Notification of Public Involvement Process for Changes under CEAA

Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency

Public Notice

A proposal to update the Comprehensive Study List Regulations regarding development in ski areas in national parks

The public is invited to comment on a proposal to update the section in theComprehensive Study List Regulations of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Actthat relates to potential development in commercial ski areas in national parks.

The relevant section requires updating because it does not take into account improvements to ski area management introduced by the Parks Canada Agency in recent years. When the comprehensive study requirements related to ski area developments were first put in place, the planning process applicable to ski areas in national parks, as well as their management, was quite different from what it is today. There were no overarching policy or management guidelines to limit development in mountain national parks, and ski areas were able to request approval of any type of development, including hotel developments and major expansions of ski terrain. Such proposals required a comprehensive study type of environmental assessment.

Over the last five years, the policy, planning and approval process applicable to potential development in ski areas in national parks has been significantly improved to establish growth limits and protect the ecological integrity of our national parks, while maintaining quality visitor experience. Parks Canada Ski Area Management Guidelines were approved by the Minister of the Environment in 2006. These limit the nature of development that can be considered in ski areas and provide direction to ensure that ecological integrity is maintained or restored. These guidelines were subjected to a strategic environmental assessment and stakeholder consultations before being implemented.

In addition, each ski area is required to have site-specific guidelines to outline a broad range of conditions and mitigation measures to protect the ecological integrity of the mountain national parks. These guidelines represent site-specific application of the overarching Ski Area Management Guidelines. Ski areas must ensure that their development proposals are consistent with what is permitted in the site guidelines.

Therefore, independent of environmental assessment requirements under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, there are significant parameters placed upon potential development in ski areas in national parks to protect the environment. Under a revised regulation, development proposals that are consistent with site-specific guidelines would be subject to a screening environmental assessment, the same type of assessment used to assess over 99% of projects in accordance with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. Development proposals that are not consistent with the direction set out in a ski area's site guidelines or are put forward by a ski area that does not have approved site guidelines in place would continue to be assessed through a comprehensive study.

The proposed change to the Comprehensive Study List Regulations seeks to align federal environmental assessment requirements with the improvements to ski area management introduced by the Parks Canada Agency over the last few years. Interested parties are encouraged to read the discussion paper on this topic for more details and to submit any comments or suggestions by February 11, 2011, to:

John D. Smith
Director, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
160 Elgin Street, 22nd Floor
Ottawa ON K1A 0H3
Tel.: 613-948-1942 or 1-866-582-1884
Fax: 613-957-0897
john.smith@ceaa-acee.gc.ca