Mining

View a map of areas of advanced mining exploration and development, and existing protected areas

CPAWS-Yukon endorses the 1994 Whitehorse Mining Initiative, a broad consensus agreement between the Canadian mining industry, governments and non-government organizations to create and maintain a network of protected areas free of mining activity and its effects. We support responsible mining exploration and development practices that respect ecosystem integrity, minimize or eliminate impacts on wildlife and waterways, fully restore disturbed lands and provide long term community benefits.

We call on government to require the use of low impact and road-free mining practices in all watersheds that do not have existing roads, through all phases of the exploration and final feasibility project cycle. We propose that all mines be evaluated at the outset on sound economic grounds that fully account for long-term ecological and social costs. Similarly, we call on government regulators to ensure that sufficient bonds are in place to cover all mine abandonment and restoration costs and to move immediately to clean up abandoned mines. We call for a change to regressive taxation and government incentives programs that encourage irresponsible junior stock speculation and poor mining practices.

CPAWS-Yukon monitors mining exploration and development activity in the Yukon, focusing on areas that have high conservation value. For example, the Peel River watershed, and in particular the tributary rivers such as the Wind, Snake and Bonnet Plume have been identified many times as nationally and territorially important candidate conservation areas. A Peel River Regional Land Use Planning Commission is set to start work in 2004. Yet, the Yukon Government is promoting oil and gas exploration, mining claim staking, and has funded studies by a mining promoter to assess the feasibility of coal bed methane extraction, coal mining, coal fired electrical generation, iron mining, steel plants, and industrial roads – all in advance of a regional plan! CPAWS-Yukon vigorously opposes this careless approach to development and is working to ensure that conservation is an integral part of any land use plan in the Peel watershed.

Other CPAWS mining work includes completion of extensive research on compensation issues related to mining claims in protected areas, and participation in the development and review of the Development Assessment Process and the revisions of the Mining Land Use Regulations.