ID: 1634
Presenting Author: Eri Hiraga
Session: 725 - After the Assessment – Where’s the Value and What Happened in the End?
Status: pending
Parks Canada's tiered assessment process links conservation goals to decisions, facilitating cumulative effects management and better project outcomes through strategic alignment.
Cumulative effects are among the most complex challenges in environmental management, particularly in Canada’s national parks where ecological integrity is the primary mandate. Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) of park management plans address cumulative effects through a suite of management strategies at a landscape scale, while project-level Impact Assessments (IAs) evaluate localized, residual effects. This paper examines how tiering between SEAs and project IAs strengthens cumulative effects management by linking long-term desired outcomes to project design, scoping, and mitigation. Case studies illustrate how desired outcomes and policy review improve decision-making efficiency and consistency. Challenges persist in addressing external drivers, integrating monitoring programs, and demonstrating effectiveness over time. The findings highlight both the value of Parks Canada’s tiered approach and the need for continued refinement to ensure cumulative effects management translates into robust conservation outcomes.
Eri Hiraga is a Senior Impact Assessment Specialist with Parks Canada, with 15 years of experience in strategic and project-level assessments across Canada in the public and private sectors.
Coauthor 1: Heather Cherry
Coauthor 2: Leah de Montreuil