Gatineau – As a recognized leader in conservation, Parks Canada takes action to protect national parks and national marine conservation areas and contributes to the recovery of species at risk in Canada. Parks Canada also works together with international partners to protect biodiversity and mitigate the impacts of climate change on a continental scale.
During the annual meeting of the Executive Committee of the North American Inter-Governmental Committee on Cooperation for Protected Areas Conservation (NAPA) held in Cancun, Mexico, from November 6 to 9, 2023, Parks Canada signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with partner agencies from the United States and Mexico to renew collaborative efforts for the conservation of protected areas.
Parks Canada is the Canadian representative organization on NAPA, which also includes US National Park Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, US Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, US Geological Survey (USGS), and Mexico’s National Commission on Natural Protected Areas. Established in 2009, NAPA is a collaborative initiative that fosters the exchange of ideas, experiences, best practices, and innovative solutions on shared conservation opportunities on a continental scale and across multiple agencies and jurisdictions.
Together, NAPA member agencies manage more than 15 percent of the North American continental landmass. NAPA is committed to working across boundaries to address common ecological, economic, and social challenges. Some of the ways the committee achieves this is through sharing best management practices and research, capacity-building, and working together on a common understanding of the importance of protected areas in addressing the dual biodiversity and climate crises.
Current priority areas for NAPA include collaborative initiatives of tri-national interest, such as Indigenous stewardship of protected areas, ecosystem and landscape-scale connectivity, climate change response, social science, and visitor experience. NAPA’s work also supports commitments to protect biodiversity and conserve 30 percent of land and inland waters and 30 percent of marine and coastal areas by 2030. Parks Canada would like to thank Mexico for hosting this year’s annual meeting of the NAPA Executive Committee. Canada looks forward to hosting partner agencies for the 2024 annual meeting.