Dinosaur Provincial Park
Management Plan

Client Alberta Tourism
Location Drumheller | Alberta | Canada

In 2011, O2 worked with landowners and stakeholders to create a renewed ten-year management plan for the Dinosaur Provincial Park. The plan presents a clear vision for the park, details operational guidelines and establishes detailed objectives, policies and priority actions. Dinosaur Provincial Park provides authentic tourism experiences in breathtaking landscapes. The park’s World Heritage Site status provides an international profile that makes the site an attractive destination for visitors from around the world and an important element of the Canadian Badlands Iconic Tourism Destination initiative.

Dinosaur Provincial Park is one of southern Alberta’s premier tourism attractions, drawing 80,000–100,000 visitors per year. Realizing the full potential of the park requires the development and management of the project to respond to tourism trends, appeal to target markets, and align with regional tourism initiatives, while maintaining the integrity of the park’s advantages, namely the park’s palaeontological, ecological, visual and cultural features.

Preservation and protection of the historic and natural integrity was a primary objective; O2 recommended the highest standards of management to protect, monitor, enhance and manage the landscapes. Palaeontological resources will be protected for scientific study and interpretation. Biodiversity, ecosystem function and ecological processes will continue unimpaired by land use and visitation within or adjacent to the park. The plan protects the site’s international obligations and universal values while addressing demands for growing sustainable development and visitor use; enabling visitors to have a unique experience.

Visitors will experience the Age of the Dinosaurs and Late Cretaceous world; cultural heritage such as the First Nations people and ranchers of southern Alberta; regional terrain such as active badlands, plains cottonwood forests, and native prairie grasslands; and the park’s wildlife. The provincial, regional, and local communities who were engaged in the development of the management plan continue to be active stewards for this park.