Evaluating the role of collaborative planning in BC's Parks and Protected Areas Management Planning process

BC's protected areas system has recently doubled in size as a result of land use planning across the province. Managing protected areas to meet many goals requires thoughtful planning that involves stakeholder participation and dispute resolution through the plan development and implementation stages. This research identifies the best practices for planning and evaluates protected areas management planning processes based on those criteria. Evaluative criteria were developed from a literature review. Park planners and stakeholder groups were then surveyed to determine the extent to which those criteria have been met in past planning processes. The protected area management planning process was unsuccessful in meeting most process and implementation criteria, but met most outcome criteria. Key strengths, weaknesses and areas for improvement were also identified. Recommendations have been made to better integrate the collaborative approach into protected area management planning processes.