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Meadows (Newfoundland) are examples of Canadian World Heritage Sites. The designation of an area as a Ramsar Site or a World Heritage Site does not provide legal protection; such protection exists as a result of already existing national, provincial or territorial designations using domestic legislation. The regulation and management of activities, including mining, within such sites therefore depend on the level of protection established at the national, provincial or territorial level. The designation of an area as a Ramsar Site or a World Heritage Site can result in international involvement in the environmental assessments of projects located close to the site. The Man and the Biosphere Program of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) offers an international designation intended to showcase sustainable development practices in a variety of ecosystems. The goal of this program is to create an international network of Biosphere Reserves representing the Earth’s major ecological systems and different patterns of human use and adaptation. Biosphere Reserves include both a core area of undisturbed land (a high-level protected area) and contiguous zones of lands managed to meet human needs. The main objectives of Biosphere Reserves are conservation of representative ecological features, long-term research, and environmental monitoring. Canada is a participant in the program and currently has six Biosphere Reserves, namely Waterton Lakes (Alberta), Riding Mountain (Manitoba), Long Point (Ontario), the Niagara Escarpment (Ontario), Mont St. Hilaire (Quebec), and Charlevoix (Quebec).
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