The results of ecotourism policies in protected areas in Brazil and Canada

Policies and definitions of ecotourism address, basically, three aspects: environmental conservation, environmental awareness of visitors, and involvement of local communities. From that approach, the objective of this study is to analyze the results of public policies for public use development in protected areas.

Methodology and approach:

Through case study methodology we analyzed two protected areas, Alto Ribeira Tourist State Park (PETAR), located in the State of Sao Paulo, in Brazil, and Strathcona Provincial Park, situated in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The multiple case study was based on two sources of evidence, the identified public policies documents, and interviews with the various stakeholders: government, local community, and visitors. The analysis of documents and interviews was performed through content analysis. The public policies were discussed within the conceptual and legal frameworks for protected areas and public use in both countries. Among the key findings, we observe that public policies focus on more permissive activities, as in the Canadian case, or on its restriction, like in Brazil, is not the most significant aspect for the conservation of the environment.

Originality of the document:

The outsourcing policy, already adopted by British Columbia and beginning to be implemented in São Paulo, has impacted more directly the three analyzed aspects.

Keywords:
Policy; Protected area; Public use; Ecotourism

Normative Act	Objective
State Decree No. 25.341/1986	Establishes norms that define and characterize the National Parks.
SMA Resolution No. 32/1998	Regulates public visitation and registry of guides, agencies, operators, and environmental instructors, for ecotourism and environment education in the State conservation units.
Federal Law No. 9.985/2000	Institutes the National System of Nature Conservation Units - SNUC - establishes criteria and norms for the creation, implementation, and management of conservation units.
Federal Decree No. 4.340/2002	Regulates Articles. 22, 24, 25, 26,27, 29, 30, 33, 36, 41, 42, 47, 48 and 55 of the Law No. 9.985, of 18 July 2000, as well as the arts. 15, 17, 18 and 20, regarding the councils of conservation units.
SMA Resolution No. 59/2008	Regulates the administrative procedures of management and inspection of public use in Conservation Units of Integral Protection of the São Paulo State System of Forests - SIEFLOR.
SMA Resolution No. 61/2008	Creates the Advisory Board of Ecotourism of the Secretary of Environment of the State of São Paulo, as a tool for helping in the implementation of action for developing ecotourism in the State.
Normative Decree F.F. No. 73/2009	Establishes the guide for designing the Emergency Plan of Public Use for the Conservation Units with consolidated activities of public visitation.
SMA Resolution No. 32/2010	Classifies the infractions and environmental administrative sanctions for penalties application, in the scope of the State System of Environmental Quality Administration, Protection, Control and Development of Environment and Adequate Use of Natural Resources - SEAQUA.
State Decree No. 57.401/2011	Implements the Program of Partnerships for Conservation Units instituted by the State of São Paulo and that are under the administration of the Foundation for the Conservation and Forestry Production of the State of São Paulo and correlated provisions.
Normative Decree F.F. No. 152/2011	Establishes the guide for designing the Plan of Risks and Contingency Management for the Conservation Units of integral protection of the State System of Forests of the State of São Paulo.
Normative Decree F.F. No.153/2011	Establishes the regulation for rafting activity for the companies that operate this service, independent rafters and users, according to the ABNT rules NBR 15:370 and 15:285.
Normative Decree F.F. No. 182/2013	Regulates the public visitation hours in the conservation units under the management of the Forestry Foundation.
Normative Decree F.F. No. 183/2013	Establishes the criteria for bicycle use inside the conservation units under the management of the Forestry Foundation.
Normative Decree F.F. No. 191/2013	Establishes procedures for charge and price of tickets, services and use of the facilities and equipment installed in the Units administered by the Forestry Foundation, not for profit, in order to contribute to the maintenance and conservation of the Units.

Normative Act	Objective
Protected Areas of British Columbia Act	Presents all categories of protected areas administered by BC Parks, as well as its definitions.
Park Act	General norms for the protected areas categories Parks, Conservancies and Recreation Areas are established by this act.
Park, Conservancy and Recreation Area Regulations	Deals with a great variety of elements, from use permits, through waste management to the park-guards’ duties.
Striking the Balance	Internal document that establishes one of the principles that guides all management of protected areas in the province, the search for balance between recreation and conservation.
BC Parks Program Plan 2007-2012	Transposes the strategies of the British Columbia government for protected areas to a document that guides BC Parks’ actions.

Associação Nacional de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Turismo Rua Silveira Martins, 115 - cj. 71, Centro, Cep: 01019-000, Tel: 11 3105-5370 - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: edrbtur@gmail.com

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[1] Fabrício Scarpeta Matheus

Fabrício has a Bachelor Degree in Tourism from the University of São Paulo (2003), is specialized in Environmental Management by the SENAC University Center and holds a Master’s Degree in Sciences from the Program of Social Change and Political Participation from the University of São Paulo (USP). He has experience in ecotourism management and regulation of Protected Areas and had developed programs and projects by the Forestry Foundation, as the Program Trilhas de São Paulo and the Program of Volunteering in Protected Areas. He was also responsible for the Visitation Management Nucleus for Ecotourism of the Project of Ecotourism Development in the Atlantic Rainforest, developed by the Secretariat for the Environment of the State of São Paulo, through a loan contract with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and participated in the designing of many projects of touristic activity planning and management by the T4 Consultoria em Turismo, among them is the Tourism Management Plan for Ilhabela, the Tourism Development Plan for Paraty and the External Assessment of the Program Olá Turista (Hello, Tourist). He has also worked as a researcher of the Institute of Economic Research Foundation - FIPE in projects such as the Study of economic and social impacts of the FIFA Confederations Cup. He has acted in the WWF-Brazil, as a conservation analyst, where he was responsible for the Project of Conservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in the Iguaçu Park Trinational Corridor. He is currently a PhD student in the Program of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies at the University of Northern British Columbia, in Canada. Email: matheus@unbc.ca.