GBA Update Spring 2024

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These challenges can be addressed, in part, using pan-Canadian tools for conservation that support progress towards Canada Target 1 through the creation and recognition of protected areas, Indigenous protected and conserved areas (IPCAs), and other effective area-based conservation

Biodiversity is in a constant state of change. There was more biodiversity in Georgian Bay 100 years ago. If there’s more biodiversity in 100 years, it will probably be due to sound environmental management decisions being made now. Sustainable development is intended to increase biodiversity. Indigenous Conservation In a paper studying the contribution of Indigenous-led conservation, conventional

that are under the jurisdiction of the provinces and territories. In Ontario, it is unclear if the provincial government will accept the federal choice of region for proposed IPCAs. IPCAs funded by the federal government could also encounter problems if the funding is not renewed. Once established, IPCAs need sustainable

measures (OECMs). - The Pathway to Target 1: bit.ly/Pathway2020

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funding models and long-term economic planning. The opportunities for Indigenous-led sustainable economic models are thriving. Issak Olam Foundation is a leader in forming and developing IPCAs on the West Coast. It has a knowledge hub for capacity building to re-establish Indigenous Peoples' re-connection to the environment. The foundation has led a post-secondary course in IPCA planning. IPCA Management and Partnership Land conservation in general, including Indigenous land conservation, will be challenged in the future if climate change and extreme weather events persist. In the summer of 2023, one IPCA in Saskatchewan, Sakitawak Conservation Area Project, is estimated by the community to have lost half of its forest to fire. Partners in IPCA formation may include various stakeholders, but no cookie-cutter solution exists. Municipal governments, community associations, conservation organizations, non-profits, and more might be involved. This requires communication and articulation of planning and vision to align common interests. The opportunity for sustainable economic development through IPCAs is an important innovation needed to maintain the value of the Georgian Bay ecosystem. Protection and conservation of land and water will face increasing challenges in Georgian Bay as we adapt to climate extremes and accommodate the increased demand for access to nature from Canada's increasing population density. Indigenous conservation offers one model of stewardship that can provide a way forward.

land conservation practices are compared to Indigenous-led conservation in Australia, Brazil, and Canada. The conclusion was that Indigenous-led conservation was slightly better at meeting international biodiversity treaty targets. 1 More info: bit.ly/Indigenous-led-conservation IPCAs differ from traditional conservation approaches. Rather than protecting nature from human intervention, the model is based on stewardship, developing people's understanding of nature, and receiving the abundance of nature through traditional Indigenous hunting and gathering. Sustainable economic development can be pursued on IPCA lands. IPCAs are intended to benefit Indigenous Peoples while delivering measurable biodiversity outcomes for international treaties, so this doesn’t preclude economic development within sustainable limits. Conserved land doesn’t imply that people are excluded from enjoying it. With increased population growth will come an increased need for access to nature. National and Provincial Parks run by the state have, in the past, sought to preserve nature in a wild state, giving citizens an experience of visiting the wild for recreational purposes. Often the parks were established in a way that excluded Indigenous people from their traditional lands, cutting off access to hunting, trapping, and resource use, in effect shutting down a connection to the land. IPCAs offer one method to address treaty rights for land use in hunting, trapping, and plant gathering. Barriers to Establishing IPCAs The international biodiversity treaty targets set by the federal government often require the use of Crown lands

1 Schuster R, Germain RR, Bennet JR, Reo NJ, Arcese P. Vertebrate biodiversity on indigenous-managed lands in Australia, Brazil, and Canada equals that in protected areas. Environmental Science & Policy. 2019 Nov;101:1-6.

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GBA UPDATE Spring 2024

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