Fencing and signage, used for public safety and resource protection, are also kept to a minimum. Currently, the human population of the Milk River watershed area — already rural with a population density of under .5 persons per square kilometer — is decreasing due to factors such as an aging population, the decline of small-scale farming, loss of community services such as hospitals and schools, and lack of job opportunities. This lack of population pressure, along with the inaccessibility of the Milk River Natural Area and the management plan followed by Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation, helps to maintain the ecological integrity of the protected area.