Parkwatch

See also

Unimpaired for Future Generations?
Conserving Ecological Integrity with Canada's National Parks
Report of the Panel on the Ecological Integrity of Canada's National Parks
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Yukon National Parks

The Yukon has three national parks, four if you count Chilkoot National Historic Site as an honourary part of the territory. Ivvavik, Vuntut and Kluane National Parks are managed by Parks Canada in cooperation with First Nations under their Final Agreements.

CPAWS-Yukon participates in the periodic reviews of Park Management Plans. We advocate the maintenance of ecological integrity and wilderness values as the most important management goals for these parks. We also support the continued First Nation traditional harvesting in the parks as allowed for in the Final Agreements, and we endorse plans to improve community and local economic benefits from the parks.

St. Elias Mountains front ranges, on the edge of Kluane National Park
Photo by George Weuthner

Tombstone Territorial Park

CPAWS-Yukon is proud to have been part of the public campaign to establish Tombstone Territorial Park in support of the Tr'on dek Hwech'in Final Agreement. We have also been active in the public process to prepare a management plan, with a focus on maintaining the ecological integrity of the park.

CPAWS-Yukon is opposed to ongoing further mining exploration or development in the Park, and we call on the Yukon government to fulfill their promise to protect the park lands. Mining has no place in the protected sanctuaries of the Yukon, and it is time that the territorial and federal governments met their obligation to protect the public interest.

Tombstone Territorial Park, by Ken Madsen

Tombstone Territorial Park
Photo by Ken Madsen

Wallfern
Photo by Marten Berkman

Fishing Branch Wilderness Preserve

CPAWS-Yukon supported the Vuntut Gwitch'in efforts to establish this superb new 540,000 ha park. We participated in the development of the first management plan, and have called for the maintenance of ecological integrity as a primary goal.

CPAWS is opposed to any industrial mining roads in the Wilderness Preserve on the grounds that such developments would put at serious risk the ecological and cultural values for which the park was established.