RESOURCE EVALUATION

a) Resource Priorities

Covers importance of resources, representativeness, rarity, scientific interest, significant areas.

The Old Crow Flats provides important breeding habitat for an estimated 500,000 waterfowl annually. Due to this importance as a wetland, the Old Crow Flats was designated a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention (IUCN 1987). Protection of the important waterfowl habitat was also paramount in the establishment of the Old Crow Flats Special Management Area and Vuntut National Park. Densities of ducks on the Old Crow Flats are estimated to be two to three times higher than in any of the eleven primary waterfowl breeding grounds surveyed in Alaska by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Hawkings and Hughes 1995). The importance of Old Crow Flats to continental waterfowl populations (and southern harvesting) has been confirmed by banding returns.

The Old Crow Flats is one of two known moulting sites where large numbers of male Barrow's goldeneye gather in late summer (van de Wetering 1997). With over 90 percent of the world's population (of 200,000) breeding in western North America, the presence of about 7000 goldeneye on the Flats annually is significant.

Rare and Endangered Species

The short-eared owl is listed by COSEWIC as "Special Concern" (equivalent to the "Vulnerable" category) in Canada (COSEWIC 2000). The anatum peregrine falcon is classified as "threatened" by COSEWIC (2000). In 1999 the anatum peregrine was downlisted from "Endangered", a designation it held since 1978. The tundra peregrine falcon is listed as "Special Concern" (the former "Vulnerable" category) in Canada.

Parks Canada should participate in efforts to implement relevant actions from the Conservation Plan for Alaska Shorebirds developed by the Alaska Shorebird Working Group. National and regional shorebird conservation plans are being developed in Canada and should be considered as they become available (Contact: guy.morrison@ec.gc.ca). Shorebird species that have been identified as being of high conservation concern (Andres and Gill 2000) may require special management actions in the Park or in the SMA sometime during the future. Future cooperation between Parks Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service and the Alaska Shorebird Working Group should be explored. In addition, Parks Canada should also assess if there is a field method by which the density of these shorebird populations in Vuntut National Park could be monitored on an ongoing basis.

b) Potentials and constraints

Covers interpretation and educational opportunities, sensitivity, and scientific interest.

There is a great opportunity for education and interpretation in the wide spectrum of birds that exist in the Park and Special Management Area. In combination with the cooperative work that the CWS is continuing in the Old Crow Flats, Parks Canada will have the opportunity to build on the traditional interest in the birds of the Flats and increase the awareness of those species that are found in other parts of the Park and that are not part of the traditional economy.

Mossop (1978) raised the question of the potential for disturbance of nesting peregrines along the Old Crow River by river traffic and documented cases of research projects potentially interfering with nest sites. The ongoing surveys of peregrine nest sites should determine whether these sites are still active. Parks Canada should work with the Vuntut Gwitchin to address this issue to ensure that nesting is not jeopardized by river traffic for research or other purposes.

There is also a potential for disturbance of nesting and moulting waterfowl between June and August (van de Wetering 1997).

c) Research

Covers information gaps and recommended future projects.

Although much work has been published on waterfowl, there is little published information on the non-game or economically unimportant species. Although the waterfowl of the Old Crow Flats are the most spectacular and numerous birds, there are also many other less obvious species of birds within the Old Crow Basin, about which we have far less biological information.

Species that have documented ranges that approach, but are not recorded in the Park area, should be watched for, especially in the northeast and northwest sectors of Vuntut National Park. All bird sightings collected by visitors or Park staff should be recorded in the Yukon Bird Database as well as in the Vuntut National Park bird checklist database.

Continued involvement in the 5-year Canada-wide peregrine falcon study is recommended to ensure that the survey covers the Park and SMA. Gyfalcon nesting sites should also be noted during this survey.

Parks Canada should continue to maintain an active record of sightings of the short-eared owl and in particular search suitable habitat for nesting, as the northern Yukon may be the northernmost area in Canada featuring regular breeding (with the possible exception of Banks Island). Holcroft Weerstra (1997) mentions only one record near Ivvavik National Park (at Shingle Point), but its breeding status is listed as "confirmed." Information on the short-eared owl should also be sought from Elders and detailed records of nesting and other breeding behaviours maintained by Parks Canada.

Although the current Oral History may not be the appropriate forum for retrieving basic natural history information on birds, it is recommended that Parks Canada initiate a project to interview Elders and hunters who are familiar with the Park and with wildlife. In much the same way that Irving obtained information from Joe Kyikavichik and others in 1957 (Irving 1960), it would be most interesting to record the details of bird species, building on the information collected for the community ecological change project. Any local information on breeding ranges, normal range, behaviour, natural mortality, nest sites, etc., of any species, but especially the smaller, non-game species would be valuable to the Park. There is also a pressing need to obtain more information on winter birds.

The Old Crow Flats present a unique opportunity to research species of waterfowl that are undisturbed in the north, but facing increasing pressure in the south. One example of research needed would be research on the apparently declining populations of scaup and scoters. Ecological studies including limnology, should be initiated, particularly on the same lakes investigated by van de Wetering (1997). Studies or even baseline surveys of invertebrates and fish would be valuable since we already have a baseline of biophysical data.

Henry (pers. comm. 2000) believes Vuntut National Park may be an important breeding area for the whimbrel and American golden plover. Continued surveys and appropriate research on the breeding biology may determine whether there is a need for special management considerations.

d) Guidelines for Park Planning

Covers land management direction, protection versus use, specific management areas, location of rare or endangered species, habitats.

Current and former peregrine falcon nest sites should be identified and mapped using GPS (although public access should perhaps be limited to protect the sites). Special protection beyond what is provided in the National Parks Act may be necessary depending on future use of the Old Crow River near the sites by Park visitors. Permits for scientific work and tourist trips along the river should mention the potential danger of disruption to nesting birds by the passage of aircraft and watercraft.

e) Conservation and management

Covers concerns regarding resource management and land use, potential conflicts, traditional activities, existing development, state of ecosystems, ecological integrity.

With the current level of resource use of birds from within the Park, it is unlikely that there will be any conflicts between conservation and utilization. Parks Canada should continue to be involved in partnerships with other agencies involving birds such as the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Canadian Wildlife Service, and particularly Ivvavik National Park.

As part of the ongoing community ecological monitoring and Oral History projects, Elders should be encouraged to continue recording their observations on changes in waterfowl populations and changes in the use of certain lakes or breeding areas by waterfowl.

f) First steps

Covers what should be done first.

It will be important to encourage Park staff, researchers, visitors, and Vuntut Gwitchin guides, hunters and trappers, to continue to record data on birds in the format of the Checklist of Yukon Birds and the Yukon nesting record form, with GPS locations whenever possible. Parks Canada should continue to use standard simple systems for recording detailed observations of birds during patrols/backcountry trips so that this information is recorded and entered in the Yukon Bird Database. Simple maps showing basic locations along with GPS locations would make the information more readily useful. Recording observations, feeding habits, breeding etc. and extent of range occupied are all important to the Park's database.