Creative resource mobilization for biodiversity: practical experiences, real results

Financing Canadian Protected Areas

Scott Wilson, Environment CanadaCOP 12, Pyeongchang, South KoreaOctober 9, 2014

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Canada’s Protected Areas Network

• 7,450 protected areas.

• 1,036,645 km2 (10.4%) of its terrestrial area and inland water; 51,485 km2 (0.9%) of its marine area: about the size of Bolivia.

• Terrestrial protected areas system has grown by 8.1% increase) since 2009

• Marine protected areas system has grown by 24% increase since 2009.

• Shared federal, provincial, local jurisdiction – national, provincial and local protected areas.

• Also have protected areas governed by indigenous and local communities; private protected areas.

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Canada’s National Parks and Historic Sites

• 43 national terrestrial parks representing 28 of Canada's 39 terrestrial regions; 301,500 square kilometres.

• 4 national marine conservation areas spanning three oceans and the Great Lakes; 14,846 square kilometres.

• 956 places of national historic significance.

• $600 million annual budget

• $118 million in revenues

• Budget cuts related to overall federal government deficit reduction efforts = reduce costs and increase revenues

• But also: diverse income streams = more sustainability

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Parks Canada and Revenue Generation

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Parks Canada: Revenue growth?

• Some efforts on merchandise, but real focus on revenue from visitors.

• Stimulate more visitor volume

• Increase visitor fees

• Focus on National Parks as opposed to National Historic Sites (low visitor volumes, shorter stays)

• New camping infrastructure (Yurts, oTentik program)

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Ontario Parks

Page 8Over 9 million visits a year

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Past financial challenges at Ontario Parks…

• Growing protected areas system

• Budget cuts starting in 1990s

• Need to find other sources of revenue

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Ontario Parks: Key revenue generation strategies

Camping feesCamping fees

SalesSales

Day use feesDay use fees

Land leases Land leases

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Transition from government funding…

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…towards a user-funded protected area system

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…towards a user-funded protected area system

• Over 9 million visits per year, on avg

• About 55% camping; 45% day visits

• Around 80% visitors are Ontario residents

• Only 10% from out of country

• Average camper stay: 3.5 nights

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Ongoing challenges

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Conclusions

• Less and less of the cost of operating and maintaining Canada’s protected areas is covered by public budgets.

• Need to find sustainable and predictable alternative revenue sources.

• Canadian jurisdictions have been able to fund large portions of their protected areas systems through user fees: Ontario Parks is a good example.

• The most important source of user fees has been camping fees, followed by day-use fees; sales and rentals of merchandise and equipment

• Most visitors are residents of Canada.

• Still challenges: infrastructure, regional disparities