Innovative riverine preservation for the McNaughton Creek Watershed, N.W. British Columbia: Schematic development and geographic information systems modelling

The McNaughton Creek Watershed contains one of the few remaining undeveloped creeks in Canada. The development of a set of foundations necessary for preservation provides the basis from which protected areas developers and managers may formulate detailed policies and objectives. These foundations include sustainable development, a transperspective approach to achieve sustainability, and ecotourism symbiotic commensalism with preservation.;Assigning varying degrees of protection within the watershed is accomplished through the development of zones, delineated using a GIS, tailored for the McNaughton Creek Watershed. While some regions are zoned for strict protection, a thorough classification of the watershed reveals that much of the area should remain "unmanaged" for the time being.;Specific development and management direction are provided in the form of policy recommendations that advocate implementing the foundations for preservation as well as the newly created zoning scheme.