News Release

CPAWS-Yukon and YCS want balanced approach to Peel Planning

February 12, 2009 – Whitehorse – CPAWS-Yukon and the Yukon Conservation Society (YCS) have strong views about the scenarios presented by the Peel Watershed Planning Commission at a Whitehorse open house on Tuesday.

“Scenario 2 proposes maintaining the wilderness character of half of the watershed in an intact, roadless, development-free set of three watersheds: the Hart, Wind and Bonnet Plume. It best meets the goals of the Commission to ensure wilderness characteristics, wildlife and their habitats, cultural resources, and waters are maintained over time while managing resource use,” says Mike Dehn CPAWS Yukon Executive Director.

“Scenario 2 is the only one that could be called a mixed use, compromise type of scenario,” says Dehn. “It is a compromise because it zones the Peel watershed about half protection and half non-renewable resource extraction. We want to see much more protection, but at least Scenario 2 is a place to start discussions. The other two scenarios are non-starters.”

Karen Baltgailis, YCS Executive Director, points out that Scenario 2 is not a ‘Protection Strategy’ as it is labeled. “Bear in mind that the part that is zoned ‘protection’ is still open for business for tourism, so Scenario 2 allows for some kind of economic activity pretty much everywhere in the watershed.”

“Scenario 2 far from perfect,” says Dehn. “For example, we’d like to see more of the mid-reaches of the Snake River protected. This section of the Snake has very high wildlife values, and exceptional scenery, so it has very high tourism values. We’d also like to see the entire west bank of the Snake River fully protected right to the edge of the mountains. And there needs to be much more protection in the northern part of the Peel watershed. But at least Scenario 2 is a start – the other scenarios simply do not come anywhere close to meeting the goals of the Peel Watershed Planning Commission.”

“Scenarios 1 and 3 protect very little of the watershed,” adds Baltgailis. “They propose to somehow combine heavy industry, tourism and protection of wildlife and cultural values all in the same portions of the landscape. This is supposed to happen through vague references to ‘sub-regional planning’. Heavy industry and all season roads are simply not compatible with wilderness values, wilderness tourism and healthy wildlife – this land use planning process needs to come out with clearly defined zoning.”

“Yukon’s Peel Watershed is one of the last of its kind. It is a healthy, functioning ecosystem with clean waters, healthy wildlife and viable tourism and guide outfitting businesses. It is well deserving of a strong commitment to at least 50% conservation,” says Dehn.

In addition to its Whitehorse meeting, the Commission has just completed a community tour which included Mayo, Dawson, Inuvik, and Ft. Macpherson where the Commission heard strong voices for protection in the Peel watershed from First Nations and community voices.

The Peel Planning Commission is accepting public comments and feedback on its Scenarios until February 28, 2009. A draft land use plan expected to be released March 31, 2009. CPAWS-Yukon and YCS are encouraging the Yukon public to fill out the Commission’s short questionnaire before February 28, 2009.

“At the very least Yukon people need to let the commission know that Scenarios 1 and 3 are simply not acceptable,” says Baltgailis.

Background:
The 68,000 km2 Peel Watershed is located in the northeastern Yukon. It includes parts of the Traditional Territories of the First Nation of Na-cho Nyak Dun, Tr'ondek Hwech'in, Vuntut Gwichin and the Tetlit Gwich'in. There are no permanent settlements in the watershed. After 4 1/2 years of work, the release of land use planning scenarios is the first step toward a draft land use plan for this regionally and internationally significant wilderness.

For further information, contact: