The COMMUNITY OF COMMUNICATORS and the COMMUNICATION of SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT to VISITORS of a NATIONAL PARK

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The COMMUNITY OF COMMUNICATORS and the
COMMUNICATION of SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
MANAGEMENT to VISITORS of a NATIONAL PARK

• Presented to
• BESTEN
• Think Tank VII
• 2007

G. Keith Henning, PhD Assistant Professor of
Management Adelphi University, NY
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Issue

• How does a World Heritage Site move beyond
  debilitating conflict with and among stakeholders
  to a place where everyone works together to
  improve ecological integrity and tourism and
  communicate the importance of ecological
  integrity to visitors?

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Site

• Banff National Park, Canada
• National Icon
• Leading tourism destination
• Flashpoint for ecological protection
• Part of World Heritage Site Mountain Parks
• Area 25 less than Yellowstone National Park, USA
• Visitation (2003 BNP 3.4 M YNP 3.1 M)

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Situation late 1980s/early 1990s

• BNP part of Parks Canada, Federal government
  department
• Canadian government
• Successive deep cuts in funding the Parks system
• Made tourism an economic priority
• Political masters not interested in Park

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Situation late 1980s/early 1990s

• National Parks Act 1988 (c. 48) enacted
• First priority visitor use subject to
  maintenance of ecological integrity s. 5(1.2)
• Some public participation in policy and
  management plan development s. 5(1.4)
• Should lead to democratization of bureaucracy
  through public opinion (Weber)
• Conflict with
• Importance of expert knowledge to organization
  gives rise to organizational culture of secrecy
  (Weber)

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Situation late 1980s/early 1990s

• RESULT
• Public wars among stakeholders and with BNP
• Conflicting public opinion
• Immobilized Park management unable to protect the
  environment

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Solution

• Community of Communicators
• Unique to BNP in Canadian Parks System
• Involve outsiders
• In management planning
• Doing science and
• Interpretation
• With right comes responsibility
• Communication of protection of environment
• Four major elements

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Solution (contd)

• Banff-Bow Valley Study - 1994
• Canadian government initiated
• Roundtables with all stakeholders
• Able to voice views
• Heard for first time
• Developed Consensus
• Some 500 recommendations most related to
  communication and collaboration

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Solution (contd)

• BNP organization
• Implemented internal collaborative management
• Slowly still a work in progress
• Parks Canada Agency Act 1998 (c. 31)
• Altered relationship between Federal government
  and Parks Canada
• Parks Canada now agency not department
• Weber leads to weakening of bureaucratic
  structure

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Solution (contd)

• Canada National Parks Act 2000 (c. 32)
• Expanded available role of public participation
  in Parks management
• More clearly defined ecological integrity
• First priority of Park
• Maintained and made use of so as to leave
  unimpaired for future generations s. 4(1)
• A condition determined to be characteristic of
  its natural region and likely to persist,
  including composition rates of change and
  supporting processes s. 2(1)

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Solution (contd)

• Everyone involved in Park is a communicator
• Culture inside BNP
• Rather than cut back on management of ecosystems
  as per other parks
• Interpretation by outsiders
• Formed Mountain Parks Heritage Interpretive
  Association 1997 with outside organization
• Train outside stakeholders in interpretation
• Ensure quality and integrity of function

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Result an Example

• Vermilion Lakes guided hike
• Conducted by The Friends of Banff National Park
• Arms length not-for-profit organization
• Communication of restoration and maintenance of
  ecological integrity including history
• Interviews with hikers enjoyed and learned lots

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Conclusion

• Conditions and factors for successful innovation
  in public sector sustainable developments where
  communication and education is important
• Legislation
• Support by senior management
• Organization wide culture disseminated outside to
  stakeholders
• Supportive stakeholders
• Involvement of stakeholders with controls