Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park
Encyclopedia
Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park is a provincial park
in British Columbia
, Canada
.
and US Glacier National Park, preserves the Crown of the Continent
UNESCO
World Heritage Site
at the narrowest point of the Rocky Mountains
.
Preserves and protects the habitat of the last self-sustaining grizzly bear
population in the United States, as well as a winter range for goat
s and big horn sheep. Protected plant species include the rare Mimulus luteus (yellow monkey flower)
and the rare Papaver pygmaeum (pigmy poppy)
that are found nowhere else in BC.
The trails and passes of the Akamina-Kishinena were used for many years by the early people’s and wildlife travelling between the Flathead Basin and the abundant Great Plains
. For instance, the Kootenai
aboriginal people travelled through South Kootenay Pass to reach the plains for trading and buffalo hunting.
community and Sparwood
. The area is 109.21 km².
Provincial park
A provincial park is a park under the management of a provincial or territorial government in Canada.While provincial parks are not the same as national parks, their workings are very similar...
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
History and conservation
Akamina Kishinena Provincial Park is located in the southeast corner of the province. This wilderness area along with Waterton Lakes National ParkWaterton Lakes National Park
Waterton Lakes National Park is a national park located in the southwest corner of Alberta, Canada, and borders Glacier National Park in Montana, USA. Waterton was Canada's fourth national park, formed in 1895 and named after Waterton Lake, in turn after the Victorian naturalist and conservationist...
and US Glacier National Park, preserves the Crown of the Continent
Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park
The Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park is the name of the union of the Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada and the Glacier National Park in the United States...
UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
at the narrowest point of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
.
Preserves and protects the habitat of the last self-sustaining grizzly bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
population in the United States, as well as a winter range for goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s and big horn sheep. Protected plant species include the rare Mimulus luteus (yellow monkey flower)
Mimulus
Mimulus is a diverse plant genus, the monkey-flowers and musk-flowers. The about 150 species are currently placed in the family Phrymaceae. The genus has traditionally been placed in Scrophulariaceae. The removal of Mimulus from that family has been supported by studies of chloroplast DNA first...
and the rare Papaver pygmaeum (pigmy poppy)
Papaver
Papaver is a genus of 70-100 species of frost-tolerant annuals, biennials, and perennials native to temperate and cold regions of Eurasia, Africa and North America. It is the type genus of the poppy family, Papaveraceae.-Description:...
that are found nowhere else in BC.
The trails and passes of the Akamina-Kishinena were used for many years by the early people’s and wildlife travelling between the Flathead Basin and the abundant Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
. For instance, the Kootenai
Kootenai (tribe)
The Ktunaxa , also known as Kootenai, Kutenai or Kootenay , are an indigenous people of North America. They are one of three tribes of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation in Montana, and they form the Ktunaxa Nation in British Columbia...
aboriginal people travelled through South Kootenay Pass to reach the plains for trading and buffalo hunting.
Location
The spectacular southeast corner of the province was recommended for preservation as early as 1917. In 1995 Akamina-Kishinena became a class A provincial park. The closest communities are Waterton Lakes National ParkWaterton Lakes National Park
Waterton Lakes National Park is a national park located in the southwest corner of Alberta, Canada, and borders Glacier National Park in Montana, USA. Waterton was Canada's fourth national park, formed in 1895 and named after Waterton Lake, in turn after the Victorian naturalist and conservationist...
community and Sparwood
Sparwood, British Columbia
-Newspapers:* Fernie Free Press - Weekly Paper* Elk Valley Herald - Weekly Paper* Kootenay News Advertiser - Weekly Paper* The Valley - Weekly Paper* Fernie Fix - Monthly Glossy Magazine* Black Rock News - Semimonthly-Radio stations:...
. The area is 109.21 km².