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Protected Areas
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Christina Falls Graham-Laurier Provincial Park
Redfern Lake, Redfern-Keily Provincial Park
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The objective of Provincial Parks and Ecological Reserves is to protect land with special values such as wildlife, wilderness, recreation, culture and heritage.
Rational and Importance
Protected Areas, developed through the BC Protected Areas Strategy (PAS), play a critical role in the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area (M-KMA). The BC Protected Area strategy targeted the BC Government to designate 12% of the province as protected areas. A number of new parks were created in the M-KMA through the LRMP process.
Parks and Protected Areas make up approximately 25% of the M-KMA, while resource management zones comprise approximately 75% of the M-KMA. Park management planning is currently ongoing for parks and protected areas within the M-KMA.
M-KMA Parks and Protected Areas
| Name | Park Designation | Total Ha |
| Dall River Old Growth |
Class A Provincial Park |
644 |
| Denetiah | Class A Provincial Park & Protected Area | 97,908 |
| Dune Za Keyih | Class A Provincial Park & Protected Area | 347,789 |
| Finlay-Russel | Class A Provincial Park & Protected Area | 122,795 |
| Graham-Laurier |
Class A Provincial Park |
99,982 |
| Horneline Creek | Class A Provincial Park | 298 |
| Kwadacha Wilderness | Class A Provincial Park | 114,444 |
| Liard River Corridor/West | Class A Provincial Parks & Protected Area | 88,898 |
| Liard River Hot Springs | Class A Provincial Park | 1,082 |
| Muncho Lake | Class A Provincial Park | 86,079 |
| Northern Rocky Mountains | Class A Provincial Park & Protected Area | 665,709 |
| Ospika-Cones | Ecological Reserve | 1,282 |
| Prophet River Hot Springs | Class A Provincial Park | 185 |
| Redfern-Keily | Class A Provincial Park | 80,771 |
| Sikanni Chief River | Ecological Reserve | 2,091 |
| Stone Mountain | Class A Provincial Park | 25,179 |
| Toad River Hotsprings |
Class A Provincial Park |
414 |
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Protected Areas
The term "Protected Areas" holds dual meaning in British Columbia.
- In general reference, "Protected Areas" may refer to any and all BC park designations (e.g. Class A, B, C Provincial Park, Ecological Reserve or a Protected Area).
- "Protected Area" may also specifically reference an area of land within a Class A Provincial Park that is designated as a 'Protected Area' under the provincial Environment and Land Use Act. This Protected Area designation is intended to enable road access development for transportation of, and access to, resources outside of the Provincial Park. There is some directional petroleum and natural gas drilling on the outside perimeter of specified protected areas.
Class A Provincial Park
A Class A park is Crown land designated under the Park Act. A range of commercial and non-commercial recreational activities may be permitted in parks, with some restrictions, however industrial development is not permitted. Prohibited activities in protected areas include:
- mining
- oil and gas
- forest harvesting
- hydro-electric development
Ecological Reserves
Ecological reserves are areas selected to preserve representative and special natural ecosystems, plant and animal species, features and phenomena. Scientific research and educational purposes are the principal uses of ecological reserves. Ecological reserves are established for the:
- preservation of representative examples of British Columbia's ecosystems;
- protection of rare and endangered plants and animals in their natural habitat;
- preservation of unique, rare or outstanding botanical, zoological or geological phenomena;
- perpetuation of important genetic resources; and
- scientific research and educational uses associated with the natural environment.
Unlike provincial parks where recreation is a primary activity, the focus of ecological reserves is on preservation, education and research.
Click for more information on Provincial Park designations, including Class A, B and C parks.
For more information visit the Ministry of Environment, BC Parks Webpage.
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