maligne Valley are generally very satisfied with their experience. Almost
all visitors would recommend the valley to others and 99% agreed that the visit had met
or exceeded their expectations. When visitors were asked to rate their satisfaction with
specific activities, they expressed high satisfaction with all activities, with fishing
receiving the lowest score.
Table 4 Visitor satisfaction with different activities offered in the Maligne Valley.
Activity
Camping at Coronet Creek
or Fisherman’s Bay
Boat Tours
Recreational boating
(rental or own boat)
Picnicking
Visitor
Satisfaction
Rating*
4.7
4.7
4.6
Activity
Hiking
Dining in restaurant
or chalet
Fishing
Visitor
Satisfaction
Rating*
4.3
4.2
3.6
4.5
*Rated using a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is most satisfied and 1 is least satisfied. Source: Maligne Lake Visitor Survey (2012).
Page 10
2.1.2 Visitor Offer
The visitor offer is the sum total of the facilities, programs, services, activities and
infrastructure in an area that support the visitor experience. A wide range of visitor
facilities, activities and services are provided in the Maligne Valley by Parks Canada,
commercial operators and non-profit organizations. Most of these opportunities are
clustered around three main nodes: Maligne Canyon, Medicine Lake and the north end
of Maligne Lake.
The main components of the visitor offer in the valley include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
39 km Maligne Lake Road
8 pull-outs and scenic viewpoints
along the Maligne Lake Road
13 picnic areas
2 restaurants
Maligne Lake Chalet
99 km of official trails
5 climbing areas (rock and ice)
Numerous other routes for
scrambling, mountaineering, etc.
3 overnight accommodations:
Maligne Canyon Hostel, Shovel
Pass Lodge and Shangri-la Cabin
10 backcountry campgrounds
8 road-accessible toilets
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
2 gift shops
Commercial boat cruise operation
on Maligne Lake
2 public boat launches
Curly Phillips boat house and boat
rental operation; dock and rental
boats at Beaver Lake
81 interpretive panels at different
locations throughout valley
Roving interpreters in peak season
Wildlife Guardian program
Guided options offered by
commercial operators for virtually
every activity in the valley
Photo : Kevin Gedling
Maligne Lake
Page 11
Figure 5 Visitor facilities between the Maligne Canyon Overlook and Medicine Lake.
Page 12
Figure 6 Visitor facilities at Medicine Lake.
Page 13
Figure 7 Visitor facilities from Medicine Lake to Maligne Lake.
Page 14
2.1.2.1 Infrastructure and facilities
Most of the infrastructure in the Maligne Valley is about 40 years old. There has been
little change in the location or layout of picnic areas, viewpoints and other day use areas
since the Maligne Lake Road was paved in 1971. Trees now obscure some viewpoints,
vegetation has overtaken several picnic areas, and parking areas and pathways need to
be fixed.
There is also little sense of arrival to the valley and visitors who have not received any
pre-trip information may not be aware of visitor opportunities further up the valley.
Road signs to orient visitors to points-of-interest are lacking in many locations.
There has been some investment in the intervening decades. For example, outhouses
and trailhead kiosks have been replaced as required, which has resulted in a mix of
modern and older facilities in the valley. Many commercial facilities date from the same
era as the road; the day lodge at Maligne Lake, for example, was built in 1977.
Only 29% of Parks Canada’s built assets worth
over $10,000 are in good condition. A large
number of assets (38%) are in poor condition,
and either need to be replaced or renovated.
For example, the two washrooms with flush
toilets at the Maligne Lake Day Use Area were
built in 1968. They received the lowest
satisfaction scores of all the washrooms in the
valley in a 2012 summer visitor survey. The
buildings are rated in poor condition; cubicle
walls are rusting and some toilets are broken.
The water and sewer lines for one of the
washrooms have failed several times in the past
few years.
Toilet in the public washroom at the
Maligne Lake Day Use Area
The Maligne Valley contains a large network of backcountry trails and facilities. Some
parts of the network, such as the Skyline trail, were first established by outfitters in the
1930’s, whereas other parts were built by Parks Canada, such as the Maligne Pass trail,
which was constructed in the 1960’s.
Parks Canada is challenged to maintain wilderness trails and facilities throughout the
park, however popular wilderness opportunities in the Maligne Valley, such as the
Skyline trail and Maligne Lake boat-accessible campgrounds, have been identified as
priorities for investment in the park management plan.
Page 15
Parks Canada has used a framework called the Backcountry Opportunities Spectrum for
many years to prioritize wilderness maintenance and re-investment. Trails and facilities
within the Maligne Valley fall into one of two categories within the framework: semiprimitive or primitive. Semi-primitive areas receive the highest level of service. Facilities
should be well-maintained (e.g. trails cleared regularly, campsites equipped with cable
food-storage, picnic tables and pit privies) and receive moderate levels of use. Primitive
areas receive a lower level of service and use (e.g. trails cleared annually or less
frequently).
Figure 8 Backcountry Opportunity Spectrum applied to the Maligne Valley.
Page 16
The Backcountry Opportunity Spectrum is inadequate for a number of reasons: it does
little to differentiate between areas that receive high levels of day use and areas that
receive moderate levels of overnight use, nor does it reflect changes in the level of
service and facilities provided in many locations in the valley. For example, although the
standard for semi-primitive trails is to clear them several times per year, most semiprimitive trails are currently only cleared once a season. Conversely, the new toilet and
food lockers at Fisherman’s Bay Campground offer a higher level of service than visitors
might ordinarily expect in a Wildland area.
Page 17
Figure 9 Visitor services and facilities on Maligne Lake.
Page 18
Figure 10 Visitor facilities on the Skyline Trail.
Page 19
2.1.2.2 Communications and Interpretation
There is no special signage welcoming visitors to the Maligne Valley. Many directional
and information signs are worn or outdated, and some are missing altogether.
Parks Canada has a web-page dedicated to the valley that covers a variety of topics,
including how to get to the valley, visitor safety, learning activities and points-ofinterest. Several Parks Canada brochures include information about the valley (e.g.
Mountain Guide, Day Hikers Guide, Winter Trail
Guide). Most of the commercial operators in the
valley have websites that offer information about
their services and visiting the valley.
Much of the non-personal interpretation (i.e.
interpretive signs) in the valley is out-of-date,
either in appearance or content. The gold signs
that can be seen in many locations throughout
the valley were installed in 1970. More recent
interpretation, such as the caribou panels at
Medicine Lake, Harlequin Duck panels at the
Maligne Lake Outlet and panels at the Maligne
Chalet about Fred Brewster’s legacy, contains
good information, but is not linked thematically or
stylistically.
Interpretive panels at Medicine Lake
2.1.2.3 Activities
The valley’s wide range of facilities supports many different summer and winter
activities. While the largest segment of visitors to the valley are focused on sightseeing
activities (e.g. photography, picnicking, taking a boat cruise on Maligne Lake), many
visitors come to the valley to participate in recreational activities. Although some
activities, such as fishing, have dwindled in popularity over the years, and others like
canyon walks have grown in popularity, there has been little overall change in the mix of
activities available in the valley (listed in Table 5).
Data on the number of visitors participating in the different activities available in the
valley is limited. This has been supplemented by knowledge of general trends in outdoor
recreation and staff observations regarding specific activities. For instance, although we
do not know how many anglers use the valley, staff observations indicate that Maligne
Lake is one of the most popular spots in the park for fishing.
Page 20
Table 5 Summer and Winter Activities in the Maligne Valley.
Summer
Winter
Sightseeing Activities
Boat Cruising
Dining
Driving / Sightseeing
Learning (non-personal and personal)
Picnicking
Shopping
Wildlife viewing
Driving / Sightseeing
Learning (non-personal only)
Wildlife viewing
Recreational Activities
Boating (canoeing, kayaking and row boating)
Camping
Caving
Cycling (mountain and road biking)
Fishing
Hiking
Horse riding
Mountaineering
Rock climbing
Scrambling
Canyon walking
Ice Climbing
Mountaineering
Skiing (cross-country, skate and
touring)
Snowshoeing
Winter camping
Summer Activities
The best data we have are for trails and wilderness campgrounds. Hiking is the most
popular summer-time recreational activity in the valley. Although overnight hiking has
declined steadily in popularity in Jasper National Park since the 1980’s, day hiking has
likely increased in popularity.
A 2010 trail survey shows that most hikers (62%) in Jasper National Park hike between
1 and 5 km, followed by 33% of hikers who hike 5 to 10 km. Only a small percentage of
hikers (4%) hike farther than 10 km.
Data obtained from trail counters and remote cameras in the Maligne Valley support
these findings. The most popular hikes in the valley—Maligne Canyon and the lakeshore
portion of the Mary Schäffer Loop—are also the shortest hikes in the valley. The next
most popular trails are the Mary Schäffer Loop in its entirety and the Moose Lake Loop,
followed by the longer, steeper trails: Opal Hills and Bald Hills. The Skyline, mainly an
overnight trail that receives some day use (particularly in the section south of Mona and
Lorraine lakes), is less popular than Opal Hills and Bald Hills. The limited data that
were available for the trail to Summit and Jacques lakes suggest that it is the least used
trail in the valley.
Page 21
Table 6 Monthly counts of trail use in the Maligne Valley
Trail
Period of
Data
Collection
Monthly Averages
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Summer
Use
Average
Bald Hills
2006 to 2010
66
468
1 726
1 876
1 106
212
5 454
Maligne
Canyon
2008 to 2010
28 114
40 926
66 132
68 874
38 539
20 399
242 585
Mary
Schäffer
Lakeside
2012
--
--
--
19 964*
--
--
--
Mary Schäffer
Loop
2008 to 2010
466
1 522
2 110
2 641
1 980
1 078
9 797
Moose Lake
Loop
2008 to 2010
520
1 023
1 680
2 072
1 164
778
7 237
Opal Hills
2006 to 2007
--
1 064**
1 505
2 362
1 128
194
6 252
Skyline
2012
--
--
742
1 047
--
--
--
Beaver Lake
2011
--
--
--
--
286
117
--
*Based on 4 days of data. **2007 only. Sources: Jasper National Park Summer Trail Use Study (2008-2010) and remote
camera monitoring for various projects.
Despite the trend of declining overnight use of the trail system park-wide, campground
bookings along the Skyline trail have remained relatively stable over the last decade,
averaging 4 000 user nights per year. The seven campgrounds that are considered to be
part of the Skyline network contain 44 sites altogether. Occupancy at the three largest
campgrounds (Curator, Snowbowl and Tekarra) is 60 to 70% in July and 80% in August.
A number of the smaller campgrounds, particularly Evelyn Creek and Watchtower have
very low occupancy (15%).
User Nights
5000
1600
Skyline Trail
4000
3000
2000
1400
User Nights
6000
1200
1000
600
400
1000
200
0
0
Figure 11 Total annual user nights (one person
staying one night) on the Skyline Trail (1998-2010).
Source: Wilderness Permit Database (2008-2010).
Fisherman's
Bay
800
Coronet
Creek
Figure 12 Total annual user nights (one person
staying one night) at the Maligne Lake campgrounds
(1998-2010). Source: Wilderness Permit Database
(2008-2010).
Page 22
At the boat-accessible campgrounds on Maligne Lake, overnight use has been rising on
the order of 1 to 3% annually over the past decade. With 16 sites altogether, the
campgrounds receive an average of 2 200 user nights per year. Occupancy during July
and August is 70% at Coronet Creek and 80% at Fisherman’s Bay (based on data from
2006 to 2012).
The trend observed at the Maligne Pass campgrounds is more reflective of park-wide
patterns of overnight wilderness use. Use fell steadily through the last decade, from over
900 user nights in 1998 to less than 400 user nights in 2010 (spread across 20 sites in
five campgrounds). Avalanche Campground continues to be the most popular
campground along the trail, although Parks Canada ceased actively maintaining the trail
or promoting its campgrounds in 2009.
The trend at Jacques Lake Campground (8 sites) is similar to the trend on the Skyline:
bookings have remained relatively stable over the last decade, at around 450 user nights
per year. Occupancy is low at 20%, however this is an important campground for novice
backpackers and early season campers.
Winter Activities
The Maligne Lake Road is plowed regularly in
winter, which combined with dependable snowfall
and a variety of terrain makes the valley an
attractive destination for skiing, snowshoeing and
other winter activities. Several canyons close to
the road offer ice climbing and Maligne Canyon,
with its guided Ice Walks, is one of the most
popular winter attractions in the park.
Although Parks Canada no longer actively
promotes skiing in the Maligne Lake area, Bald
Hills and Jeffery Creek are used by 600 and 500
people respectively per season (November to
April) based on data collected using remote
cameras. In the last winter that Summit Lakes
was trackset (2011/12) it was used by 1,600
people. Trail erosion that occurred in summer
2012 needs to be addressed if this old fire road is
to be track-set again in future.
Ice Walks are a popular activity in the Maligne
Canyon
Page 23
2.1.3 Levels of Visitor Engagement
Three levels of visitor engagement described in the management plan provide a useful
framework for planning for visitor experiences. The levels of engagement can overlap–
visitors who have a View from the Edge experience as they drive along the Maligne Lake
Road, can later have a Step into the Wild experience as they launch their rental canoe
from the Curly Phillips Boathouse and paddle down the lake. An area like the north end
of Maligne Lake may support all three levels of engagement: while it may offer the main
experience for one type of engagement, it may be the staging area for another. Table 7
outlines the characteristics of visitors in each level of engagement and provides
examples of infrastructure and activities that support this type of experience.
Table 7 Three levels of engagement for visitor experience and associated facilities and activities.
Level of
Engagement
View from the
Edge
Characteristics
•
•
•
•
Step into the
Wild
•
•
•
Rocky
Mountain
Wilderness
Largest proportion of
visitors to Maligne Valley
Prefer to stay close to
civilization
Focused on sightseeing
May have less time to
spend in the valley
Smaller proportion of
Main focus is participation
in a recreational activity
Stay longer – several hours
or a few days depending on
activity
• Smallest proportion of
• Main focus is participation in
a recreational activity
• Higher degree of selfreliance
• Stay longer – a full day to
many days depending on
activity
Examples of
Infrastructure
Supporting this Level of
Engagement
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Road access
Picnic areas
Viewpoints / pullouts
Maligne Lake Day
Use Area
(restaurant and
boat docks)
Road access
Trailheads & shorter
day use trails
Boat
docks/launches
• Road access
• Trailheads or
parking areas
• Longer trails and
wilderness
campgrounds
Examples of Activities or
Services Supporting this Level
of Engagement
•
•
•
•
Photography
Picnicking
Short walks
Boat cruises on Maligne
Lake
• Roving interpreters
• Wildlife Guardians
• Fishing
• Boating
• Most day hikes (e.g. Mary
Schaeffer, Moose Lake
Loops)
• Ice Walks at Maligne
Canyon
• Trail rides
• Overnight hiking or boating
trips (e.g. Skyline, Jacques
Lake, Coronet Creek)
• Mountaineering, climbing
• Multi-day wilderness trips
(e.g. Maligne Pass)
• Ski touring
Seen through this lens, the majority of visitors to the valley fall into the View from the
Edge level of visitor engagement. Road-accessible facilities and activities are the key to
the View from the Edge experience–these visitors do not stray far from the edge of the
pavement. Picnic areas, viewpoints, the boat cruise at Maligne Lake, and short walks,
such as the trails in Home Bay, will provide for this level of engagement. Well-hardened,
easily-accessible areas where natural hazards are to a large degree
Page 24
mitigated (e.g. through fencing, paving, stairs with handrails) and containing
interpretive panels and safety signage will inform and connect.
There are many opportunities for a View
from the Edge experience in summertime,
however in winter and during parts of the
shoulder seasons (spring and fall) the
valley has less to offer. Most commercial
facilities are closed and Parks Canada’s
services are limited (e.g. no interpretive
programs are offered). As Table 5
demonstrates, the main activities for this
group in winter are the drive up the valley
and possibly some wildlife viewing.
Visitors who seek out the latter two levels
of engagement—Step into the Wild and
Rocky Mountain Wilderness—are typically
more focused on recreational activities.
They spend less time on the pavement and
more time in wilderness areas. They use
many of the same facilities as other visitors
at the start of an excursion, however they
also use different infrastructure, such as
longer trails, corrals, docks and wilderness
campgrounds.
The main difference between the two
groups is reflected in the distance they
travel from the road or trailhead, the
length of time they spend in wilderness areas and the characteristics of the activities
they participate in. Greater self-reliance, technical skills and experience characterize the
Rocky Mountain Wilderness level of engagement.
A wide range of infrastructure and services cater to these two groups, especially in
summer. In winter, some Step into the Wild activities are available, particularly at
Maligne Canyon, with its guided Ice Walks and winter walking, and some options for
snowshoeing and skiing nearby. Further up the valley, visitors must be prepared to set
their own ski tracks and find their own snowshoe routes.
Quieter places, more technical routes and opportunities for adventure abound for those
seeking fuller wilderness immersion in summer and in winter. Spectacular scenery has
made the Skyline trail and Maligne Lake campgrounds the most popular overnight
wilderness destinations in the park. From ski mountaineering to multi-day backpacking,
the valley offers a multitude of options for Rocky Mountain Wilderness level of
engagement.
Page 25
2.2 Resource Protection
2.2.1 Caribou
There are five populations of woodland caribou in Canada. Jasper National Park
protects part of the Southern Mountain population, which has been listed as threatened
under the Species at Risk Act. The Maligne Valley is home to six of these caribou.
2.2.1.1 Abundance
Photo : Mark Bradley
Historical observations of caribou in the Maligne region indicate the presence of
significantly more caribou than today. Although historical data were not collected using
the same methods used today, single-observations provide adequate evidence of a much
larger herd. For example, analysis of warden wildlife cards from 1956 returned
observations of 48 caribou (in groups of 16 or 17) and in the 1960’s Superintendent
Atkinson estimated 60 caribou were ranging in the Maligne district. In the 1980s,
estimates of 50 to 75 caribou were given for the Maligne region and in 1998 a minimum
count of 68 caribou was recorded via aerial survey.
Jasper National Park’s current caribou
monitoring program was initiated in fall
2001. Since then, 12 caribou have been
collared in the Maligne area, providing
approximately 40 caribou-years of
monitoring; this enables a
comprehensive understanding of both
Maligne population dynamics and
habitat use.
Collaring caribou allowed biologists to
more precisely calculate population
numbers and make more meaningful comparisons between years. In 2011, collaring of
woodland caribou ceased after a non-invasive technique, DNA extraction from fecal
samples, was shown to produce reliable population estimates.
Population monitoring since 2001 has demonstrated a downward trend in caribou
numbers in the Maligne Valley. The Maligne herd declined from a minimum of 68
animals in 1998 to 30 by fall 2003; there are now only 6 animals remaining. It is
impossible to attribute this decline to a single factor, however Parks Canada has
identified five key threats that are currently impacting caribou throughout Jasper
National Park, all of which are present in the Maligne region. Those five threats are
described beginning on p. 32.
Page 26
80
Number of Caribou
70
Minimum Counts
Adjusted Estimates
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Figure 13 Caribou counts in the Maligne Valley (1988 – 2012).
One noteworthy influence in the Maligne Valley during this time period was the change
in wolf populations. Historically, the Maligne Valley was not an area where wolves
established permanent territories; they were thought instead to make forays up the
valley from the Athabasca Valley, often travelling on the Maligne Lake Road. There are
few recorded wolf observations in the Maligne region prior to fall 2002, and very few
from 1990 to 2002 (although anecdotal evidence going back to the 1970’s suggests that
the number of wolf tracks observed in winter has increased over time). However, in the
winter of 2002-2003, two wolves established territory in the Maligne Valley and reared
five pups in the summers of 2003 and 2004.
70
Maligne Caribou
50
60
50
40
40
30
30
20
20
10
10
0
0
Maligne Wolves
60
70
Maligne Caribou
Maligne Wolves
Figure 14 Caribou and wolf counts in the Maligne Valley (1994 – 2012).
Page 27
In 2004 another pack of four was located and collared near the north end of Maligne
Lake. It is believed that these wolves ranged from between Medicine and Maligne lakes
down to the Brazeau River. By the end of 2005 the Medicine pack shifted its territory
eastward into the Rocky River, possibly due to low prey densities in the Maligne Valley,
and the Maligne pack shifted more permanently to the Brazeau region. Today the
Maligne Valley is no longer home to a local wolf pack, but forays into the valley by both
the Signal (town) pack and the Brazeau (south boundary) pack occur.
Biologists speculate that the change in wolf numbers in the Maligne Valley from 2002 to
2005 may have been influenced by higher-than-average wolf densities in the Athabasca
Valley. The impact of at least one resident wolf packs on the Maligne caribou
population, in addition to existing predation pressures, may have been substantial
enough to cause a serious decline in Maligne caribou. Unfortunately, the decline
occurred at a time when caribou monitoring was only beginning in earnest, and
therefore biologists were unable to verify the cause of caribou mortalities in the Maligne
Valley.
Wolves are currently widely distributed throughout the Maligne Valley in summer and
fall, occurring in all ecoregions, including the alpine. In winter, their distribution is
more limited—telemetry data show that they tend to be more concentrated in the valley
bottom and at the north end of the valley.
2.2.1.2 Distribution
In the Maligne Valley, caribou summer habitat occurs from the alpine meadows of
Signal Mountain to south of Maligne Pass, with most use concentrated between Curator
Mountain and Maligne Pass. In winter, caribou are distributed in approximately the
same regions, but tend to use habitats into the subalpine. In particular, caribou heavily
use the slopes above Medicine Lake from Excelsior to Jeffery Creek, and use the
subalpine areas in Trapper Creek to Curator Mountain on both sides of the Maligne
Range. They use the Maligne Pass area less in the winter, but have been seen along the
shores of Maligne Lake. Within the last 20 years it was not uncommon to observe
caribou in the late winter/spring along the Maligne Lake Road from Watchtower to the
Medicine Lake delta.
Caribou have also been observed on the east side of the Maligne Valley, including
Surprise Lake, Rocky River, Summit Lakes, Opal Hills, Maligne Lake Narrows, around
Maligne Mountain, Coronet Creek, and Warren Creek. In recent years the small
remaining caribou herd has used areas between Jeffery, Hardisty, and Trapper creeks
and Opal Hills.
Figure 15 shows that while caribou range once covered almost the entire park, it has
become increasingly fragmented to the point where there are now four distinct ranges in
the park.
Page 28
Figure 15 Caribou range retractions in Jasper National Park.
Page 29
2.2.1.3 Reproduction
Caribou have evolved a specialized survival strategy–they are adapted to live in a
difficult environment characterized by deep snow in winter and a low-energy food
source. Caribou rely on lichens that grow in old forests in the subalpine for winter
forage; they are the only mammal that depends on this slow-growing plant. The benefit
of living in such a low-productivity habitat is reduced predation pressure–caribou
exploit a niche without other ungulates (elk, deer and moose) or their predators (wolves,
cougars, bears). However, the trade-off is reflected in low reproductive output; female
caribou do not usually have their first calf until they are 2 or 3 years old and they only
have one calf per year (and likely not every year).
This low calf production is, under natural settings, offset by high adult survival and a
long reproductive phase. However, caribou in the Maligne Valley and throughout Jasper
have declined simply because adult female mortality has increased, resulting in a
shorter reproductive phase and consequent reduction in the number of female calves
that survive to reproductive age.
2.2.1.4 Habitat Use
Telemetry location data, observation data, and resource selection function (RSF) models
have contributed to our understanding of caribou habitat selection patterns in the
Maligne Valley. Two models have been developed that predict caribou use of the
landscape based on telemetry data, one for the subalpine ecoregion and another for the
alpine. Figures 16 and 17 show where caribou are predicted to occur in summer and in
winter in the Maligne Valley, based on these models.
Woodland caribou throughout Jasper tend to use alpine areas in the summer and fall.
As the snow begins to deepen in winter, caribou distribution shifts to lower subalpine
areas, although some groups will remain on windswept ridges. In late winter or spring
caribou are at their lowest elevation before moving back to the subalpine or alpine for
calving in early June.
Page 30
Figure 16 Resource Selection Function model for caribou in summer in the Maligne Valley.
Page 31
Figure 17 Resource Selection Function model for caribou in winter in the Maligne Valley.
Page 32
Parks Canada has defined important habitat for caribou in Jasper National Park in the
Conservation Strategy for Southern Mountain Caribou. Important habitat includes
both current and historic habitat. Current habitat is habitat that caribou have used since
1988 and was identified through telemetry location data, observation data, and resource
selection function (RSF) models. Historic sightings, reports and research (prior to 1988)
were used to identify historic habitat patches.
Most of the Maligne Valley has been identified as important caribou habitat. Important
habitat may assist in identifying critical habitat, once an Environment-Canada-led
recovery planning process is underway. (Under the Species at Risk Act, critical habitat is
habitat necessary for the survival or recovery of a species.)
Figure 18 Important habitat for caribou in the Maligne Valley.
Page 33
2.2.1.5 Effects of Human Activity
Five threats to caribou persistence in Jasper National Park have been identified through
research and monitoring efforts. Parks Canada biologists continue to monitor caribou,
wolf, elk and deer populations to understand how predator-prey dynamics are changing
and evaluate the effectiveness of management actions.
Altered Predator/Prey Dynamics: Past park management practices have resulted
in an unnatural predator-prey dynamic in Jasper National Park. Elk were reintroduced
into the park in the 1920s, at a time when Parks Canada controlled predator
populations. The elk population grew rapidly and when predator control ended in the
late 1950s, wolf populations increased, supported by the high elk numbers.
Although caribou are not the primary prey of wolves, wolves will travel into caribou
habitat and prey on caribou given the opportunity. Wolf predation accounts for a large
proportion of adult caribou mortalities (45% of mortalities since 1988 for which we
know the cause) in Jasper National Park. High numbers of elk historically, primarily in
the Three Valley Confluence area, are believed to have resulted in increased wolfcaribou encounters and predation.
Although the elk population began to slowly decline starting in the 1970’s, and the wolf
population displayed a similar, albeit delayed trend, another management practice—
leaving road-killed ungulates in open areas for wolves and other scavengers—likely
contributed to higher wolf densities than might otherwise have been expected. This
practice was discontinued in 2006.
The elk population is now approaching numbers that should improve the outlook for
caribou, although elk that inhabit the Three Valley Confluence continue to have higher
recruitment than their counterparts in less influenced habitat (e.g. Rocky River).
Populations of mule and white-tailed deer may also be influencing predator populations,
although it is unclear how. Initiation of a deer study in 2012 has revealed that many deer
that winter near the townsite migrate to Maligne Lake in the summer.
Although the Maligne Valley has infrequently housed resident wolf packs, the valley has
relatively high prey biomass from time to time (i.e. moose) and has the potential to
support, at least in the short-term, a wolf pack. In the meantime, it is an area to which
wolf packs with home ranges in the Three Valley Confluence and other areas
occasionally venture.
Facilitated Predator Access: When the snowpack begins to accumulate, it is more
difficult for wolves to travel into caribou habitat. Wolves are not designed to travel in
deep snow and expend a lot of energy doing so. However, people can influence where
wolves choose to go and how quickly they travel by creating packed trails and roads.
Several pieces of information indicate that wolves select trails including local wolf radio
collar data, camera images and peer-reviewed, published research from other areas.
Page 34
Although track-setting was discontinued in the Maligne Lake area in winter 2005/2006,
continued recreational use of a number of areas, such as Bald Hills and Jeffery Creek,
provides wolves with an unnatural advantage in accessing caribou habitat and has the
potential to artificially increase caribou encounters with wolves. It takes very little snow
compaction to increase a wolf’s ability to travel in an area.
There are many factors that influence the risk of caribou being killed by wolves as a
result of wolves’ use of ski trails. For example, this type of encounter is more likely to
occur in areas where wolves are resident and regularly use an area, where ski trails go
from valley-bottom to alpine caribou habitat, and where ski-trails intersect important
caribou habitat and caribou tracks.
Road plowing also provides wolves with
improved access to caribou habitat.
Telemetry data show that wolves tend to
travel on or parallel to the road and river
between Maligne Canyon and Medicine
Lake, however less data are available for the
area south of Medicine Lake. Parks Canada
staff have observed that in winter wolves use
both the river and road to travel in the valley
bottom between Maligne Canyon and
Medicine Lake, but that beyond Medicine
Lake, they tend to travel on the road, since
the river is open all winter.
Photo: Mark Bradley
The use of fladry (strips of fabric suspended along a rope so that they can move in the
breeze) along roads and ski trails to discourage wolves from entering caribou habitat
was investigated in the mid-2000’s, but was ineffective.
Direct Disturbance of Caribou: Several different activities have the potential to
disturb caribou, however the main concern in this threat category, given its potential to
directly reduce caribou populations, is road mortality. In the last 20 years, caribou have
been observed on the Maligne Lake Road in all months except for July and August. One
caribou was killed on the road in February 1995.
Signs installed in 2005 remind motorists to watch for caribou on the road and observe
the 60 km/h speed limit. Losing even one caribou out of the Maligne herd could be
critical to their long-term persistence.
Hiking and other human disturbances, such as aircraft overflights, have also been
shown to disturb caribou. In Jasper National Park, caribou spent significantly more time
active and less time foraging or bedding in response to hiker encounters. Forty-four
percent of hiker encounters displaced caribou to distances ranging from 200 to 2 400 m
and caribou reacted to hikers at an average distance of just over 200 m. Furthermore,
caribou have been shown to avoid alpine trails during summer and fall. Although
recreational activities have been demonstrated to affect individual caribou habitat
Page 35
selection and energy expenditure, it seems unlikely that human disturbance has had a
population-level effect.
Although hiking in caribou habitat is not likely to cause population declines, there are
some sensitive times for caribou when recreational activities could have more important
effects. At high temperatures caribou are often under more physiological and
environmental stress (e.g. from biting insects) and Jasper National Park caribou have
been shown to react more strongly to human disturbance when temperatures are high.
In addition, caribou with calves are more likely to flee greater distances when
encountered by a hiker. Great care should be taken not to displace caribou from snow
patches and not to approach caribou with calves.
Several initiatives were implemented in the mid-2000’s to minimize stress to caribou,
with mixed results in terms of compliance and increased caribou numbers. Flight
guidelines were developed for helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, dogs were prohibited
in caribou habitat and recreational users were also asked to voluntarily avoid hiking in
caribou range during the calving and rutting seasons.
Direct Elimination of Caribou Habitat: This refers to any activity that will convert
the old growth forest upon which caribou depend to younger forest that is the preferred
habitat of deer, elk and moose. The main threat to caribou habitat would be a large
wildfire. Wildfires in the subalpine are rare events (once in several hundred years),
however they can radically alter vegetation communities, creating habitat that is more
favourable for the species wolves tend to prey on and removing the main food source for
caribou; lichen.
Fire management policies were adjusted in the mid-2000’s to account for caribou
habitat objectives. All caribou range is zoned for an intermediate fire management
response, which means that in the event of a wildfire, the goal of the fire crews would be
limit the extent of the fire using a combination of suppression tactics and natural fuel
breaks. No specific locations have been identified for fire guards or capping units that
would provide containment options if a wildfire started somewhere in the valley,
although Medicine Lake offers the best potential in this regard.
Small Population Effects
Species with small population sizes are more vulnerable to inbreeding, disease and
catastrophic events. The extirpation of the last five caribou in Banff National Park,
which were caught in an avalanche, is a graphic example of this threat in action. With
six remaining individuals, the Maligne herd is at serious risk of extirpation. The
consequences of the loss of just one or two individuals out of this herd would be very
great. Without our intervention to increase caribou numbers, it is unlikely that this herd
will continue to persist.
Page 36
2.2.2 Grizzly Bears
The grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) is widely distributed throughout the Canadian Rockies,
however it has been extirpated from much of its historic range in western North
America. A goal to ensure the long-term viability of this COSEWIC-listed species of
Special Concern drives many management decisions in the mountain national parks.
Because the grizzly bear is a wide-ranging species that is relatively sensitive to human
development and disturbances, it is often considered an umbrella species—if its habitat
requirements are met, we can be assured that the habitat requirements of a large
number of other species are met.
2.2.2.1 Abundance and Distribution
Photo : Mark Bradley
Grizzly bears are seen in spring, summer and fall in the Maligne Valley and there are
several known denning sites at higher elevations. Although we do not know how many
grizzly bears include the Maligne Valley in their home ranges, Parks Canada staff have
generally observed 5 to 10 different bears using the valley every year, many of them subadults or members of a family group. Parks Canada biologists have estimated that there
are approximately 110 grizzly bears in Jasper National Park. 3 Female grizzly bears with
cubs have been observed repeatedly at Opal Hills and adjacent to the Maligne Lake Day
Use Area by Parks Canada employees.
Female grizzly bears are slow to mature
reproductively. Females in the East Slopes
Grizzly Bear Study produced their first
surviving litter when they were between 6 to
12 years old. The average interval between
litters was about 4 years and the average
litter size was just under 2 cubs. Cubs stay
with their mothers for one to three years.
Population growth is slow and humancaused mortalities can tip the balance
towards population decline.
Grizzly bears typically have large home ranges: 1,661 km2 for male grizzly bears and 535
km2 for female grizzly bears in west-central Alberta. Home range size can vary
considerably, depending on a bear’s sex, the presence and age of offspring, and the time
of year. The home ranges of different bears can overlap.
Sub-adult and adult bears tend to be distributed differently across the landscape.
Subdominant animals (female adults, and male and female sub-adults) are thought to
actively avoid more aggressive male adults, which influences their habitat choices.
Previous estimates of the park’s grizzly bear population were 60 to 80 animals. The most recent estimate
is based on 2008 DNA surveys conducted by the Foothills Research Institute and extrapolation and does
not signify an increase in the park population.
3
Page 37
2.2.2.2 Habitat Use
Grizzly bears are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals, and generalists,
meaning that they eat a wide variety of foods. Bear movements and habitat use are
driven by the seasonal availability of specific foods. Plants (e.g. grasses, roots, forbs,
berries) are the main food source for bears in west-central Alberta, however animal
protein, such as insects, rodents and ungulates, is an important part of their diet at key
times of the year.
Other factors have been shown to influence habitat selection, including a bear’s sex, the
presence of other bears and humans, and maternal teaching. Adult female grizzly bears
tend to select for high elevation alpine and open conifer habitats, intermediate terrain
ruggedness and edges. Adult male habitat use varies more from season to season. Adult
males tended to select for intermediate-aged regenerating forests and dry
alpine/herbaceous areas early in the season, whereas they selected for cooler, wetter
alpine sites and edge habitats later in the season.
When applied to the Maligne Valley, a Resource Selection Function model developed for
female grizzly bears by the Foothills Research Institute (Figure 19) shows that grizzly
bears have a medium to high probability of occurring within a large number of habitats
in the Maligne Valley. (The dark areas represent areas of higher probability of bear
occurrence, whereas the lighter areas represent areas where it is less likely that bears
will occur.) The areas where grizzly bears are most likely to occur are generally habitats
with edges (i.e. close to rivers, lakes and roads) and at higher elevation, alpine habitats.
2.2.2.3 Movement
Grizzly bears are a highly mobile species that move large distances to exploit seasonal
foods and find mates. Female grizzly bears tend to select for terrain of intermediate
ruggedness in habitat selection models. Despite their ability to negotiate daunting
terrain, like all wildlife, grizzly bears are constrained by topography, and are likely to
choose routes that are less expensive energetically and that provide adequate cover to
avoid detection.
Although we do not have any specific data or models for grizzly bear movement in the
Maligne Valley, high probability movement areas for grizzly bears in the valley were
identified by Parks Canada biologists and field staff. These movement areas or routes
(depicted in Figure 20) generally follow the valley bottoms and watercourses in the main
and secondary valleys.
Page 38
Figure 19 Resource Selection Function model for female grizzly bears in the Maligne Valley.
Page 39
Figure 20 High probability movement areas for grizzly bears in the Maligne Valley.
Pinch points—areas where wildlife movement is constrained by topography, human
facilities (such as roads and buildings) or human activity—have also been identified in
Figure 20. There are two major pinch points at Medicine Lake: at the north and south
ends of the lake, a pinch point in Surprise Valley and at Samson Narrows.
A wider pinch point exists around the Maligne Lake Day Use Area. Although the
topography lends itself more readily to wildlife movement, high levels of human activity
within the pinch point (on trails and at the day use area), likely influence the ability of
wildlife to move through the area. Remote camera monitoring on the east side of the
valley in summer 2012 captured two bears (one grizzly and one black bear) moving
through the area; ungulate use was higher, with close to 100 moose, white-tailed and
mule deer photographed over the five week monitoring period.
Page 40
2.2.2.4 Effects of Human Activity
Two main threats to grizzly bears in the Maligne Valley are displacement and
habituation. Although human-caused mortality is often identified as a key threat in the
mountain parks and is closely monitored by Parks Canada, there have been no humancaused grizzly bear mortalities in the Maligne Valley since 1995.
Displacement refers to the tendency to completely avoid or spend less time in habitats
that are used by people. Although the relationship between bears and human activity is
complex, many studies have demonstrated that bears respond negatively to human
activity, either avoiding human activity entirely or altering their daily habits. For
example, a study of bears in Lake Louise and Canmore found that levels of human
activity approaching one event per hour (or one group of people per hour) caused grizzly
bears to avoid trails.
When grizzly bears are displaced from high quality habitats, they may be less successful
at foraging and mating, and in turn reproducing. However, areas of human activity, such
as roads, trails and other facilities (e.g. picnic areas, campgrounds) can also attract
bears. Roadsides, for example, have been shown to provide more food (e.g. forbs,
grasses) for bears. In the Lake Louise and Canmore study despite the pronounced
displacement of bears during daylight hours, grizzly bears used habitat adjacent to trails
in Canmore more than expected at other times of the day.
Habituation is a term used to describe bears that have lost their natural wariness of
people. Bears are thought to become habituated through repeated interactions with
people that have no consequences, or conversely, positive consequences. Some bears
may be predisposed to habituation through genetics or upbringing.
Although some degree of habituation may benefit bears that occupy landscapes with
high levels of human activity by allowing them to use high quality habitats, habituated
bears are more likely to be killed on roads and rail lines or for management reasons.
Habituated bears also come into contact more frequently with people, with the
attendant risks to visitor safety and the animals themselves.
Bears can also be attracted to an area by natural (e.g. berries) or artificial food sources
(e.g. garbage, non-native plants). Once they have obtained a food reward, they will
typically return to the same area repeatedly to obtain more of that resource, which can
bring them into conflict with people.
Documented grizzly bear observations (Figure 21) demonstrate the potential for humangrizzly interactions at many locations in the valley. Likewise, there are opportunities for
bears to become habituated to people throughout the valley. In locations where there are
a large number of observations, humans and grizzly bears are intersecting more
frequently. More intensive management of human-bear interactions in these locations is
typically required. Parks Canada staff have observed an increase in habituated behavior
(e.g. bears feeding in close proximity to vehicles and people, bears appearing indifferent
to hikers) among bears in the Maligne Valley in recent years.
Page 41
Figure 21 Grizzly bear observations in the Maligne Valley (2002-2011).
One area that deserves special mention is Opal Hills, an area with a history of bear
warnings and closures dating back to 2000. Over the past 13 years, the trail has been
closed 7 times with warnings posted during four hiking seasons because the area is
frequently used by a sow with cubs.
Parks Canada has developed a series of protocols over the years to manage bear-human
interactions, with the aim of reducing habituation and surprise encounters. Responses
to unsafe viewing situations, bears approaching visitors or obtaining human food, are
outlined in the Jasper National Park Bear Management Plan. Options range from
monitoring to actively hazing bears, bear capture and aversive conditioning, posting
bear warnings or closing areas, and bear destruction.
Page 42
Habitat Security
Habitat security is a key tool in the mountain parks for ensuring that human activity
does not compromise the long-term viability of grizzly bear populations through
displacement or habituation. In secure habitat, bears can forage while remaining
relatively free from encounters with people. Habitat security is considered at two scales
for the purposes of this planning exercise: the landscape scale and the local scale.
Landscape-Scale Habitat Security
Jasper National Park is divided into Landscape Management Units (roughly contiguous
to watersheds) and habitat security values are calculated for each Landscape
Management Unit using a habitat security model. In the mountain parks, a Landscape
Management Unit is considered to be secure overall, if at least 68% of the unit contains
secure habitat. For the purposes of modeling, secure habitat is defined as: vegetated
areas below 2300 m, areas that are at least 500 m from trails, roads and other facilities
that receive more than 100 human visits per month and contiguous areas that are
greater than 9 km2.
Figure 22 depicts the results of habitat security modeling for the Maligne Valley, which
is made up of the Upper Maligne and Lower Maligne Landscape Management Units.
Eighty-one percent of the habitat in the Upper Maligne Landscape Management Unit is
considered secure, an increase of 8% from the value was reported in the 2010
management plan. This increase is due to low use (<100 user-nights/month) of the
Maligne Pass Trail. There has been no change in habitat security in the Lower Maligne
Landscape Management Unit; 80% of the habitat in that Unit is secure.
Local Habitat Security
Although habitat security modeling is a valuable tool at the landscape level, it does not
take into account seasonal and daily variations in human activity that occur at a finer
scale. Grizzly bears are believed to be primarily active during the day, however their
daily activity patterns have been found to vary widely. It is thought that they may alter
their daily habits in response to human disturbances, given that some studies have
shown bears to be more nocturnal in areas where human activity is high.
Page 43
Figure 22 Habitat security values for the Upper Maligne and Lower Maligne Landscape Management Units.
Page 44
Although the Maligne Valley is a busy place in peak season, there are quieter times and
places in the valley. Hourly data for the Mary Schäffer trail demonstrate a pattern
typical of shorter trails in the valley. Trail use picks up between 10 and 11 a.m. and is
largely finished by 7 p.m. The Bald Hills trail, a longer day hike, exhibits a slightly
different pattern, with hikers starting out earlier in the morning (around 8 a.m.), but
finishing their hikes a bit earlier (by 6 p.m).
Mary Schäffer Loop
Bald Hills
4500
4000
Total Number of Hikers
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Figure 23 Hourly use of the Mary Schäffer Loop and Bald Hills trail by hikers.
Based on a three year total for the Mary Schäffer Loop (2008-2010) and a five year total for the Bald Hills trail (2006-2010).
Source: trail counter (Mary Schäffer) and remote camera (Bald Hills).
2.2.3 Other Wildlife
2.2.3.1 Black Bears
The black bear is commonly found in montane and subalpine habitats in Jasper
National Park. With a park population estimated to be 70 to 90 individuals, black bears
may be slightly less abundant than grizzlies. Observations by Parks Canada staff indicate
that between 12 and 16 black bears use the habitat along the Maligne Lake Road in an
average year. They tend to be more tolerant of human activity and are much more
frequently observed than grizzly bears in the Maligne Valley; with 637 documented
observations between 2002 and 2011, compared with 112 grizzly bear observations over
the same time period. Although black bears are not a species-at-risk, they are of interest
to park managers because they are the main species involved in wildlife jams in the
Maligne Valley. Like grizzly bears, black bears can become habituated to people and
although they tend to be less aggressive than grizzly bears, they still pose a visitor safety
risk.
Page 45
2.2.3.3 Black Swift
The black swift is a species of bird that is currently being assessed by the Committee on
the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). It prefers to nest in cool
gorges. Maligne Canyon is the only currently occupied and confirmed nesting location
in Jasper National Park, although a black swift was observed in another canyon in the
Maligne Valley. Black swifts nest in the canyon from late June to early September and
can be seen returning to the nest at dusk following a full day of flying.
2.2.3.4 Harlequin Ducks
Harlequin Ducks are small, colourful sea ducks that winter in coastal areas and migrate
inland during the summer to nest along mountain streams. The Harlequin Duck is listed
as a sensitive species in Alberta and yellow-listed British Columbia, reflecting the
growing concern over declining populations and human impacts on this species.
Parks Canada's concern with respect to the Harlequin Duck is based on the reaction of
individuals of this species to watercraft. Research conducted on the Maligne River in the
late 1990’s showed that Harlequin Ducks are sensitive to in-stream disturbance and that
pre-nesting foraging by females is critical to reproductive success. Interrupted feeding
may affect reproductive success and ultimately result in population declines. In 1998
Parks Canada decided to close the mid-Maligne River to all commercial and public
watercraft use, and re-allocated approximately 1,500 commercial boating trips to the
Sunwapta River.
Parks Canada delivered on commitments to review river use management in 2004 and
2009. In preparation for a management plan review in 2009, Parks Canada
re-examined all the available Harlequin Duck literature (1998-2009), to ensure that any
new and relevant information was considered. Some of the key findings of that literature
review were that:
•
•
•
surveys and research have improved knowledge of the distribution and population
status of Harlequin Ducks in Alberta
breeding harlequins are sensitive and require special attention or protection to
prevent them from becoming at risk
nutrients in Harlequin Duck eggs come from food in the breeding range, not from
the wintering range, highlighting the importance of undisturbed feeding before and
during the breeding season
More recently, researchers at Simon Fraser University have been looking at how fish
presence may affect food availability for Harlequin Ducks, potentially reducing the
quality of breeding habitat and productivity in some harlequin populations. Non-native
fish have been present in the Maligne River for 80 years as a result of a government fish
stocking program, however changes in the Maligne duck population (and duck
populations elsewhere) were not observed until about 18 years ago. It is unclear why
Page 46
Harlequin Duck populations have appeared to decline on the Maligne system and in
Alberta quite broadly since 1994.
In summary, no new scientific research has been published that contradicts the basis for
the decision restricting use of the mid-Maligne River. New proposals for use of the midMaligne River must be scientifically defensible based on the well documented aspects of
Harlequin Duck ecology that led to the original precautionary closure, and enjoy broadbased public support. In the interim, Parks Canada will continue to implement the
existing closure to protect Harlequin Ducks before and during the breeding season.
2.2.3.5 Moose
Moose are found throughout the park, but some of the best moose habitat and viewing
opportunities are located in the Maligne Valley. Their preferred habitat in summer is
along stream banks and lakeshores where aquatic plants add to their regular diet of
leaves and twigs. The mating season lasts from mid-September to November, and males
are particularly aggressive at this time. The following moose rutting areas have been
identified:
• Medicine Lake
• Maligne Lake Road near Evelyn Creek
• around the Big Bend pull-out
• in the meadow complex and day use area parking lots at the north end of Maligne
Lake
• the inlet of the upper Maligne River
• the south end of Maligne Lake
2.2.4 Movement Corridors
The ability to move freely between areas of high quality habitat is critical for the longterm survival of many species; from carnivores, such as wolverine and wolves, to
ungulates and smaller wildlife species. Moderate or high visitor use in some areas of the
valley may affect the ability of wary species to move through or forage in the valley
(particularly when that use does not follow predictable patterns).
Based on limited telemetry data and the expert opinion of Parks Canada biologists, high
probability movement areas for multiple species in the valley have been identified in
Figure 24.
Page 47
Figure 24 High probability movement areas for multiple species in the Maligne Valley.
Page 48
2.2.5 Wildlife Viewing
The Maligne Valley is a popular destination for wildlife viewing and wildlife jams are
common in the summer months. The Wildlife Guardians responded to 113 wildlife jams
in the Maligne Valley during the summer of 2012. Black bears were the most common
species observed at jams, followed by sheep and elk. Black bear jams were observed
along the whole road, whereas bighorn sheep jams tended to occur around Medicine
Lake. The wildlife jams were evenly distributed across the summer months of June, July
and August.
Figure 25 Wildlife jams that the Wildlife Guardians responded to in 2012.
Page 49
2.3 Cultural Resources
The Maligne Valley has a colourful human history, which is closely associated with early
tourism development in Jasper. There are many fascinating stories waiting to be told.
Although the story of Mary Schäffer’s map is well-known (Sampson Beaver, a member
of the Stoney Nation, drew the map that she used to find the valley in 1908) and
suggests that the Stoney were familiar with the area, evidence of pre-contact people in
the Maligne Valley is relatively scarce except for three isolated finds (a stone axe, a lithic
tool and a willow leaf-shaped bi-face). Other lithic material has been found in the Bald
Hills and Watchtower Creek. Many areas have never been assessed for archaeological
resources. Several Aboriginal communities have identified cultural areas within the
valley, mainly at its north end, and it is likely that Aboriginal people trapped in the area
from time to time.
Fred Brewster was a key figure in the valley, establishing tent camps at the north and
south ends of Maligne Lake in 1914. The first boat to take tourists to Spirit Island was
built in the mid-20’s. By 1923, a rudimentary road went as far as Medicine Lake, where
a ferry took tourists across the lake. After an overnight stay they carried on to Maligne
Lake by horse.
In 1927, Fred Brewster added what is now the most significant heritage building in the
valley to his tent camp at the north end of the lake. The Maligne Lake Chalet contained a
dining room, kitchen and communal living space. Overnight guests were accommodated
in adjacent tent cabins. The Chalet is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of
its association with the early history of Jasper and the development of tourism within
the park, as well as for its architectural and environmental values. The Chalet is a good
example of a rustic structure that reflects the aesthetics favoured by national parks in
the west during the early to mid-20th century. It was recently restored by Maligne Tours
and has been nominated as a National Historic Site. A decision about its status by the
Minister responsible for Parks Canada has yet to be made.
In 1929, Curly Phillips, another guide and outfitter, built a boathouse at the north end of
Maligne Lake, which is still in use today. The boathouse was part of Phillips’ Maligne
Lake Camp (also called Rainbow Camp), which included several simple tent cabins. The
boathouse is the last remaining structure of that camp and has received a provincial
heritage designation. Apart from the ‘Rocky Mountain Rustic’ touches, the boathouse
would not look out of place in the Ontario Lake Country where Curly Phillips grew up.
Maligne Tours is responsible for both the Boathouse and the Maligne Lake Chalet under
licenses of occupation.
In 1933, Fred Brewster and an associate found the route for the Skyline Trail, which
took four years to build. Shovel Pass (Curator) Lodge, located half-way along the trail, is
the oldest backcountry lodge in Jasper. Burgeoning interest in backcountry skiing and
winter tourism prompted Curly Phillips and the Jeffery family to build Shangri-la Cabin
at the headwaters of Jeffery Creek in 1936.
Page 50
Photo : Hugh Lecky
The Maligne Lake Chalet: a Federal Heritage Building
By the 1940’s, a rough road made it possible to reach Maligne Lake in a day, although it
was a 12 hour round trip. The hostel at Maligne Canyon was constructed in that decade,
as was Rainbow Lodge, on the site of the present-day day lodge. In the late 1960’s, Parks
Canada shelved a plan to establish campgrounds, a marina, two motels at Maligne Lake,
and a road through Maligne Pass, following an environmental impact review and
negative public reaction.
Two Parks Canada operational buildings with heritage value in the valley are the
Jacques Lake Warden Cabin and Tack Shed, built in 1951. They are part of a series of
outposts that were built by Parks Canada to support boundary patrols by the Warden
Service to monitor poaching and visitor activities. Examples of structures that are
utilitarian in design, and rustic in character, they complement the natural surroundings.
The first Maligne Lake warden cabin no longer exists. It was built on the east side of the
lake in 1919 and was replaced in 1954 by the present-day Station that is located on the
west side of the lake.
Parks Canada’s main operational centre for the Warden Service was once located just
outside of the Maligne Valley Study Area, in an area known as Sixth Bridge. When lakes
in the park were actively stocked (from the 1920’s to the 1970’s), the facility was a fish
hatchery. The operational centre was moved to its present location in the townsite in the
mid-nineties. The area has recently been designated as an Aboriginal Cultural Area.
Page 51
2.4 Managing Growth and Development
Jasper National Park’s beautiful setting and natural attributes are the basis for its
historic and continuing popularity as a tourism destination. Protecting those attributes
requires care and attention. To ensure that ecological functions, such as grizzly bear
habitat security, and the character of this special place are maintained, Parks Canada
has established limits to growth and development, defining the physical footprint of
facilities and managing the types and intensity of uses.
A variety of legal and policy instruments are used to manage commercial and noncommercial facilities and activities, including the park management plan, leases and
licenses, regulations, directives and guidelines. The following section provides an
overview of how commercial operations and activities are currently managed in the
Maligne Valley.
2.4.1 Zoning
Zoning is a key tool used to manage development and activities in national parks. Parks
Canada’s zoning system contains five zones, which are applied to the entire park in the
Jasper National Park Management Plan. Table 9 provides a general description of each
zone and Figure 26 shows where they occur in the Maligne valley.
The Maligne Valley also contains one Environmentally Sensitive Site (ESS), a
designation which applies to areas with significant, sensitive features that require
special protection, but do not fit the zoning described above. The Maligne Lake outlet is
an ESS because of its importance to Harlequin Ducks, particularly during the prenesting period.
Page 52
Table 8 Zoning descriptions and their location in the Maligne Valley.
Zone
Description
General Location
Zone I - Special
Preservation
Areas that contain unique, threatened or endangered
natural or cultural features. Preservation is the key
consideration.
Surprise Valley
Zone II Wilderness
Areas that are good representations of a natural region and
will be conserved in a wilderness state. Perpetuation of
ecosystems with minimal management intervention is
encouraged. No motorized access (e.g. helicopter flights,
snowmobile use) is permitted unless required for park
administration.
Most of the Maligne,
Colin and Queen
Elizabeth ranges
Zone III - Natural
Environment
Areas managed as natural environments that provide
opportunities for visitors to experience a park’s natural and
cultural heritage values through outdoor recreation activities
requiring minimal services and facilities of a rustic nature.
Motorized access, where allowed, is controlled. In the
Maligne Valley, controlled motorized access includes:
Maligne Lake and
Medicine Lake to
the high water mark
• Helicopters, which may service commercial backcountry
facilities like Shovel Pass Lodge
• Electric motors for recreational boaters on Maligne Lake
• Diesel motors for tour boats, subject to conditions
established in Maligne Tours’ lease
Zone IV Outdoor
Recreation
Limited areas capable of accommodating a broad range of
opportunities for understanding, appreciating and enjoying
the park’s heritage values and related essential services and
facilities, in ways that impact the ecological integrity of the
park to the smallest extent possible. Direct access by
motorized vehicles is allowed.
Maligne Lake Road
and associated
picnic areas and
pull-outs, along
with the Day Use
Areas at Maligne
Lake and Maligne
Canyon, and the
Maligne Canyon
Hostel
Bald Hills Fire Road
Page 53
Figure 26 Zoning for the Maligne Valley.
Page 54
2.4.2 Leases and Licenses
Perhaps the most important way that Parks Canada manages growth and development
is by setting the overall capacity and operating season of most commercial facilities in
the valley (see Table 9). Additionally, the management plan stipulates that no new
alpine huts will be considered in wilderness areas. Specific direction for the Maligne
Canyon Hostel, established through a process to develop guidelines for overnight
commercial accommodations, confirms that no additional guest capacity will be
permitted. If the Canadian Hostelling Association decides to close the hostel, it will be
permitted to add up to the same number of guest accommodation units to the capacity
of a new facility in the community of Jasper.
Table 9 Guest capacity and season of operation for commercial facilities in the Maligne Valley
Facility
Maligne Canyon
Hostel
Maligne Canyon
Restaurant and Gift
Shop
Shangri-la Cabin
Description
Hostel (3
dormitory-style
buildings, one
common
area/kitchen
building)
Restaurant and gift
shop
Location
Across from Maligne
Canyon
st
Maligne Canyon (1
parking lot)
Capacity
24 guests
Season of Operation
Year-round
n/a
Year-round (but
typically only open in
summer)
Winter only*
Cabin managed by Headwaters of Jeffery
6 guests
Maligne Lake Ski
Creek
Club; supports
overnight ski
touring
Shovel Pass Lodge Backcountry lodge Skyline Trail
19 guests
Summer only
Maligne Lake Day
Restaurant and gift Maligne Lake Day Use
n/a
Summer only**
Lodge
shop
Area
*Some maintenance is permitted outside of the season of operation. ** The maintenance season is slightly longer than the
season of operation.
In addition to the limits detailed in Table 9, many leases and licenses of operation
contain conditions regarding permitted commercial uses, the size or capacity of ancillary
facilities and services and lessee areas of responsibility. For example, the realty
agreements for Maligne Tours’ business at the lake set out many additional operating
parameters, including:
•
•
•
•
the uses permitted in various buildings (e.g. boat rentals at Curly Phillips
Boathouse)
the hours of operation for food services, the gift shop and the boat operation
the footprint and height of some buildings and structures, such as the
maintenance building, horse corral, and boat docks at Home Bay and Spirit
Island
the number of staff accommodation units in the maintenance compound and at
the main lodge
Page 55
•
•
•
detailed direction regarding Maligne Tours’ primary business, the tour boat
operation (e.g. boat design parameters, passenger capacity, number of sailings,
where boats can dock)
operator responsibilities (e.g. maintenance of the washroom facility, walkways,
and decking at Sprit Island, maintenance of sewage lagoon)
guided activities that may be offered at the day use area (guided walks, horse
tours and guided fishing are permitted, although presently only fishing is offered)
2.4.3 Management of Activities
Parks Canada also manages activities in the valley, to maximize their benefits in support
of visitor experience and resource protection, and to minimize their impacts on natural
and cultural resources, and other visitors. Some activities in the valley are managed
more intensively than others. For example, horse use is limited to only a few trails, due
to the potential for soil erosion on steep slopes and in wet areas and conflicts on high
use trails. Mountain biking is permitted on only two trails: Signal Mountain Fire Road
and the Jacques Lake Trail. Activities on the Maligne River are managed through the
Jasper National Park Guidelines for River Use Management and angling in the outlet
is prohibited.
Other activities like climbing, mountaineering, skiing and snowshoeing are less
intensively managed.
Commercial activities are typically much more closely managed than non-commercial
activities. For example, business licenses include conditions on where guided trips can
occur, at what times of the year and maximum group sizes. Applications for new
business licenses for land-based activities are reviewed annually. No new licenses have
been issued for guided fishing (including overnight trips) or guided horse use since the
management plan was approved, pending a park-wide review of the licensing process
for these activities. Guided overnight trips are permitted on the Skyline Trail and fishing
guides may offer overnight trips to the Maligne Lake campgrounds.
Two activities are no longer offered in the valley in light of conservation objectives.
Track-setting of ski trails at Maligne Lake was discontinued in winter 2005/06 to reduce
wolf access to caribou and white-water rafting was reallocated to other rivers in the park
in the late 1990’s to limit disturbance to Harlequin Ducks.
2.4.4 Infrastructure Design and Capacity
Another way that Parks Canada manages growth and development is through
infrastructure design and capacity. At the time of the management plan review in 2010,
the Maligne Valley was thought to have the physical capacity to receive more visitors.
The number of visitors to the valley has likely doubled since the early 1970’s, when the
majority of the valley’s parking lots and pull-outs were first built. Many day use areas
still appear to have sufficient capacity for the current number of visitors to the valley,
however staff have observed that some parking lots reach capacity or overflow on some
days (e.g. long weekends) during peak season, notably the main (First Bridge) parking
Page 56
lot at Maligne Canyon, the Signal Trailhead parking lot and the parking lots at the
Maligne Lake Day Use Area. Some facilities, such as the public boat launch, can also be
congested at times.
2.4.5 Environmental Stewardship
Environmental stewardship refers broadly to the responsible use and protection of the
natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices, but can be more
narrowly defined in the context of the Maligne Valley, to initiatives aimed at reducing
the operational footprint of Parks Canada and third parties in the valley, mitigating any
forms of pollution, contamination or ecological impacts, and sharing success stories
with visitors and the broader Canadian public.
Contaminated Sites
There are four federally registered contaminated sites in the Maligne Valley and two
potential sites within Maligne Tours’ leasehold, for which little information is available.
Four additional sites in the Maligne Valley have been investigated and closed either
following remediation or because no evidence of contamination was found.
Lighting
In 2011, Jasper National Park became the world’s largest designated Dark Sky Preserve.
Commercial and Parks Canada facilities are now expected to meet new standards for
dark sky lighting.
The main area in the valley where outdoor lighting is used is the Maligne Lake Day Use
area. Lights are located on the main docks and on several buildings. A number of
lighting requirements are included in Maligne Tours’ lease. No outdoor lighting is
permitted at Spirit Island.
Noise
Motorized vehicles, such as boats and buses, evening events at the Maligne Lake Day
Use Area, and generators are the main sources of noise pollution in the valley. Maligne
Tours’ lease contains several conditions related to noise levels.
Non-Native Plants
There are a number of high priority infestations of non-native plants in the valley, most
of which are associated with the road or the facilities at the Maligne Lake Day Use Area.
Power Generation
Only a few facilities in the valley require power. Maligne Tours operates a diesel
generator to power the buildings at the Maligne Lake Day Use Area. No large scale
power generators are allowed on Spirit Island.
The warden station at Maligne Lake uses solar power as does the washroom facility at
Spirit Island.
Page 57
The Maligne Canyon Restaurant and Gift Shop is connected to the power grid for the
community of Jasper.
Solid Waste Management
Parks Canada collects garbage from receptacles at pull-outs, trailheads and picnic areas
along the Maligne Lake Road and from most of the commercial operators in the valley,
although backcountry operators (Shovel Pass Lodge and clients of Shangri-la) are
responsible for collecting and disposing of their own waste.
There are several recycling bins at the Maligne Lake Day Use Area.
Waste Water Management
The majority of Parks Canada’s outhouses in the valley are pumped out as needed and
the waste trucked to Jasper’s Municipal Waste Water Treatment Facility. Maligne
Canyon Hostel and the Teahouse are also on a pump-out system.
At Maligne Lake, a three-pond sewage lagoon was built in the late 1960’s. The lagoon
treats wastewater from Maligne Tours’ buildings, the Parks Canada warden station and
Parks Canada’s washrooms. The system was evaluated by HCL Groundwater Consulting
in 2008, before responsibility for its operation was transferred to Maligne Tours. The
data collected showed no significant groundwater contamination and no evidence of
contamination of the Maligne River. Maligne Tours is responsible for ensuring the
sewage treatment facility meets or exceeds wastewater effluent standards set out in their
lease.
Waste water at Spirit Island is treated on site
using a small, solar-powered, fiberglass basin
filled with anaerobic bacteria, which break
down the sewage.
Some popular stops along the Maligne Lake
Road (e.g. Medicine North Viewpoint) do not
have washrooms.
Waste water at the backcountry
campgrounds on the lake is removed by boat
or ski-doo. Waste water from all of the
Solar-powered washrooms on Spirit Island
campgrounds on the Skyline Trail is flown
out by helicopter, with the exception of Evelyn Creek, which has a pit privy. Shangri-la
Cabin also has a fly-out system for waste. Shovel Pass Lodge has two pit privy toilets.
Page 58
3.0 Recent Implementation of Management Plan
Direction
Since the Jasper National Park Management Plan was approved in 2010, Parks Canada
has been working to address visitor experience and resource protection challenges on a
number of fronts. This section summarizes our progress to date.
Status of Implementation
Improving the sense of
arrival and orientation in the
valley
•
•
•
•
Information about things to do in the valley has been installed at
Maligne Canyon, along with a refurbished three-dimensional model
of the valley.
Trailhead kiosks and media for all major trailheads have been
upgraded.
Pedestrian signs have been installed at Maligne Lake parking lots
and lakeside trail system, although more work is needed.
New road signs were installed at lake in 2011, but a couple of
changes are needed.
Updating infrastructure and
prioritizing investment at key
locations
•
Maligne Canyon was recapitalized starting in 2009: trails were
improved, fencing, bridges and signage were upgraded and new
interpretation was developed
Improving communication
and interpretation in
partnership with others
•
•
Parks Canada increased its roving presence in the valley in 2012
New interpretive panorama and Aboriginal panel have been
designed for Maligne Overlook; panorama has been installed
Maligne Tours installed a number of panels and an exhibit related
to the Maligne Lake Chalet in 2012; more exhibits are planned
Panorama at Spirit Island also being updated
A number of publications have been updated (e.g. Backcountry
Brochure, Mountain Biking Brochure)
Parks Canada has worked with other map makers (e.g. National
Geographic) to ensure maps are accurate
•
•
•
•
Improving wildlife viewing for
both visitors and animals
Improving grizzly bear
habitat security
Implementing caribou
conservation measures in
support of caribou recovery
• A Wildlife Guardian program was initiated in 2010. The guardians
provide information on wildlife and manage roadside wildlife jams;
they spend the majority of their time in the valley
• Resource Conservation personnel also respond to wildlife jams and
manage human-wildlife interactions throughout the valley
• Maligne Pass trail was removed from the official trail network in
2010; declining numbers of users on that trail have resulted in a gain
to habitat security in the Upper Maligne Landscape Management
Unit of 8%
• Draft Caribou Conservation Strategy released last December; public
and Aboriginal consultation complete
• Further monitoring of caribou, wolves, elk and deer
• Working on feasibility of a captive breeding program in collaboration
with the Calgary Zoo and the Province of British Columbia
Page 59
Status of Implementation
Implementing the midMaligne River closure to
protect Harlequin Ducks
• Existing closure to protect Harlequin Ducks before and during the
breeding season continues to be implemented (i.e. mid-Maligne
River closed year-round to all in-stream use; Maligne Lake outlet
closed to all use during May and June)
Reviewing the wilderness
offer to ensure that it meets
changing visitor needs and is
financially sustainable
• Process underway to develop more guidance for Zone II/Wilderness
areas
• Working on new welcome/orientation signs for Maligne Lake
campgrounds
• New family campground planned for Maligne Lake, waiting for
resources to implement
Maintaining the wilderness
character of the valley
• Process underway to develop more guidance for Zone II/Wilderness
areas—to characterize experiences Parks Canada is seeking to
facilitate in these areas and provide direction on appropriate
activities /commercial opportunities
Page 60
4.0 Opportunities and Objectives
Visitor Experience
Visitor Satisfaction and Attendance
1. Although the level of satisfaction among visitors is high, there are opportunities to
further improve the visitor offer. Parks Canada can maintain the high level of
satisfaction of visitors to the Maligne Valley by:
• Better understanding the visitors that use the area or could be attracted to the
area.
• Improving the sense of arrival and orientation.
• Offering high-quality facilities and services that are in keeping with the valley’s
character and exceed visitor expectations given the relatively remote location of
the valley and its wilderness setting.
• Continuing to offer a wide range of facilities and activities in summer.
• Making targeted improvements to the visitor offer.
2. Parks Canada has a target to increase visitation to Jasper National Park by 2%
annually. The Maligne Valley, which currently receives one fifth of the park’s visitors,
can contribute to this target. There is physical capacity for additional visitation, however
given ecological considerations in the valley and visitor expectations for scenic values
and an iconic destination, care must be taken to direct visitors to the right places at the
right times of the year. We can increase visitation to the Maligne Valley in ways that
respect ecological and visitor objectives, by:
• Continuing to attract a wide range of visitors (e.g. Canadian and international
visitors, independent travelers and organized groups, all ages), and more actively
directing them to main nodes that will respond to their needs.
• Attracting more New Canadians, urban families and youth, and less experienced
park visitors, and more actively directing them to main nodes that will respond to
their needs.
• Attracting more visitors to the valley in spring (May/June), fall (September/
October) and winter (November to April).
Visitor Offer: Infrastructure and Facilities
3. Given current resources, Parks Canada is challenged to maintain high quality visitor
facilities throughout the Maligne Valley. It is easier for wildlife to use high quality
habitats and move through the valley when human use is concentrated in key areas and
is predictable. Parks Canada can ensure that facilities and infrastructure are financially
sustainable and contribute to ecological goals by:
• Concentrating visitor use at main nodes and focusing re-investment (e.g. new
facilities) in these areas.
• Maintaining other nodes or access points, but not providing any additional
facilities in these areas.
Page 61
• Closing little used facilities that are redundant or have low potential to contribute
to a positive visitor experience and redirecting investment to more popular
facilities.
4. Parks Canada can further strengthen the visitor offer by encouraging or collaborating
with commercial operators and non-profit organizations to develop new products and
services that complement Parks Canada’s offer and reach new target or niche markets
(e.g. New Canadians, families).
Levels of Visitor Engagement
5. There are a number of gaps in the visitor offer that can be addressed through targeted
improvements to facilities, programs and services designed to provide more
opportunities for three levels of visitor engagement: a View from the Edge, a Step into
the Wild and Rocky Mountain Wilderness.
View from the Edge
5a. Although scenery is the primary motivator among visitors to the valley, few say that
they were inspired by the drive. The majority of visitors to Maligne Lake drive directly to
the lake without stopping. There is an opportunity to turn the drive into a more
important part of the Maligne experience and to encourage more stopping and exploring
along the way at main nodes. This would, in turn, facilitate a better View from the Edge
experience.
5b. Many components of the visitor offer in the Maligne Valley are at least 40 years old.
Some facilities at main nodes were designed for activities that are not as popular as they
once were (e.g. the boat launch at Medicine Lake). With a little work Parks Canada may
be able to update these facilities, so that they respond better to the needs and interests
of current visitors to the valley.
o
o
For example, some picnic areas could be redesigned (i.e. tables clustered for
groups) to better meet the needs of today’s picnickers.
Likewise there is a good network of both long and short day hiking trails at the
north end of Maligne Lake. Today’s visitor favours shorter hikes or strolls. A few
short walks at main nodes in the valley would add value for many visitors.
5c. There are few opportunities in winter for a View from the Edge aside from the drive
itself and the potential for wildlife viewing. The situation is not much different in the
shoulder season, when many facilities are closed and weather (especially in spring) can
limit the range of potential activities. Updating facilities and interpretation would help
to fill this gap, however other improvements to the visitor offer may be required (e.g.
increased programming, improved services). The location and nature of programming
and services needs to be carefully considered in light of caribou conservation objectives.
Page 62
Step into the Wild
5d. While there are more winter-time opportunities for visitors seeking a Step into the
Wild, activities that cater to novice recreational users, such as well-defined snowshoeing
routes, winter walks, or track-set skiing could increase the appeal of the valley for this
level of engagement. The location of these activities needs to be carefully considered in
light of caribou conservation objectives.
Rocky Mountain Wilderness
5e. There are many opportunities in the valley for a Rocky Mountain Wilderness
experience, both in summer and winter, however the wilderness offer could be updated
to make it more appealing to target groups, such as families and New Canadians. The
location of new facilities and/or services needs to be carefully considered in light of
caribou conservation objectives.
5f. Caribou conservation objectives will likely result in changes to the winter offer,
especially for the Rocky Mountain Wilderness level of engagement. Parks Canada can
moderate the effects of these changes by working to improve other aspects of the winter
offer in the valley and exploring alternative areas or facilities within or outside the valley
to support this level of engagement.
Communication and Interpretation
6. There is great potential to improve communication and interpretation of the valley’s
unique attributes. Although there is some good interpretation in the valley currently,
there are many gaps that could be filled in. There are also a number of partners who
have participated or may be willing to participate in developing new interpretive
products or programs.
New interpretive media or programs should meet the following learning or experiential
outcomes:
• Visitors feel that they connected with the natural wonder of the Maligne Valley,
whether that means that they enjoyed a special place, discovered something new,
or got away from their everyday lives.
• Visitors learned something about some of the unique characteristics (i.e. human
history, sensitive species, karst topography) of the Maligne Valley.
• Visitors were able to identify the animals they saw and adopted appropriate
behaviours around wildlife.
Page 63
Resource Protection
Caribou
7. The most pressing resource conservation issue in the valley is the future of woodland
caribou. In the short-term, Parks Canada can meet its responsibilities under the Species
at Risk Act and the Conservation Strategy for Southern Mountain Caribou in Canada’s
National Parks, by maintaining a resident caribou population in the Maligne Valley.
Over the long-term, Parks Canada can achieve an ecologically functioning local
population of Southern Mountain Caribou by maintaining a herd of at least 75 animals
within their historic range in the Maligne Valley and ecologically connected to adjacent
populations.
Achieving both of these objectives will require Parks Canada to reduce or eliminate the
five threats to caribou in the valley:
•
•
•
•
•
Altered predator-prey dynamics
Ensuring that the valley does not support unnaturally high numbers of moose,
elk or deer.
Facilitated predator access
Eliminating or reducing human-facilitated access by wolves into important
caribou habitat.
Human disturbance
Minimizing the effects of human activity on caribou while facilitating a high
quality visitor experience.
Habitat destruction
Managing vegetation to maintain caribou habitat quality and availability.
Small population effects
Increasing the size of the Maligne herd, so that it is more resilient to the other
four threats.
Grizzly Bears
Displacement and Habitat Security
8. Grizzly bears need space where they can forage relatively uninterrupted by people.
Although habitat in the valley is secure at the landscape level, we can maintain or
improve local (finer-scale) habitat security by, for example, adjusting our management
of popular areas like Opal Hills where bears frequently occur, and maintaining or
increasing the predictability of temporal and spatial human use patterns in bear habitat.
Habituation and Bear-Human Conflict
9. There are many locations in the valley where bears and people frequently cross paths.
Parks Canada and valley operators can reduce the potential for bear habituation and
bear-human conflict, and improve visitor safety by:
Page 64
• Reducing or eliminating bear attractants around visitor facilities.
• Reducing the risk of human-bear encounters (e.g. through visitor education,
sightlines work, relocating facilities out of high risk areas).
Other Wildlife
10. Although our understanding of wildlife movement in the valley is not perfect, we can
maintain or improve the ability of wildlife to move between key habitats by: ensuring
that new facilities are not located in pinch points, removing non-essential facilities from
pinch points and carefully managing human activity in pinch points.
11. Wildlife viewing is an important activity in the Maligne Valley, but management of
this activity is not as effective as it should be. Visitors would benefit from more
information about the wildlife they are seeing and more guidance on appropriate
wildlife viewing behaviour.
Photo : Valérie Domaine
Wildlife jam on Maligne Lake Road
12. No new scientific evidence has emerged since the management plan review that
would prompt Parks Canada to revisit its approach to protecting Harlequin Duck
habitat. New proposals for use of the mid-Maligne River must be scientifically
defensible based on the well documented aspects of Harlequin Duck ecology that led to
the original precautionary closure, and enjoy broad-based public support.
Cultural Resources
13. The valley contains a number of important heritage buildings that contribute to its
rustic sense of place. Although the early development of the valley is well-documented,
less is known about Aboriginal ties to the area. There is room to improve the
interpretation of the valley’s human history, although a good start has been made with
the interpretation at the Maligne Chalet.
Page 65
Managing Growth and Development
14. Despite the popularity of the Maligne Valley, human use is relatively predictable and
occurs along narrow corridors (roads and trails) and around developed nodes. Outside
of these areas, the valley provides space for sensitive and wide-ranging species like
caribou, bears and wolverine. It also offers opportunities for more self-reliant visitors
seeking solitude and a remote wilderness experience. Parks Canada can meet these
needs by continuing to manage large areas of the valley as wilderness, with minimal
facilities and low levels of human use.
15. Visitors can choose from a wide range of activities in the valley. Outside of
adjustments to winter activities that will likely be required for caribou conservation, the
overall approach to managing activities (i.e. through education, infrastructure design
and regulation) seems to be working well. Parks Canada has placed some limits on
commercial activities (i.e. guided overnight trips on Maligne Lake) that may be useful to
revisit.
16. Criteria for considering new events and activities are outlined in the park
management plan. In addition to those criteria, new events and activities in the Maligne
Valley should complement the valley’s wilderness setting and contribute to learning and
experiential outcomes.
17. Given the relatively remote location of the Maligne Valley and its high profile outside
the park, initiatives to conserve energy and water, reduce waste and other forms of
pollution, and use alternative energy sources, have good potential to reduce
environmental impacts and costs, and serve as public showcases of environmental
stewardship.
18. Third party operators play an important role in providing visitor services and
contributing to park stewardship. In response to requests by Maligne Tours for
opportunities to redevelop their properties and update their visitor offer at Maligne
Lake, Parks Canada provided guidance to Maligne Tours to prepare and submit a
detailed conceptual redevelopment proposal for consideration, and for public review
and comment, concurrent with the development of the Maligne Valley Implementation
Strategy.
Parks Canada will ensure that the Maligne Tours Conceptual Proposal is considered in
context of achieving park objectives for visitor experience and wildlife conservation.
Parks Canada will consider all public and stakeholder comments received in reaching a
decision on the Conceptual Proposal, expected in early 2014.
Subject to the outcome of decisions by Parks Canada on the Conceptual Proposal,
Maligne Tours Ltd may be invited to prepare and submit a detailed design plan for all or
specific project elements of their re-development proposal to Parks Canada together
with a Detailed Environmental Analysis, for further consideration in the development
review process. This development review process would also include opportunities for
public review and comment.
Page 66

Situation Analysis for the Maligne Valley

Transcription

Similar documents

Jasper House Bungalows Activity Guide

LEADERSHIP CIRCLE - San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of

SABIC_Newsletter_Issue _4_DRAFT_2.p65

Jibou - Iserlohn

the program brochure

community calendar - Tri County Sentry

Musselwhite Mine Environmental Working Committee

PIONEER DAYS AT THE WASHINGTON STATE FAIR

for Sun Valley High School - Penn

Winter 2015 - Friends of Hope Valley