Wood Buffalo National Park
Factors affecting the property in 1992*
- Forestry /wood production
- Localised utilities
- Water infrastructure
- Other Threats:
Bison herd infected with either tuberculosis and/or brucellosis
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
Project of a dam on the Slave River (issue resolved); Dam on the Peace River ; Pulp and paper mill developments; bison herd infected with either tuberculosis and/or brucellosis
International Assistance: requests for the property until 1992
Total amount approved : 0 USD
Missions to the property until 1992**
Information presented to the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee in 1992
At its last session the Committee reviewed several issues pertaining to the conservation of this site; about 3,200 of the Park's bison being affected by brucellosis and tuberculosis, termination of rights for logging within the Park and development activities in the entire drainage basin of the Peace-Athabasca Rivers, both within as well as outside of the Park boundary. The Committee expressed satisfaction with some of the initiatives launched by the Canadian authorities to address these issues and suggested that they regularly provide information on the state of conservation of the Wood Buffalo National Park. The Committee's suggestions were transmitted by the Secretariat to the Canadian authorities via letter dated 4 February 1992. In their reply, dated 9 April 1992, the Canadian authorities have provided the following information:
i) the diseases of bison, in and around the Park, are being dealt with through a planning process, under the auspices of the Northern Buffalo Management Board, whose Terms of Reference are guided by the principles of respect for the national park values and ecological integrity of the site.
ii) negotiations for terminating logging within the site are being actively pursued and no logging has occurred in the Park since March 1991.
iii) Parks Canada is sponsoring a technical workshop on the Peace-Athabasca Delta in May 1992, to promote inter-jurisdictional co-operation in the management of the Delta, and to initiate a 3-year study and planning programme to find a solution to the problem of the drying of the Delta. The Northern Rivers Study Board is addressing water quality concerns of the Peace/Athabasca Rivers as part of a project costing 12 million Canadian dollars
iv) the ecosystem approach to Park management will be a key consideration in the review of the Management Plan of the site, scheduled for 1993, and corrective actions that are now being taken are also, for the most part, based on this approach and consideration.
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 1992
[Oral report by IUCN and the Secretariat]
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 1992
16 BUR V.17
Wood Buffalo National Park (Canada)
The Bureau was informed of progress achieved by the Canadian authorities in addressing threats to the conservation of this, Ripe site. The Bureau congratulated the Canadian authorities for the programme of action they have set in motion for its conservation. However, the Bureau was in agreement with the fact that safeguarding the World Heritage values of this site require continuous action over the long-term and requested the World Heritage Centre and IUCN to monitor the state of conservation of this site to report to the Committee any problems that may arise.
16 COM VIII.12
State of Conservation of 3 Properties and Revised Boundaries of Dinosaur Provincial Park (Canada)
VIII.12 The Committee decided to register the report and the map provided by the Canadian authorities as a description of the revised boundaries of the Dinosaur Provincial Park (Canada). The Committee expressed satisfaction on the progress in the implementation of the rehabilitation project in the Simien National Park (Ethiopia) for which the Committee approved US$50,000 at its last session. In the case of Iguazu National Park (Argentina), Iguazu National Park (Brazil) and Wood Buffalo National Park (Canada), the Committee requested the Centre to submit progress on their state of conservaiton to the Bureau scheduled to meet in mid-1993 at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris.
No draft Decision
Canada
* :
The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).
** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.
