The Canada Wildlife Act specifies the requirements for a geographic area in 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...

 to be designated a National Wildlife Area

National Wildlife Area

A National Wildlife Area is a conservation status for a geographical region in Canada that restricts most human activities on that region. However, land use permits may be issued "for activities that are compatible with conservation". Such areas are established and managed by the Canadian Wildlife...

 by the Canadian Wildlife Service

Canadian Wildlife Service

The Canadian Wildlife Service or CWS is a branch of the Department of the Environment, also known as Environment Canada, a department of the Government of Canada....

 division of Environment Canada

Environment Canada

Environment Canada , legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment Canada (EC) (French: Environnement Canada), legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment...

. "The purpose of wildlife areas is to preserve habitats that are critical to migratory birds and other wildlife species, particularly those that are at risk." Further, the Wildlife Area Regulations, a component of the Canada Wildlife Act, identifies activities which are prohibited on such areas because they may harm a protected species or its habitat. In some circumstances, land use

Land use

Land use is the human use of land. Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as fields, pastures, and settlements. It has also been defined as "the arrangements, activities and inputs people undertake in a certain land cover...

 permits may be granted to individuals, organizations, or companies if the intended use is compatible with conservation of the area. Personal activities such as "hiking, canoeing, photography and bird watching can be carried out without a permit in most areas".

The Act received Royal Assent

Royal Assent

The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...

 in 1973. Areas subject to the Act may be designated National Wildlife Areas or Migratory Bird Sanctuaries. These ensure that vital habitat for bird and wildlife species, especially those that are endangered or threatened, is preserved. Before the 1960s, the primary threat to such species was hunting

Hunting

Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...

. Since the 1960s, the primary threat has been habitat alteration, or its outright destruction.

External links

• Canada Wildlife Act at the Department of Justice Canada
• Wildlife Area Regulations at the Department of Justice Canada