Trends in the coverage of protected areas
The coverage of protected areas and the effectiveness of their management are indicators for assessing progress towards the 2010 Biodiversity Target. The introduction of the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, which directs that the first priority of these areas is the maintenance of ecological integrity, is a positive step. However, serious concerns remain with regard to adequate funding and the enormous backlog of management plans that must be developed.
Ontario’s existing protected areas do not provide uniform representation or coverage of the province’s ecological regions. Most protected areas are in the middle third of Ontario, largely due to the success of the Ontario’s Living Legacy initiative in the 1990s. However, the lack of protected area coverage in the northern and southern parts of the province is striking. Only 7.8 per cent of northern Ontario’s land base and 1.1 per cent of southern Ontario are designated as protected areas. It is significant that only one new protected area (94 ha) has been identified and created in the last decade across the entire province, subsequent to the Ontario’s Living Legacy initiative.
This is an article from the 2007/08 Annual Report to the Legislature from the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. Click here for more information on the official document and its release.Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act
