The Government of Yukon and the Liard First Nation have come to an agreement for the first phase of the Nahanni Range Road section of the Yukon Resource Gateway Project.
The section of the project in question is the Nahanni Range Road which runs between Highway 4, between Ross River and Watson Lake, and the Northwest Territory border, near Tungsten. The developments feature 2 bridge replacements, one bridge rehabilitation and general improvements to line of sight and road geometry. The first phase of the project has been budgeted for approximately $17 million.
The collaboration between the territorial and First Nations governments will see collaboration when it comes to the development, environmental assessment and regulatory aspects of the Nahanni Range Road Phase 1 upgrades. The agreement includes funding for training, employment, and business opportunities for Liard First Nation, which include vegetation clearing, wildlife monitoring, post-secondary education as well as the commitment to develop adaptive approaches for mitigating possible negative impacts of the roads. Liard First Nation Chief, George Morgan says that this agreement will work to ensure proper environmental and social impact assessment and identify possible impacts to Kaska rights, while also maximizing potential economic opportunities.
The Resource Gateway Project aims to create new access and upgrades to existing road infrastructure in areas of high mineral potential and active mining in the Yukon, including Dawson and Nahanni ranges. Currently Golden Predator Mining Corp operates the 3 Aces Project in the area, and Selwyn Chihong Mining Ltd operates the Selwyn Project in Howards pass, also in the eastern Yukon area.
This is not the first collaboration the territorial government has reached with First Nations Governments as part of the Yukon Resource Gateway Project. In March of 2019, the government of Yukon and the Little Salmon / Carmacks First Nation reached and agreement for the proposed Carmacks Bypass component of the Gateway Project.
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