Why do we have protected areas

For more than a century and throughout the world, governments have created various kinds of protected natural areas.

They have done this in order to save valued natural heritage, such as beautiful landscapes, rare species, and wildlife populations. Wilderness and ecological reserves, national parks, and provincial parks are typical examples of protected areas.

In North America, extinctions of animals like the Carolina parakeet and the passenger pigeon - and the near-extinction of the prairie buffalo - drove the creation of the first protected natural areas in the 1890s. As time went on, more and more biological diversity was lost, and more land was set aside to try to save scraps of habitat for wild animals and plants.

World Charter for Nature

By 1982, the growing extinction crisis had reached the point that the United Nations passed the World Charter for Nature. For animals and plants, this charter is equivalent to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948.

The general principles of the United Nations World Charter for Nature begin as follows:

At the famous Rio Earth Summit in 1992, most nations signed on to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity - a world agreement to try to heal our ailing planet.

In doing their part, Canada's federal and provincial governments adopted the Canadian Biodiversity Strategy, making specific commitments to landscape based conservation targets. Both of these agreements require that protected areas be created and maintained.

The Canadian Biodiversity Strategy includes creating systems of protected areas that are adequate for the task at hand - to retain as much of the nation's living heritage as possible. The Protected Areas program in Newfoundland and Labrador is meant to fulfill our province's part of this national commitment.

The province of Newfoundland and Labrador currently lists 30 species under our endangered species act. There are more to come. Less than 5 per cent of Newfoundland and Labrador's land area currently lies within protected natural areas. This percentage must be increased in order to meet our obligations and to conserve native biodiversity.

There are several types of protected areas on Newfoundland and Labrador crown lands: national parks, wilderness areas and wilderness/ecological reserves, provincial parks, and special places (nature reserves). Each of these types of protected areas is governed by different laws. In addition, there are smaller land holdings owned by conservation organizations such as the Nature Conservancy of Canada. These, too, are governed by laws.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, no one is excluded from any of these protected areas, although some specific activities are restricted. Mining is generally excluded, cutting trees is either banned or regulated, and vehicles use is either prohibited or strictly controlled in various ways.

The main focus in all cases is ensuring that the well-being of animals and plants comes first. Provided their well-being is ensured, other human activities are permitted. In the province's protected wilderness areas, for example hiking, hunting and fishing are allowed.

The Canadian Biodiversity Strategy and Newfoundland and Labrador's protected areas plan (presently being prepared) are aimed at saving as much biological diversity as possible, while compromising human interests as little as possible. But compromises must be made otherwise humans, too, could be caught in the vortex of extinction.

Unfortunately, a lot of god's creation has already been lost, and more is bound to go, but we can prevent further destruction if we think clearly and begin to act now

The science of biological conservation is well developed, with scientific papers published daily on the subject. Scientists know that all of the biological riches inherited from the past can't be saved.

There is strong scientific evidence that the existing protected areas in Newfoundland and Labrador are not sufficient to protect Newfoundland and Labrador's natural heritage and endangered species, so calls for more protected areas are appropriate and will continue. Reactions against protection from industry and other interests are similarly inevitable. But it is clear that more needs to be done... we need to all get together and discuss these issues and act for protection or much more will be lost.

Forever...