Point Pelee an 'ugly' gem: Report
Point Pelee National Park has been deemed “ugly” in a rating of Canada’s provincial and national parks by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.
In the second annual report, called The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, CPAWS assesses parks for their ecological preservation and challenges.
Evan Ferrari, director of parks and protected areas for CPAWS, said the report is intended to draw public attention to the predicaments facing natural areas.
“I hope that this report shows local people the gem they have in their backyard. But appreciating it isn’t good enough. We need to do more work to make sure that Pelee is going to be there for subsequent generations.”
Pelee is separated from other natural areas, which places pressure on the park’s ecosystem, Ferrari said. “If you stand on that berm on the north boundary of Pelee, on the one side it’s a wetland and on the other it’s a commercial farm. It’s literally a straight line.”
Dan Lebedyk, conservation biologist with the Essex Regional Conservation Authority, said Pelee’s isolation prevents species from migrating through the region, and allows negative species to colonize the park.
One of those invasive plants is garlic mustard, Ferrari said. “Go to Point Pelee in May and June — you’ll see a sea of white flowers. It’s garlic mustard. They’ve had a horrific time trying to keep them in check.”
Deer, while native to the region, can also affect the park’s ecology, Ferrari said. “We all like deer. They’re cute and cuddly. But the down side is that when the population of deer gets so out of check, Pelee will look like someone’s gone in there with a whippersnipper.”
Wind turbine proposals also contributed to Pelee’s “ugly” status. While birds usually fly above the height of turbine propellers, Ferrari said there’s a chance that migrating birds could be injured or killed by the huge structures. “The problem with Pelee is that (the birds) just come across Lake Erie and they’re very tired, they’re hungry and they’re thirsty. If they had a lot of energy, they would avoid those turbines. But they’re tired.”
One of Pelee’s biggest problems is its sheer popularity, Ferrari said. The park, which is just over four square kilometres in size, hosts about 300,000 visitors each year, the report said. During the busiest bird migration periods, Pelee has up to 10,000 visitors in a weekend, Ferrari said. That foot and car traffic in the park can trample the natural vegetation, pollute the air, and cause soil compaction, he said.
Lebedyk said he recognizes that Pelee has a long way to go. “Point Pelee is probably one of the only national parks that is in a really highly developed area. It’s no surpise that it would come having such a low score.”
But he said the park’s staff and management should be commended for their conservation efforts. “It just shows that these parks require so much attention and care. (The report) doesn’t detract from the fact that it’s still a very significant site, one of the best sites to go to see the native flora and fauna.”
Nahanni National Park Reserve in the Northwest Territories was rated “good” in the CPAWS survey for expanding its boundaries, and Manitoba received kudos for banning logging from all but one of its provincial parks. Nova Scotia’s Chignecto Game Sanctuary was rated “bad” for its continued exposure to clearcutting, mining, roadbuilding and seismic testing. Joining Point Pelee in the “ugly” category was the QEII Wildlands Provincial Park north of Orillia, which is threatened by ATV use and a proposed quarry.
By Frances Willick
17 July 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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