| Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park | |
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 Interactive map of Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park | |
| Location | East Kootenay,British Columbia,Canada |
| Nearest town | Waterton Park,Alberta |
| Coordinates | 49°01′30″N114°12′00″W / 49.02500°N 114.20000°W /49.02500; -114.20000 (Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park) |
| Area | 10,921.5 ha (42.168 sq mi) |
| Designation | Class A Provincial Park |
| Established | July 13, 1995 |
| Governing body | BC Parks |
| Website | Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park |
Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park is aprovincial park located in the southeastern corner ofBritish Columbia,Canada. The park was established byorder-in-council on July 13, 1995, to protect the ecological integrity of a relatively narrow stretch of theRocky Mountains in the southeastern corner of the province.
The trails and passes of the Akamina-Kishinena were used for many years by the early peoples and wildlife travelling between theFlathead Basin and the abundantGreat Plains. For instance, theKootenai aboriginal people travelled throughSouth Kootenay Pass to reach the plains for trading and buffalo hunting.
Since 1917, conservationists have advocated for the preservation of theFlathead River watershed in the southeastern corner of the province. The park would compliment and be worthy of adding to the adjacentWaterton Glacier International Peace Park.
In 1986, the region was designated a provincialRecreation Area under thePark Act and was proposed for full protection under the Protected Areas Strategy (PAS) and Commission of Resources and Environment (CORE) process. The recreation area was then upgraded to the status of a "Class A" provincial park on July 12, 1995.[2]
Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park encompasses 10,921.5 hectares (26,988 acres) of high peaks and broad forested valleys in thewatershed of theFlathead River. The park is adjacent to the much largerWaterton Lakes National Park inAlberta andGlacier National Park in theU.S. state ofMontana, which together form theWaterton Glacier International Peace Park. The summit of the Akamina Pass, on the border with Alberta, is the easternmost point in British Columbia.
The park preserves part of the habitat of the last self-sustaininggrizzly bear population in the United States, as well as a winter range forgoats andbig horn sheep. Protected plant species include the rareMimulus luteus (yellow monkey flower) and the rarePapaver pygmaeum (pigmy poppy) that are found nowhere else in BC.
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