Planning for the Future: 2011 Management Planning Update
An Invitation
Like Canada’s other national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas, Elk Island National Park is part of our heritage and our legacy to future Canadians. I invite you to get involved in updating the park management plan for Elk Island.
The plan will guide Parks Canada in the park’s future care and operation and its work with partners and stakeholders. And your involvement is welcomed.
Help us review and refine the vision, strategies, outcomes and actions that will guide us to protect this great park, connect visitors and Canadians with nature and our history, and engage the public, stakeholders and partners wherever they might be. Join Parks Canada as we shape the future for Elk Island. We look forward to hearing from you.
Alan Fehr,
Field Unit Superintendent
Why a management plan?
Management plans are forward-looking documents that provide a vision of national parks and national historic sites at their future best and the strategies for getting there. The management plan will guide Parks Canada’s decisions and actions in protecting, presenting and operating Elk Island National Park.
Why get involved?
Parks Canada is accountable to you. Your values and views are at the core of every management plan. And that’s why we need to hear from you. Your input will help provide the direction needed to deliver on Parks Canada’s mandate of protection, education and the visitor experience.
Update - December 2010
In August 2010, updating the Elk Island National Park of Canada management plan began. Newsletter #1, Planning for the Future (PDF, 829 KB) was distributed by mail, e-mail and website to inform the public about the management planning and opportunities for how to get involved. A draft vision, park challenges and proposed strategies for the updated plan were included for the public’s consideration.
Two open houses were held in Edmonton and Lamont at the end of August. These offered the public further opportunity to learn about Elk Island and the planning program, and to talk with the park planning team and provide comments directly to them. A one-day workshop with park stakeholders, held in September, did further work on the draft park vision and strategies. Several First Nations communicated with the park about the planning program.
This first stage of planning and consultation ended September 8th. The planning team of Elk Island National Park staff with support from the Parks Canada Western and Northern Service Centre considered this input when it undertook the second stage of drafting a proposed management plan.
Newsletter #2, What We Heard – What’s Next (PDF, 3.0 MB), informs you of: what Parks Canada heard in the first stage of public consultation to update the Elk Island National Park management plan; how public input helped shape the proposed management plan; and what opportunities lay ahead for you to comment on and provide further input to the proposed plan.
Draft Management Plan for Review
The draft management plan (PDF, 2.5 MB) for public review is available on the website or can be requested from Elk Island National Park by phoning (780)-992-2964 or e-mailing [email protected]
Have Your Say
Your comments on the draft plan will be considered in writing the final management plan that will go forward in February 2011 for approval. Therefore, your comments must be received by the planning team by no later than January 20, 2011 in order for them to be considered in completing the final plan.
Comment Form
We want to hear from you! A comment form (PDF, 456 KB) has been developed to assist you in providing input. Please provide your comments before January 20, 2011 so they may be considered for the next stage in the planning program.
Open Houses
These open houses are an opportunity to speak with park staff about the plan and provide your comments directly to the planning team. Open houses on the draft management plan will be held:
Lamont
Date: Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Place: Lamont Recreation Centre (Meeting Room)
4848 – 49th Street, Lamont, Alberta
Edmonton
Date: Thursday, January 13, 2011
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Place: Fantasyland Hotel (Medeira Room),
West Edmonton Mall
17700 - 87th Avenue, Edmonton