Sample Letter on Yukon Protected Areas

Date

Dear Premier Fentie,

Yukoners are dismayed that you have put our wilderness and wildlife at risk by discontinuing work on completing a network of Yukon protected areas. I am writing to ask that you reverse your policy and resume work immediately on new protected areas in the Yukon.

The Yukon government agreed to the principles of the federal, provincial and territorial Tri-Council Statement of Commitment to Complete Canada’s Networks of Protected Areas, signed in 1992, and the territory also signed on to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The 1998 Yukon Protected Areas Strategy was the direct outcome of these agreements, and was one of the best regarded protected area blueprints in the country. From being considered one of the most progressive jurisdictions in the country in using the science of conservation biology and in protecting biodiversity, the Yukon has become the only jurisdiction in Canada to turn its back on this historic commitment to protect our heritage.

Along with most Yukoners, I value the lasting beauty and natural landscapes of the Yukon and the promise they hold for both economic health and conservation of biodiversity. Indeed, these wild lands and waters are by far our greatest hope for a strong economic future based on sustainable sectors like tourism, heritage appreciation, film, value-added industries, education and research, knowledge-based and small-scale resource operations.

Premier Fentie, what legacy will you and your government leave for future Yukon generations? People in southern Canada have already learned the hard lessons from their failure to protect nature. Polluted water and air, ill health, decimated wildlife populations and scattered remnants of wild places in the south should prompt us on the importance of establishing a network of protected areas while there is still a chance. We are the green anchor and great hope of North America.

Your government has a choice, and I urge you to finish the task of completing Yukon’s protected area network. Protected areas are not a threat to a diverse economy, and are certainly no obstacle to responsible resource development, as you have suggested in the past.

Reconsider your decision to neglect Yukon’s commitments to conservation and all Yukoners and Canadians will appreciate your leadership.

Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Address