Hay-Zama Lakes Wildland Park & Dalai Lake National Nature Reserve International Twinning Agreement

Hay-Zama Lakes Wildland Park was "twinned" with Dalai Lake National Nature Reserve (Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China) in 2008. Both parks are recognized as Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

Hay-Zama Lakes Wildland Park preserves a huge wetland that is visited by thousands of waterfowl each year. Due to its importance for migrating waterfowl, Hay-Zama Lakes was designated under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1982. The Hay-Zama Lakes area has long been recognized by Aboriginal Peoples for its natural values.

• More info on Hay-Zama Lakes Wildand Park

Dalai Lake National Nature Reserve protects wetlands that are considered internationally important for migratory birds under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. It also contains grassland ecosystems. Dalai Lake Biosphere Reserve is also recognized under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme.

Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Known as the Ramsar Convention, the Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty. It provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

Alberta has 4 parks that help protect wetlands of international importance recognized under the Ramsar Convention.

• Hay-Zama Lakes Wildland Park (designated 1982)
• Beaverhill Lake Heritage Rangeland (designated 1987)
• Peace-Athabasca Delta (Wood Buffalo National Park) (designated 1982)
• Whooping Crane Summer Range (Wood Buffalo National Park) (designated 1982)

UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme

The Man and the Biosphere Programme is an intergovernmental scientific program under UNESCO. It aims to set a scientific basis to improve the relationship between people and their environment globally.

The Man and the Biosphere Programme was launched in the early 1970s. It proposes an interdisciplinary research agenda and capacity-building that target the ecological, social and economic dimensions of biodiversity loss and the reduction of this loss.

• Waterton Lakes National Park is part of Alberta's only designated Biosphere Reserve.
• The Beaverhills Initiative is pursuing Biosphere Reserve status for the Beaver Hills Moraine area in central Alberta.

Important Bird Areas

Canada's Important Bird Areas Program is a science-based initiative to identify, conserve and monitor a network of sites that provide essential habitat for Canada's bird populations.

There are 43 designated Important Bird Areas in Alberta. Thirty parks help to protect all or portions of 19 Important Bird Areas in Alberta.

Land Trusts and Conservation Easements

Parks Division works with land conservation agencies and organizations to ensure the protection of Alberta's larger landbase.

Examples of partnership initiatives

• OH Ranch Heritage Rangeland is managed as a unit in conjunction with private lands conservation easement held by Nature Conservancy Canada.
• Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park and Ducks Unlimited

Other

Central Rockies Ecosystem Interagency Liaison Group

• Central Rockies Ecosystem Interagency Liaison Group (CREILG) is a joint endeavor between the governernments of Canada, Alberta and British Columbia.
• CREILG's vision is to cooperate, with respect for the mandates of its member agencies, to ensure
  • Biodiversity is maximized in the Central Rockies Ecosystem
  • The area is managed as a sustainable regional landscape,
• Alberta Tourism, Parks & Recreation is the host for the CREILG website.

Beaverhills Initiative

• The Beaverhills Initiative uses an innovative "protected landscapes" approach to sustain both the natural qualities and the social and economic well-being of the Beaver Hills east of Edmonton (also known as the Cooking Lake Moraine area).
• The Beaverhills area contains
  • 5 Natural Areas - Antler Lake Island, Edgar T. Jones, Hastings Lake Islands, North Cooking Lake, Parkland
  • Miquelon Lake Provincial Park
  • Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area
• Parks Division works cooperatively with the Beaverhills Initiative.