Laws to protect wilderness get failing grade

A new report card evaluating the laws that are supposed to protect Canada’s most outstanding wild places gives most governments a failing grade.

The federal government, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland are the only governments to receive passing grades. Every other province and territory gets a failing grade for its laws governing parks. Alberta and Ontario deserve special mention for earning F-minus, the worst grade possible.

Wild by Law: A Report Card on Laws Governing Canada’s Parks and Protected Areas, and a Blueprint for Making these Laws More Effective was released in May by UVic’s POLIS project on ecological governance. The grades in the report card are based on an evaluation of laws according to 10 key criteria, including factors such as: making the protection of ecological integrity the top priority; prohibiting industrial resource use; ensuring permanent protection through legislated boundaries; dedicating parks to future generations; and providing extra protection for wilderness areas and ecological reserves.

“It’s a national disgrace that activities like logging and mining continue to be allowed under many provincial park laws,” says environmental lawyer David Boyd, the report’s author. “Canadians firmly believe that parks are meant to be protected, not exploited.

“Relying on existing provincial laws to protect parks that are priceless treasures is like relying on a home security system to protect the National Gallery,” added Boyd. “We urge provinces with failing grades to use our blueprint for improving their park laws.”

The report is available online at <www.polisproject.org>.