The spatial planning framework for Canada's national network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is comprised of 13 ecologically defined bioregions that cover Canada's oceans and the Great Lakes. Note that the geographic boundaries for the bioregions are fuzzy and may change based on ecosystemic conditions.Detailed descriptions and discussions on the federal network of marine bioregions can be found in: - DFO. 2009. Development of a Framework and Principles for the Biogeographic Classification of Canadian Marine Areas. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2009/056 (http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/csas-sccs/publications/sar-as/2009/2009_056-eng.htm);- DFO. 2010. Proceedings of a National Science Advisory Process to Provide Guidance on the Development of a Framework and Principles for the Biogeographic Classification of Canadian Marine Areas; 15-16 June 2009. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Proceed. Ser. 2009/039. (http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/csas-sccs/publications/pro-cr/2009/2009_039-eng.htm); and - National Framework for Canada's Network of Marine Protected Areas (http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/publications/mpanf-cnzpm/page01-eng.html).

The Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD) is the authoritative source of data on protected and conserved areas in Canada. The database consists of the most up-to-date spatial and attribute data on marine and terrestrial protected areas in all governance categories recognized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as well as Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs, or conserved areas) across the country. Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) are also included if they are recognized as protected or conserved areas. CPCAD adheres to national reporting standards and is freely available to the public.CPCAD is compiled and managed by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), in collaboration with federal, provincial, territorial, and other reporting authorities that provide the data. The database contains combined data from all these Canadian reporting authorities, who have determined that their areas meet the Canadian criteria as protected or conserved areas. CPCAD is used by a wide range of organizations, including governments, environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs), academia, land managers, industry, and the general public. CPCAD supports many of the Government of Canada’s priorities including Canada’s national reporting on protected areas, Canada’s international reporting on protected areas as a result of Canada’s commitments under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, and Canada’s protected areas program by providing baseline information.More detailed information on CPCAD is available by downloading the User Manual.The data is current as of the date of the most recent revision. For prior years, please reach out to scf-geocarto-cws-geomapping@ec.gc.ca.

The Regulatory Assurance Division Region Boundaries dataset is comprised of all the polygons that represent the Environment and Protected Areas Regulatory Assurance Division Region Boundaries within the Province of Alberta. The dataset is to help Government of Alberta Staff in managing workloads within the North and South Regions of Regulatory Assurance Division.

In 2016-17, DFO Maritimes Region undertook a Marine Protected Area (MPA) network analysis for the Scotian Shelf-Bay of Fundy Bioregion. The analysis considered available bioregional-scale ecological and human use data in an effort to identify a draft MPA network design that would protect biodiversity while minimizing any potential impacts on commercial fishing and other industries. The data layers used for the offshore component of the MPA network analysis are provided here. These layers are not presented in their original forms and were modified (e.g. clipped, reclassified, etc.) specifically for use in the MPA network analysis. They should not be used for any other purpose. Please see Serdynska et al. 2021 for details on how each layer was created.Serdynska, A.R., Pardy, G.S., and King, M.C. 2021. Offshore Ecological and Human Use Information considered in Marine Protected Area Network Design in the Scotian Shelf Bioregion. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 3382: xi + 100 p. https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2021/mpo-dfo/Fs97-6-3382-eng.pdfCite this data as: Serdynska, A.R., Pardy, G.S., and King, M.C. Data of: Offshore Ecological and Human Use Information considered in Marine Protected Area Network Design in the Scotian Shelf Bioregion. Published: January 2022. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/2d9cce9a-d634-4b49-879f-87c40c52acf2

A digital record of all Conservation Easements kept for planning purposes.This dataset represents all Conservation Easements registered with the Ministry of Environment. Clause 7(3) of the Conservation Easements Act indicates that for a CE to be in effect a copy of an executed CE must be provided to the Ministry. Receipt of this document is recorded in this Lands Branch database and an Agreement number is assigned sequentially. An interest, based on the CE, must also be registered with ISC. Currently these two datasets are not reconciled. Technical Details: Conservation Easements are meant to protect native habitat on lands in the Province. The boundaries of the native habitat protected under a CE may not coincident with the parcel boundaries. However, the CE is identified to the larger parcel boundary. It is this parcel identification the is reflected in this spatial dataset. The Agreement Number is included which identifies the filing number under which detailed information can be found in digital and hardcopy within the Lands Branch of the Ministry of Environment.

Ramsar Weltand features are part of the Protected Areas coverage's for Saskatchewan.Ramsar Wetland are Wetlands of international importance for flood control, nutrient production, wildlife habitat and other related purposes. Management procedures to prevent the destruction and deterioration of wetlands through state adherence to an international convention known as RAMSAR, signed in Iran in 1971. One in a series of Protected Areas coverage'screated in 1996 by Canadian Plains Research Centre, University of Regina.

These themes present the compilation of protected areas in Quebec. They also include important territories. Protected areas include a variety of different legal or administrative designations. Territories registered on the Register of Protected Areas and AMCEAs must meet the definitions of the Natural Heritage Conservation Act (LCPN; RLRQ, chapter C-61.01) or those of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The LCPN definition of a protected area is “A protected area is a territory, in a terrestrial or aquatic environment, geographically delimited, whose legal framework and administration are specifically aimed at ensuring the protection and maintenance of biological diversity and associated natural and cultural resources”. While IUCN defines it as “A clearly defined, recognized, recognized, dedicated and managed geographic space, by any effective legal or other means, in order to ensure the long-term conservation of nature and associated ecosystem services and cultural values.” Other effective conservation measures (ECMA), an internationally recognized concept, are areas that benefit from measures (legal, regulatory or other) to preserve biodiversity outside protected areas in the long term. Unlike a protected area, an ECMA does not necessarily have an overriding conservation objective, but still generates positive, sustainable and effective results for biodiversity. A territory of importance for conservation is a geographically delimited territory, for which the Ministry of the Environment and, of the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks (MELCCFP) or an authority of the Government of Quebec has expressed its intention to prioritize its allocation for the purposes of protected areas.**This third party metadata element was translated using an automated translation tool (Amazon Translate).**

The Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators (CESI) program provides data and information to track Canada's performance on key environmental sustainability issues. Canada's conserved areas indicators report the amount and proportion of Canada's terrestrial (land and freshwater) and marine area that is recognized as conserved. Well-managed conserved areas are one way to protect wild species and their habitats for present and future generations. Habitat conservation is a measure of human response to the loss of biodiversity and natural habitat. As the area conserved in Canada increases, more lands and waters are withdrawn from direct human development stresses, thereby contributing to biodiversity conservation and improving the health of ecosystems. In turn, healthy ecosystems provide benefits such as clean water, mitigation of climate change, pollination and improved human health. Information is provided to Canadians in a number of formats including: static and interactive maps, charts and graphs, HTML and CSV data tables and downloadable reports. See the supplementary documentation for the data sources and details on how the data were collected and how the indicator was calculated.Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators: https://www.canada.ca/environmental-indicators

The Base Hydrography Single Line Hydrography Network (SLNET) is the Alberta Environment and Protected Areas base SLNET data set. It is an update of the Base Features HydroSLNET in Southern Alberta from orthophoto and various sources of provincial base data. It contains all captured single line representations of hydrographic features. In addition, single line representations of polygonal features and single line arbitrary network connectors are in the file.

The Regulatory Assurance Division District Boundaries dataset is comprised of all the polygons that represent the Environment and Protected Areas Regulatory Assurance Division District Boundaries within the Province of Alberta. The dataset is to help Government of Alberta Staff in managing workloads within the Regulatory Assurance Division.