Prince Edward Island National Park of Canada Management Plan 2017

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Chief Executive Officer of Parks Canada, 2017.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

• Parks Canada
• Prince Edward Island National Park of Canada management plan, 2017.

For more information about the management plan or about Prince Edward Island National Park:

Foreword

Canada’s national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas belong to all Canadians and offer truly Canadian experiences.  

These special places make up one of the finest and most extensive systems of protected natural and cultural heritage areas in the world.

The Government is committed to preserving our natural and cultural heritage, expanding the system of protected places and contributing to the recovery of species at risk. At the same time, we must continue to offer new and innovative visitor and outreach programs and activities so that more Canadians can experience Parks Canada places and learn about our environment, history and culture.

This new management plan for Prince Edward Island National Park of Canada supports this vision.

Management plans are developed through extensive consultation and input from various people and organizations, including Indigenous Peoples, local and regional residents, visitors and the dedicated team at Parks Canada.

National parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas are a priority for the Government of Canada. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this plan for their commitment and spirit of co-operation.

As the Minister responsible for Parks Canada, I applaud this collaborative effort and I am pleased to approve the Prince Edward Island National Park of Canada Management Plan.

Recommendations

Recommended and original signed by

Executive Summary

Established in 1937, Prince Edward Island National Park represents the Maritime Plain Natural Region within the National Parks System. This region is characterized by an undulating landscape of low elevation, underlain by relatively soft sandstone, conglomerate, and shale. Sandy beaches, sandspits, barrier islands and shifting sand dunes are common along the coastal margins. River estuaries are often bordered by salt marshes. Native forest types found in this region are part of the Acadian Forest biome, and range from hardwood forests of sugar maple, yellow birch, and beech on rich uplands and slopes, to black spruce bogs on low, poorly drained flats, and white spruce stands in exposed coastal locations.

Prince Edward Island National Park is a major tourist attraction on Prince Edward Island with its warm water, sandy beaches, beautiful scenery, network of trails and popular campgrounds. The beaches in the national park are the premier tourist attraction and have been valued as recreational areas for more than 100 years. Hiking and cycling have increased in popularity with the development of an extensive network of trails. Visitation is variable depending on the weather, but on average the park hosts more than 475,000 person-visits annually.

Major heritage attractions within the national park include Green Gables Heritage Place, also part of L.M. Montgomery’s Cavendish National Historic Site of Canada which will have a separate management plan. Dalvay-by-the-Sea National Historic Site of Canada is also contained within the borders of the national park. This site was constructed in 1896 as a seaside summer home, and is now operated as an historic inn. Management objectives for Dalvay-by-the-Sea National Historic Site are included in this plan.

This management plan replaces the 2007 Management Plan for Prince Edward Island National Park and Dalvay-by-the-Sea National Historic Site, which provided management direction for many improvements to ecological integrity, visitor experience and external relations.  Since 2007, Prince Edward Island National Park has developed a comprehensive ecological monitoring program and completed restoration of disturbed sites. Visitor experience opportunities have been advanced with trail improvements, the development of a multi-use trail along the Gulf Shore Parkway, and upgraded campgrounds. Relationships with Mi’kmaw First Nations have improved along with enhanced presentation of Mi’kmaw heritage in the park. A 2015 State of the Park assessment identified these improvements along with a number of opportunities and challenges that were considered during the review and development of this plan. They include the need to focus on long term natural and cultural conservation gains; address aging infrastructure; continue to improve learning and visitor experience opportunities; and manage lands in a dynamic coastal environment.

Parks Canada’s many partners and stakeholders, including the Mi’kmaw First Nations in whose traditional territory the park is located, helped create this plan for Prince Edward Island National Park. The plan sets clear, strategic direction for the management and operation of Prince Edward Island National Park by articulating a vision, key strategies, objectives and targets. The plan builds on previous commitments and management plan objectives, furthering the achievements of the past 10 years. Parks Canada will report annually on progress toward achieving the plan objectives and will review the plan every ten years or sooner if required.

The four key strategies for the 10 year management plan period focus on the following:

1.0 Introduction

Parks Canada manages one of the finest and most extensive systems of protected natural and historic places in the world. The Agency’s mandate is to protect and present these places for the benefit and enjoyment of current and future generations. Future-oriented, strategic management of each national park, national marine conservation area, heritage canal and those national historic sites administered by Parks Canada supports the Agency’s vision:

The Canada National Parks Act and the Parks Canada Agency Act require Parks Canada to prepare a management plan for each national park. The Prince Edward Island National Park Management Plan, once approved by the Minister responsible for Parks Canada and tabled in Parliament, ensures Parks Canada’s accountability to Canadians, outlining how the management team of this national park will achieve measurable results in support of the Agency’s mandate.

Parks Canada’s many partners and stakeholders, including the Mi’kmaw First Nations in whose traditional territory the park is located, helped create this plan for Prince Edward Island National Park. The plan sets clear, strategic direction for the management and operation of Prince Edward Island National Park by articulating a vision, key strategies and objectives. The plan builds on previous commitments and management plan objectives, furthering the achievements of the past 10 years. Parks Canada will report annually on progress toward achieving the plan objectives and will review the plan every ten years or sooner if required.

This plan is not an end in itself. Parks Canada will maintain an open dialogue on the implementation of the management plan to ensure that it remains relevant and meaningful. The plan will serve as the focus for ongoing engagement on the management of Prince Edward Island National Park in years to come.

2.0 Significance of Prince Edward Island National Park

Established in 1937, Prince Edward Island National Park represents the Maritime Plain Natural Region within the National Parks System. This region is characterised by an undulating landscape of low elevation, underlain by relatively soft sandstone, conglomerate and shale. Sandy beaches, sandspits, barrier islands and shifting sand dunes are common along the coastal margins. River estuaries are often bordered by salt marshes. Native forest types found in this region are part of the Acadian Forest Region, and range from hardwood forests of sugar maple, yellow birch, and beech on rich uplands and slopes, to black spruce bogs on low, poorly drained flats, and white spruce stands in exposed coastal locations. Prince Edward Island National Park provides excellent representation of the geology and coastal features of this natural region, and also protects a variety of upland forested vegetation communities.

Landscapes protected in the park include: coastal beaches and dunes; sandstone headlands; salt-marshes; freshwater and brackish ponds; small streams; and, upland till habitats that support a range of vegetation types, including old agricultural fields in various stages of ecological succession. In the Greenwich area, there are special sand dune features – a parabolic sand dune system with associated Gegenwälle^{Footnote 1}. The ecosystems of the park support a variety of plant and animal species, including seven species at risk, four of which have recovery strategies as of the date of this plan. These include the piping plover and the Gulf of St. Lawrence aster, both listed under the federal Species at Risk Act. Prince Edward Island National Park provides a key protected area for these species.

Protecting and presenting Canada’s cultural heritage is also an important priority for Prince Edward Island National Park. In addition to Dalvay-by-the-Sea National Historic Site and Green Gables Heritage Place, the park protects a variety of cultural resources reflecting a long history of human use by First Nations, and by Acadian, French and British settlers. These include, but may not be limited to, the Simpson House in Cavendish, the Stanhope Pioneer Cemetery, archaeological sites on Robinsons Island, in Stanhope and in Greenwich, and cultural landscapes.

3.0 Planning Context

The park is a major tourist attraction in Prince Edward Island with its warm water, sandy beaches, beautiful scenery, network of trails and popular campgrounds. The beaches of Prince Edward Island National Park are the premier tourist attraction and have been valued as recreational areas for more than 100 years. Hiking and cycling have increased in popularity with the development of an extensive network of trails. Visitation is variable depending on the weather, but on average the park hosts more than 475,000 person-visits^{Footnote 2} annually.

Major heritage attractions within the park include Green Gables Heritage Place, also part of L.M. Montgomery’s Cavendish National Historic Site of Canada, which will have a separate management plan. Dalvay-by-the-Sea National Historic Site of Canada is also contained within the borders of the national park. This site was constructed in 1896 as a seaside summer home, and is now operated as an historic inn. Management objectives for Dalvay-by-the-Sea are included in this plan.

Prince Edward Island National Park is one of the smallest in Canada, encompassing an area of approximately 22.2 km². An additional 13.3 km² of federal Crown land adjacent to the park is also managed by Parks Canada. Parks Canada has acquired these lands over the past 40 years in order to buffer the park from adjacent development and to compensate for the loss of coastal lands that are eroding from natural causes. Many of these lands are currently rented to local farmers for agricultural purposes. The future use of Crown lands needs to be reviewed in order to inform park management decisions. The park extends along the north shore of Prince Edward Island for approximately 40 km between Cavendish and Blooming Point. In 1998, the park was expanded to include a portion of the Greenwich Peninsula located further east on St. Peters Bay in an area separated from the main part of the park.

A number of small communities are adjacent to the park: the Cavendish Resort Municipality and the town of North Rustico are located in the western sector; the North Shore Community (which includes Stanhope and Covehead) and the community of Grand Tracadie are located in the central region of the park; and, the village of St. Peters is located at the eastern end of the park near the Greenwich peninsula. These areas were all established primarily as farming and/or fishing communities but now have a growing focus on tourism. In particular, the Cavendish Resort Municipality has become well-known as the major tourism area on the north shore, while St. Peters is considered the gateway to tourism in eastern Prince Edward Island. Charlottetown, the capital city for the province with a population of about 64,487 in the greater region, is located about 30 to 45 minutes to the south. The dominant land uses in the surrounding region on the island are agriculture, tourism and forestry. Commercial fishing remains an important activity for many coastal communities, and aquaculture is a significant industry in the large coastal bays.

The Mi’kmaw First Nations depend strongly on the coast and marine resources, especially the fisheries. There are two Mi’kmaw First Nations on Prince Edward Island. The Lennox Island and the Abegweit Bands together have incorporated as the Mi’kmaq Confederacy of Prince Edward Island to work on their behalf and advance their common goals. Continuing to grow and improve relationships with Indigenous communities is a priority for Parks Canada. Joint initiatives and on-going collaboration between the Mi’kmaw First Nations, through the Mi’kmaq Confederacy of Prince Edward Island, and Parks Canada point to an increasingly positive relationship that builds on mutual interests.

This management plan replaces the 2007 Management Plan for Prince Edward Island National Park and Dalvay-by-the-Sea National Historic Site, which provided management direction for many improvements to ecological integrity, visitor experience and external relations. Since 2007, Prince Edward Island National Park has developed a comprehensive ecological monitoring program and completed restoration of disturbed sites. Visitor experience opportunities have been advanced with trail improvements, the development of a multi-use trail along the Gulf Shore Parkway, and upgraded campgrounds. Relationships with Mi’kmaw First Nations have improved along with enhanced presentation of Mi’kmaw heritage in the park. A 2015 State of the Park assessment identified these improvements along with a number of opportunities and challenges that were considered during the review and development of this plan. They include the need to focus on long term natural and cultural conservation gains; address aging infrastructure; continue to improve learning and visitor experience opportunities; and manage lands in a dynamic coastal environment.

Many partners and stakeholders have expressed shared interests in future collaboration with Parks Canada. During the development of the management plan, input has been provided by: municipal governments and/or development corporations for communities neighbouring the park; academic institutions; provincial government departments; environmental groups; cultural organizations; provincial and regional tourism associations; recreational groups; and lease and license holders.

Map 1 Regional Setting

4.0 Vision

5.0 Key Strategies

6.0 Management Areas

7.0 Zoning and Declared Wilderness Areas

Zoning is an important management tool that helps to support the park vision by directing visitor use to appropriate areas of the park, and ensuring that rare, sensitive ecological or cultural areas are protected.

Parks Canada’s national park zoning system is an integrated approach to the classification of land and water areas in a national park and designates where particular activities can occur on land or water, based on the ability to support those uses. The zoning system has five categories:

The zoning plan for the park is illustrated on Maps 2-4. The park zones apply to all scheduled^{Footnote 4} areas of the park, as well as the Greenwich Peninsula, which will be scheduled within the period of this plan. Several amendments have been incorporated into the zoning plan in order to:

Map 2 Western Sector Zoning

Map 3 Central Sector Zoning

Map 4 Eastern Sector Zoning

Map 5 Proposed Wilderness Areas

8.0 Summary of Strategic Environmental Assessment

Parks Canada is responsible for assessing and mitigating the impacts of management actions on ecosystems and cultural resources. The Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals, prepared by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, requires a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of all plans and policies submitted to the Federal Cabinet or to a Minister for approval deemed to have important positive or negative environmental effects.

A strategic environmental assessment was undertaken on this management plan, and the management direction found within has been adjusted to respond to findings. The overall intent of the plan is to ensure Parks Canada’s accountability to Canadians, outlining how the management team will achieve measurable results in support of the Agency’s mandate. 

Implementation of the plan and subsequent management was assessed for its likelihood to generate positive or negative environmental effects. Analysis found that the plan is expected to increase the level of protection for natural resources and cultural resources, and to contribute to the achievement of key visitor experience management objectives at Prince Edward Island National Park. A number of important positive environmental effects were identified. No negative environmental effects are expected; however, some areas of uncertainty were identified. Mitigation strategies have been outlined to avoid and minimize potential negative environmental effects that could emerge from these areas of uncertainty, with a specific focus on managing cumulative effects. 

All future projects proposed to take place at Prince Edward Island National Park will be reviewed to determine if an impact assessment is required pursuant to applicable legislated processes, such as the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. This will be accomplished using the appropriate mechanism, such as one of the Environmental Impact Analysis (EIA) pathways for any projects that could have adverse effects on natural resources, or the Cultural Resource Impact Analysis (CRIA) process for projects whose impacts would be restricted to cultural resources.

Parks Canada will evaluate the potential impacts of proposed projects and utilise the results of the assessments when deciding on a course of action to approve or not approve specific projects that may be proposed to meet the objectives and targets of this plan.

Appendix A – List of Environmentally and Culturally Sensitive Sites

Environmentally Sensitive Sites in Prince Edward Island National Park

Culturally Sensitive Sites in Prince Edward Island National Park

Heritage Buildings