Parks - IUCN

LOUISA WILLCOX AND PETER AENGST
lower 48 states and all but a few areas of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming in the US
– and their numbers have been greatly reduced in Alberta and parts of southern
British Columbia. Native salmon and westslope cutthroat trout are at precariously
low levels throughout the region. More and more species are being added to the US
Endangered Species Protection List each month – and would be in Canada if they had
comparable legislation.
Species abundance, however, is just one measure of ecological health. At risk in
certain areas is the ability of the whole ecosystem to function, evidenced by the
collapse in species composition and radical simplification of the ecosystem resulting
from toxic waste pollution from mine sites such as the infamous Anaconda mine
smelter near Butte, Montana. The human effects of fire suppression, potential
elimination in Yellowstone of native white bark pine from an introduced disease, and
spread of noxious weeds are among the litany of other long lasting major ecological
impacts we do not yet know how to measure.
Thus, within Y2Y, we are connected as much by our common concerns and
problems as we are by the region’s common flora, fauna, and natural forces. Because
threats such as excessive oil and gas development and suburban sprawl are similar
throughout the region, placing them in continental and international contexts
provides a useful frame of reference for addressing them. Indeed, many of these
threats would be best addressed through a coordinated approach that reflects a
comprehensive understanding of ecological relationships across provincial, state,
and international boundaries.
Through a close examination of ecosystems, which straddle the US/Canada
border, for example, concerned citizens are learning some important and surprising
lessons. First, that the health of wilderness-dependent species such as grizzlies,
wolverine, and bull trout in Canada is critical to maintenance and recovery of these
imperilled species in the US Second, Canada should not be seen as an endless
repository for such species, in light of escalating development and human settlement
which are reducing available habitat on the Canadian side of the border. Grizzly
expert Stephen Herrero reinforced this point, saying, ‘The US should not bank on
Canadian grizzlies to achieve US recovery; in fact, the reverse might be more true.’
In addition to the ecological
connections, the human inhabitants of
Y2Y are also linked culturally and
economically. Yellowstone to Yukon is
our home ecosystem: we move up and
down the spine of the continent because
we are mountain people. We love this
place, and we choose to make our living
here. The trick, as more and more of us
are realizing every year, is to learn to
make our living without irretrievably
damaging what it is that we love. The
ecosystems comprising Y2Y and the
organisms that reside here are an integral
part of our home; they form our
geographic context and the basis of a
shared language about who and where
21
Transportation
corridor and
industrial
development
creates problems
for wildlife
movement in Bow
Corridor near Banff
National Park.
Photo: Pat Morrow.