External threats to national parks : a case study of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, British Columbia
Date
1992
Authors
Doyle, Stephen Stouffer
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Abstract
National parks in North America are protected by legislation which states they shall be left "unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." A growing body of literature suggests, however, that national parks are being increasingly threatened from sources outside their boundaries - external threats. Documentation of external threats to national parks began in 1980 in the United States but little work has been done in Canada.
This thesis describes the external threats and their source(s) to Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, British Columbia as perceived by the managers of Pacific Rim Park. Structured, personal interviews were conducted with park managers as well as with agencies identified as the source(s) of those external threats. The research revealed a total of 104 external threats to the park.
Interviews with agencies identified as the source(s) of external threats to the park revealed a lack of communication with park managers as well as a general lack of knowledge concerning the purpose and meaning of national parks in Canada. The thesis includes specific recommendations for the possible mitigation of several individual external threats.
The thesis concludes with a possible long-term solution to terrestrial external threats in the form of a biosphere reserve and the rationale for its application to Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.
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UN SDG 15: Life on Land