News Release

200 Attend Public Rally in Support of Tombstone Mountain

November 5, 1999 – Whitehorse, Yukon – Two hundred people filled the lobby of the Yukon government building on Thursday to join a public rally in support of protecting the Tombstone Range and the Blackstone Uplands. The Yukon Chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and the Yukon Conservation Society held the public event to endorse the findings of a special committee appointed to recommend boundaries for Tombstone Territorial Park.

The park was negotiated as part of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Final Agreement. During the last election, the McDonald government promised to create a larger park, and CPAWS is now urging the government to live up to its commitment.

“We are almost there. After close to a year of research and consultation, the Tombstone Steering Committee is calling for a park of just over 220,000 hectares – exactly what is needed to protect this extraordinary landscape. We are urging the Yukon government to accept this advice and leave a lasting conservation legacy,” said Juri Peepre, chair of CPAWS-Yukon.

“Protection means no industrial development and the Yukon government must now also show how they will phase mining claims out of the park before any environmental damage is allowed to happen,” added Peepre.

Respected Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in elder, Percy Henry spoke about the beauty and cultural importance of the Tombstone Mountain region, and Deputy Chief Clara van Bibber outlined the many years of hard work by the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in to protect this remarkable region. She paid particular tribute to former chief, Steve Taylor and Tim Gerberding.

Government Leader Piers McDonald affirmed his government’s support for protection of the Tombstone Mountain region, and promised to continue work on new protected areas through the Yukon Protected Areas Strategy.

Yukon Wildlands Charter

As part of the celebration, CPAWS presented the government leader with a 1,350 signature Yukon Wildlands Charter. People from virtually every Yukon community have signed the Charter in support of completing a Yukon protected area network.

“This Wildlands Charter shows the depth of support for conservation, but I’m sure it represents only a fraction of Yukon people who endorse protecting the wilderness and wildlife of the north,” said Peepre.

“Full protection of Tombstone Mountain and the Fishing Branch is needed to achieve the goals of the Wildlands Charters, but we also need to move forward at a steady pace on the many other conservation priorities.”

Juri Peepre
CPAWS-Yukon
Telephone: 867-393-8080