We recommend changes to the draft vision statement to reflect that the protection of the natural environment must be the region’s primary priority, as it underpins the long-term viability of the region’s communities and economies, and to explicitly include Indigenous peoples.

Recommendation: Select “I’m somewhat unsupportive of the vision statement”.

Recommendation: I recommend the following updated vision statement: The Ghost-Kananaskis Sub-regional Plan seeks to protect headwaters, preserve biodiversity, and support responsible low-impact land use that reflects the interests and values of local communities and the public good, while ensuring ecological integrity.

As a region of critical importance for water security, landscapes will be managed with headwaters protection and biodiversity conservation as the primary objectives. Through active partnership with Indigenous Peoples, local residents and land users, and stakeholders, management will ensure that the Kananaskis and Ghost regions remain wild, beautiful and accessible for generations to come.

Select agreement level with each of the draft list of outcomes.

Are there any suggestions you have to improve the draft outcome list?

Recommendation: Choose Yes to reveal the next question.

Recommendation: Headwaters protection and the conservation of biodiversity and water quality should be the overarching outcomes and primary priorities. These values are the foundation of the long-term viability of the region’s communities and economies and consistent with the overarching South Saskatchewan Regional Plan. Therefore, other outcomes should fall within these overarching priorities. Commitments to new and expanded protected areas to help achieve these goals should be included as outcomes.

The recreation and tourism outcome should establish outdoor recreation and tourism as priority long-term land uses, provided they are low-impact and ecologically sustainable. Local communities and stakeholders should be recognized as the key partners for this outcome.

The human footprint outcome should be strengthened by explicitly including the need for cumulative effects management with ecologically determined limits on human footprint that have clear and enforceable management mechanisms. As population and overall human footprint continues to increase in the region, this approach is essential.

The traditional land uses outcome should include recognition of the need for Indigenous involvement in decision-making and stewardship of the land, including through Indigenous-led conservation initiatives.

An outcome for climate change mitigation is missing. Climate-driven shifts in temperature and precipitation are already altering mountain hydrology and disturbance regimes, with well-established implications for headwaters regions: earlier snowmelt and earlier peak flows, reduced summer and late-season flows, increased year-to-year variability, and heightened risk of extreme events. Given the vital importance of the headwater regions, climate change resilience should be an outcome of the plan.

Recommendation: Select “Our headwaters are protected” and “Human footprint is effectively managed to conserve biodiversity and water quality”.

This section provides a mapping tool where “pins” can be dropped on to the map to indicate where and why you choose to visit the area.

Recommendation: Prioritize the available low-impact options such as “Remote wilderness experiences”, “physical activities (non-motorized)”, “quiet relaxation and restoration”.

Do you have anything else to share about this topic?

Recommendation: Much of the headwaters of the Bow, Elbow, Ghost, and Highwood Rivers lie within this subregion. These watersheds are critically important to water supply and water quality for communities, agriculture, and industry. Protecting headwaters must therefore be the foundation and highest priority of this plan. Watershed health and ecological integrity should clearly be defined as the plan’s overarching priorities, with other low-impact land uses managed within ecologically sustainable limits.