A shift in values

This whole blog has been about the different ways that we value our land.  Looking at examples both locally and globally has allowed me to realize these differences.  We are currently at a fork in the road, like it or not the decisions we make now are going to have a huge impact on our future and the future of our land.  I hope that through advocacy, education and even industry we are able to pick the right road.  Although many of the examples show what we are doing wrong, I think that we at least have come to an understanding of the issues we now face.

Tourism is a great solution to many of these issues, however, it comes with its own set of problems.  Tourism may protect our lands from strip mining and forestry but it can just as easily fill it with twinned highways and vacation homes.  The way that we designate and develop land needs to be carefully planned out with long term visions and goals.  We are lucky to be in a country with so much space, so many trees, so many mountains and rivers that we often find ourselves complacent.  The thought of always having another valley will soon not be a reality.  We are reaching our peak in what we can realistically consume and we will soon have to make some very difficult changes in the way we live and our values.

The value that we place in the wild will need to change or we will no longer have it to enjoy.  Even though changes are slow, I think that the tourism industry has and will be a leader in a more sustainable future.  Shifting our values from consumerism to conservation will be our solution to a better future.

When was the last time you sat and enjoyed the sunset?  You walked in the trees and marveled at their size?  You reached the top of a mountain just to sit and enjoy the view?  You listened to the roar of a waterfall?
We get lost in our busy lives filled with iphones and laptops, take some time to get out, enjoy the wild and realize why it is worth protecting!

Where did all the trees go?

BC's economy has been built upon and constantly strengthened by tourism and the logging industry.  Unfortunately these two major contributers to the economy are often looking to the same trees to support themselves.  Loggers need trees for lumber and tourism needs trees to give people something to come see.  Noone is going to come to a park to wander through its clearcuts and heavy machinery.

One of the forests currently being threatened is home to the world's largest Douglas Fir tree.  This forest on Vancouver is currently protected by a municipal recreation area, but is also zoned for commercial logging.  Although there are no current plans to log this particular forest, situations like this exist all over the province.  Thew province has a very black and white landuse policy.  If an area is protected under a provincial or national park, then there is to be no industry.  If the area is not under protection then there is a free for all and industry can quite easily develop.

This causes the constant need for more parks and protection but the amount of red tape to get through makes this a very slow process.  Trust in companies with tenure can only hold for so long and eventually this will fail.  Tenures are held because companies hope to develop the area in the future.  They may promise no development in the short term but would have no need for these if they didn't eventually have plans to develop.

I think that this is one of our biggest stumbling block in protecting our wild lands.  Making it so easy for developers and so difficult for conservationists often makes efforts to protect an area too little and too late.  With a change in landuse policy and zoning, we could easily add protection without the need of a park designation.   Land could be set aside as wilderness reserves and get put under 10 or 20 year protected terms.  This would allow the area to remain protected in the short run and give conservationists and park planners time to evaluate whether or not a park would be beneficial both economically and ecologically.

http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/World+largest+Douglas+risk+fearful+environmentalists+charge/2615217/story.html

The economic value of a National Park

After listening to a presentation on keeping the Flathead Valley wild by Casey Brennan from Wildsight, I thought it might be interesting to look at the economic value of a national park.  So much of our lives are now driven by the market economy and therefore adding this perspective to a park may be one of the best ways to convince the government of it's true value.

The Flathead is the one missing piece to the Waterton and Glacier National Parks puzzle.  The missing top left corner as it stands right now is still mainly wild but has no legal protection to keep it this way.  The Flathead is the last low elevation valley in the southern part of Canada.  It is unique because of its diversity of plants, ungulates, carnivores and even rocks.  The water quality in this value is unmatched and it is used as a benchmark for studies around the world.  Even with all these valuable qualities the current BC government is unable to see the need to protect it.

The current government has ran on a platform of "open for business" and has effectively began selling off any resource they can get their hands on.  These resources come from our forests, mountains, rivers and oceans.  The government insists on placing a price tag on every tree and will sell to the first bidder regardless the consequence.  This disregard for the environment comes with a mindset that there will always be another river in another valley.

Local residents with support from the federal and international governments are pushing to create a National Park in this region to finally protect it for the long run.  They realize that we are quickly running out of these special places and if we do not act now it will soon be to late.  Because our provincial government is so dollar driven, I think our best chance at saving this value is by giving it a price tag.

The government see's value in the lumber, the coal, the methane and the water.  What we need to do is show them the value in the view, the piece and quite, the serenity and the sanctuary that this valley provides.  If we are able to show these abstract ideas as economic drivers, we can justify the value in protecting this valley.  Studies like this have been done and with the creation of a National Park it has been estimated that there would be 1.4 million dollars contributed to the GDP.  Is this not enough to justify a park?

Round table decision making

Tourism stakeholders often have a hard time being heard above the overpowering influence of big industry.  Logging companies who sponsor political parties are listened to much more frequently then adventure tour operators looking to open a new trail.  One of the solutions to this issue is round table decision making as outlined in the article "Conflict in Natural Area Destinations: A Critique of Representation and Interest in Participatory Process".  

Although there have been and will continue to be growing pains with this process, I think that it is a step in the right direction.  Round table decision making essentially takes representatives from all influenced parties and gives them equal representation and decision making power.  This process allows each voice to be heard and eliminates monocratic decisions.  Because our government is so heavily influenced by lobby groups and industry leaders, this is a way for the smaller interests to be heard.

This style of decision making is fairly new to the park system but will be a great forum for the tourism industry to speak up.  I think that tourism is a great alternative to many other industries and can set a benchmark for ethical use of land.  If all industries come to the same table they will be able to openly share ideas and criticisms.  This will allow the region to see the true economic value and ecological impact of proposed development and make much more educated and rounded decisions. 

Conservation through Recreation

Many of the articles that I have read in the last few weeks about conservation have been based on the opinions and efforts by recreationalists.   Conserving the natural environment, whether it be beach, forest, mountain or river is a top priority for most recreational groups.  Without the natural environment partaking in these activities would be impossible.  Surfers would be limited to crowded tourist beaches, climbers stuck in the gym and kayakers sitting on conveyor belts between surf sessions.

Because recreational groups form a bond and feeling of ownership of their playgrounds they are the perfect stewards to represent and protect the wilderness.  By spending so much time embedded in the wild, recreationalists are able to understand the true value of the wilderness.  Historically some of the biggest players in the battle for national parks have had strong ties to the wild through there own recreation.

I think that if these groups can show the economic value of the wilderness that they know so well, they will be able to save it from development.  If sport tourism can be used as an alternative to logging or mining then these places can remain wild.

Paddling down one of BC's 455 Endangered Creeks

Surfers fight to keep access

Access to wilderness areas is at risk all across BC.  Creeks and rivers are being dammed, forests being harvested and mountain tops being removed for mining.  The current BC government's mandate seems to be to sell of as much resources as possible and deal with the consequences later.  But the coastline?  Is it possible for the government to restrict access to surf and beaches?

In Jordan River, this is now an ongoing battle.  The BC Liberals have allowed one of their largest donors and owners of much of the land surrounding Jordan River to subdivide and develop the coastline.  Because logging can only last for so long Western Forest Projects plans to add residential development to the lands which they currently manage and harvest.  If these projects were to go through, access to the beaches and coastline would be restricted, rivers would be polluted, and sustainable forestry would come to an abrupt halt to make way for clear cutting and condos.

One solution being offered by locals is to protect the area as a park.  With park status the wilderness and coastline would be protected from development and excessive forestry.  Because this land was traditionally owned by a number of First Nations, there is also a huge push by them to keep development out.  This gives the opportunity for recreationalists and First Nations to work together on providing a solution.

Because recreational groups and conservationists are often over looked, working with First Nations may be one of the best possible solutions.  Often our goals are the same.  First Nations want to keep the land in its traditional form.  Recreation groups want to enjoy the wilderness in its natural state.  This is the perfect partnership to gain a louder voice.  Bringing stakeholders together and finding common goals may be one of the best ways to protect the wilderness areas that our government is pawning off.
article: SBC SURF Spring 2008 ENVIROFILE: Jordan River is mine?
image from: www.bcsurfer.com

Tourism and Development

In the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, another great example of using tourism instead of other industries to promote development can be seen.  In some small Mayan communities, the NGO Kanche Asociacion Civil is working to promote sustainable development.  These communities struggle to meet their basic physiological needs on a day to day basis.  Often the first solution that is offered is to promote agriculture, forestry and resource extraction as a means for economic growth.  Kanche and the communities it is involved in has realized that this is not an option for this area.  Traditional activities such as agriculture and fishing are no longer beneficial or sustainable for the community.  This is being seen in rural areas all around the world.  Small scale operations are dieing off because of overpowering corporate industries that are able to extract many more resources for much less.  

Kanache has realized that in order for these communities to grow, they need a sustainable and alternative option.  This is the perfect opportunity for tourism to develop.  Tourism can bring people and money into the economy.  Sustainable tourism practices must be put into place in the early stages of its development to preserve the ecologic and cultural diversity in the area.  

This situation is not the first of its kind.  ATG has been offering tours to areas like this for quite some time.  The lessons that they have learned can act as a guiding hand in the development of new small and sustainable tourist destinations.

It is important to keep in mind the carrying capacity of the area.  Just as a forest can only support a certain number of trees or wildlife, a tourism destination can only support a certain number of tourists.  The type of tourism is also very important in maintaining the destination.  Making sure that tourism is regulated, that tourists are educated and sustainability is practiced is crucial to ensure that the destination keeps its identity.  

http://www.theperspectivemagazine.com/mags/sustainable-development-through-alternative-tourism/

Lessons to be learned from all across the globe

Canada is a vast nation full of natural resources, beautiful landscapes and great reserves of untouched bio diverse land.  When considering development we often take advantage of the fact that there is always another mountain, another forest or another breath taking view just around the corner.  Losing just one of these to development really doesn't seem like too big of a threat.  This allows industry to quietly develop and desecrate our wild lands while we take post card images only kilometers away.  Because our resources are so plentiful we often miss out on valuable lessons to be learned from all across the globe.

In Cameroon, West Africa, the government has realized the threat of development and human sprawl.  Mount Cameroon hosts one of the most bio diverse and biologically rich ecosystems in the world.  This ecosystem, like so many others, is being threatened by human development.  Cities and agriculture are coming closer and closer to taking over the rich landscapes that have always sustained them.  The government of Cameroon has realized the importance of keeping this area wild and is planning to protect it through the designation of a National Park.  The government understands that without this valuable wild land they would not be able to sustain life and growth in the area.  The forests are there main source of existence.  The watershed alone supports more than 300,000 inhabitants.  Keeping this forest flourishing will allow the harmonious existence of the surrounding communities.  It is a tough balance, but in the long run should turn out to be beneficial for both the forest and the people.

The government of Cameroon has stressed transparency and input from stakeholders to ensure that they are working towards the greater good of all parties involved.  This is an important lesson that we can learn and use in our own National Park system.  Cameroon also hopes that the creation of this park will create jobs and awareness through tourism.  This is a great example of how a country has found tourism to be a sustainable and viable alternative to agricultural and urban development.  

http://allafrica.com/stories/201002011029.html

Green grass in the desert

This post may be a little off topic, but I think it is quite relevant in a lot of ways.  In my destination marketing organization class tonight we had a guest speaker who is one of the leading members of Tourism Kamloops.  The lecture was mainly based on research and some of the different development projects that Tourism Kamloops has been working on in its early stages of life.
Tourism Kamloops is making a huge push as a "Golf Destination" opening new courses and trying to bring in the elite golf tourists.  They are also trying very hard to develop sustainable tourism in this region.   By their definition, sustainable tourism is an economic concept, trying to develop tourism strategies to continue bringing visitors to this region.

But what if there is no destination for them to come to?  Kamloops is already a huge consumer of water, using far more than the national averages.  Keeping the grass green and the golf courses in pristine condition consumes even more water. When our speaker was questioned on the research that Tourism Kamloops has done on the environmental sustainability of this develop, they struggled to give a legitimate answer, simply saying "the Thompson River seems to still flood every year."  A follow up question was asked on whether or not Tourism Kamloops would have a long term plan on providing a cap or regulation on water usage, which led to the same result.

So how is this at all related to parks and industry development?  In my opinion, we are recklessly developing for short term gains and not looking at the long term problems.  Depleting the water supply and changing the natural environment is just as bad as cutting off the top of a mountain and building roads through forests for mineral extraction.  If we don't look at the long term impacts of our development regardless of the industry they fall in, we will see a future without destinations.  We can't market dried up golf greens and brown grass, just as we can't bring tourists to come check out where the mountain range used to be!
http://www.tourismkamloops.com/

The Blog

Through this blog I'll be looking at one of the biggest issues in Canadian Tourism today.  All throughout the country our government is selling of "public" lands and resources to huge corporations.  Many of these corporations are not even Canadian.  We are slowly losing our wild lands to forestry, hydro, mining and oil/gas extraction.  Canada is known for its images of mountains, lakes, forests and rivers, but we are quickly selling these off as natural resources.  The governments tendency to only look at the economic bottom line is missing the big picture, the need to conserve what makes our country what it is.

Tourism is a viable alternative to industry.  The more people we can bring to an area will stimulate the economy, and give much needed exposure to the post card images being sold off to corporations.  If more people come to visit and see our beautiful country we will be able to keep it wild forever.  The environment is an important aspect of our lives, and should be kept pristine for generations to come!