Local governments and protected areas barborak and sever

The changing role of municipal governments in the protection of biodiversity and natural areas Jim Barborak* and Cat Sever Center for Protected Area Management and Training Colorado State University *Member, World Commission on Protected Areas IUCN / WCPA and Cities and Conservation Specialist Group, WCPA

Municipal governments already play a vital role in conserving natural heritage
Local park systems conserve unique species and ecosystems; many are in biodiversity hotspots
Local governments increasingly control land use planning and regulation in many countries
Image: Central Park, New York City, New York; photo by brooks215; courtesy of sxc.hu
Local governments manage thousands of protected areas and millions of hectares
Municipal protected area (PA) systems often receive more visitors than national/federal systems
Municipalities are investing in turning stream corridors, brownfields and landfills into parks

Form corridors and buffers for national/regional PAs
Provide environmental services vital to growing urban populations, particularly water and outdoor recreation
Are important sites for
environmental education
Play a role in fighting the obesity crisis and improving physical and mental health of urban populations
Often combine natural and cultural values
Help protect against natural disasters (landslides, flash floods, etc.)
Image: São Paulo, taken from Pedra Grande in the Cantateira State Park - the most visited State Park in Brazil; photo by Glen Hyman The importance of municipal protected areas

Traditionally, the role of local governments in green issues in many nations was limited
Weak fiscal autonomy, dependence on central government transfers
Land registries, taxing and planning managed by central governments
Local governments focused on "brown" issues in environmental departments
Limited citizen involvement in decision making
Most urban parks infrastructure-intensive for active recreation, playgrounds
Highly centralized governments
Limited human, institutional capacity
Lack of dedicated funding sources
Little focus on green infrastrucure
Image: Hampden Park in Eastbourne Borough, U.K.; photo by Mark Hansen; courtesy of sxc.hu

There has been much reform in the past 2 decades
Legal and institutional frameworks changing—local elections, greater acceptance of the subsidiary principle, more public participation
Local governments with more revenue and authority for land registration and valuation, property taxing land use planning
Image: Yoyogi Park, Tokyo, Japan; photo by Jacky Sen; courtesy of sxc.hu
Professionalization of staff, particularly in large urban municipalities
New protected area and municipal governance laws require local authorities to consider green issues
Greater local government and urban population concern for urban and peri-urban biodiversity conservation
Municipalities of all sizes are active in PA planning and management

The situation continues to change ...
Co-management of protected areas by sub-national authorities and civil society now accepted in many countries
Bilateral and multilateral donors support these trends
Creation of environmental departments and municipal systems of protected areas is a growing norm
Promotion of local environmental strategies/Agenda 21
More than 50% of the world’s population now lives in cities (http://www.ioe.ucla.edu/ucpe/)
Image: Tiergarten Park, Berlin, Germany; photo by beedubz; courtesy of wikipedia.org

Promising examples
Over 1400 local nature reserves in England
Regional government supports municipal parks in Risaralda, Colombia
Perth Biodiversity Project supports local governments in natural areas management
Inclusion of municipal PA management categories within recent legislation and constitutions in several countries, such as Ecuador
Array of examples in major urban centers of the Atlantic Rainforest region of Brazil (Sao Paolo, Rio de Janeiro, etc.)
In Guatemala, creation of regional parks by municipalities
Co-management of PAs by local governments, NGOs in Honduras
38 per cent of Hong Kong has been designated as country parks
Expanded role of municipalities in PA management committees world-wide
Image: Perth, Australia and city parks; photo by Allan; courtesy of http://www.yourglobaltravelguide.com/1757/western-austalia-perth/

Promising example: Cape Town, South Africa Image: Sea Point Promenade in Cape Town; photo by Glen Hyman
“ A coordinated and integrated approach to conservation and biodiversity from a citywide perspective across line functions;
Biodiversity goals based on citywide biodiversity targets;
Equitable distribution of, and access to, biological wealth;
Improved and redistributed benefits to disadvantaged communities arising directly from the conservation of biodiversity;
Participative, open, and transparent approaches to conservation of biodiversity, rather than restrictive ones;
Creative approaches to protection and enhancement of biodiversity;
Partnerships with external and donor organizations”
(Katzschner et al. 2005. The City of Cape Town’s Biodiversity Strategy. In Ted Trzyna, ed., The Urban Imperative. California Institute of Public Affairs, Sacramento, California). The City of Cape Town’s Biodiversity Strategy strives to introduce a paradigm shift, including:

Promising example: Sanjay Gandhi National Park The Lungs of Mumbai
Among the largest urban parks in the world and surrounded on 3 sides by Mumbai, India’s most populous city
Its many lakes contain 8% of Mumbai’s municipal water supply
Lakes are managed by Bombay Municipal Corporation
Park is administered by State Forest Department
SGNP has rich biological, hydrological, historical, recreational, educational, and spiritual values
Over 800 species of flowering plants and 4 forest types
Sizable populations of mammals, including many big cats, reptiles, butterflies, amphibians, invertebrates, and birds
Management of encroachment and human-wildlife conflict requires cooperation and collaboration between park and city
Image: View of Mumbai from, a small zoo within SGNP; photo by Himanshu Sarpotdar; courtesy of wikipedia.org Image: SGNP is green area in north of Mumbai; map by Arun Ganesh; courtesy of wikipedia.org Image: Place Holder for woman on lion safari; currently obtaining permission for use

Promising example: The Mountains to Plains Project, Colorado, USA
The Laramie Foothills-Mountains to Plains Project is a collaborative land protection effort between willing landowners, city (Fort Collins) and county (Larimer) authorities, The Nature Conservancy, Legacy Land Trust and Great Outdoors Colorado.
Image: Red Mountain Open Space; photo by Rick Price; courtesy of Larimer County Natural Resources Department
Land protection in this culturally and ecologically diverse landscape, have protected 20,000 ha
Corridor links to much larger national forests, grasslands and parks and wilderness areas to the east and west
Image: Laramie Foothills-Mountains to Plains Project; courtesy of the Fort Collins Master Naturalist Program

Promising example: Xochimilco, Mexico City Image: Xochimilco Canals In Mexico City; photo by Vixander; courtesy of sxc.hu Image: Cows grazing in the Parque Ecol ó gico de Xochimilco; photo byJflo23; courtesy of wikipedia.org Image: A farmer weeding his crops on one of Xochimilco's remaining chinampas; photo byJflo23; courtesy of wikipedia.org
Located 28 km south of city center
Agricultural, historical, cultural and biological values

Inter-county management of New York’s Catskills
Successful national-local government co-management models in Ecuador (Cuenca and Cajas NP) and Brazil (Tijuca NP, Rio de Janeiro)
Growing interest in scenic routes and trail systems (San Cristobal, Mexico) and Hong Kong
In Panama City, the creation of Curund ú Metropolitan Park
More promising examples Image: Tijuca National Park, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; photo courtesy of www.rioturismoradical.com.br/hiking.htm Image: Delaware River in New York’s Catskills; photo courtesy of the Catskill Association for Tourism Services Image: Cajas National Park in Ecuador, near Cuenca; photo by Delphine Ménard; courtesy of wikipedia.org

Local and regional protected areas often form corridors or buffer national PAs
Local parks provide environmental services vital to a growing urban population, particularly water
Protected areas managed by local governments complement the role of national governments
They are important outdoor laboratories for environmental education
They are used for outdoor recreation by growing urban populations
They preserve unique species and ecosystems
Image: City park near Melbourne’s Central Business District, Australia; courtesy of sxc.hu

National and regional governments should support local initiatives and allow local governments to play a greater role in the management of national protected areas
Multilateral, bilateral and private donors need to provide more support to local government protected area systems
The role of other actors
Municipalities need to help each other through their own national and regional associations
International, national and local NGOs can partner with municipalities as well as play a role in "monitoring"
Municipalities can promote improved private land management through PES payments, easements, TA
Image: Central Park, New York City, New York; photo courtesy of www.nycvisit.com

Continue to improve the legal framework:
Environmental and municipal clauses in constitutions
Laws on environmental service payment systems
Laws that enable local governments to create and manage their own PA systems and comanage others
Laws that make water users pay costs of watershed management
Land use planning codes and ordinances
Laws regarding private reserves and easements
Recommendations
Create model municipal natural areas
Strengthen role of national, regional governments in providing funding and TA to local government for conservation programs
Image: Khoroshevsky Forest Park, Moscow, Russia; photo by Vladimir Fofanov; courtesy of sxc.hu

Strengthen individual and institutional capacity of municipal environmental departments; create them where they do not exist
Accept merit promotion and continuity in office and depoliticize the technical bodies of municipalities
Reform tax and fee policies to create incentives for conservation on private land in municipalities: PES, payments for mitigation, biodiversity offsets; appropriate municipal service rates
More recommendations
Complete cadastral studies of tenure, and prepare and implement land use ordinances and plans
Control squatting on and degradation of peri-urban natural areas
Make urban natural areas user-friendly to a wide cross section of society to strengthen public support
Image: City park in Utrecht, the Netherlands; photo by Timo Balk; courtesy of sxc.hu

Image: Ramsar Wetland near Guayaquil, Ecuador; courtesy of Ministry of Environment, Ecuador Thank you! Gracias! Mercí! [email_address] For more information, please visit the websites of: IUCN WCPA Cities and Protected Areas Specialist Group http://www.interenvironment.org/pa/index.htm Larimer County Natural Resources Department www.co.larimer.co.us/naturalresources /laramie_foothills.htm Center for Protected Area Management and Training http://warnercnr.colostate.edu/cpam-home/ Natural England: http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/designatedareas/lnr/default.aspx

Local governments and protected areas barborak and sever

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