Yukon NDP: More Land Use Regional Plans Need to be Signed Quicker in Territory

Thursday, 15 August 2019 16:14

The Peel Watershed is approximately 69,000 square kilometres and covers much of northern Yukon. (Photo courtesy of Protect Peel)

While the Peel Watershed Regional Land Use Plan is set to be signed next week in Mayo, Yukon NDP Party Leader Kate White says more more land-use regional plans to be signed quicker throughout the territory.

Yukon NDP Party Leader Kate White says her party supports the signing of the Peel Watershed Regional Land Use Plan.

The signing ceremony of the plan is set to occur on August 22nd in Mayo and the Final Recommended Peel Watershed Regional Land Use Plan suggests that 80% of the over 67,000 square kilometer planning region be permanently protected.

White says her party has been campaigning to support the final recommended plan for quite some time.

"In 2011, we said that we would honour the final recommendations by the Peel Watershed Planning Commission. We had committed to it in 2011 prior to the election. During the election, we were committed to it during the sitting of the 33rd Legislative Assembly when the Yukon Party was in government. It was again a party commitment in 2016 when we said we would honour the commission's recommendations. We're ecstatic now knowing that it's being signed.

The Yukon government currently manages over 97 percent of the Peel Watershed Watershed Planning region, which is comprised of Crown land. The Na-Cho Nyak Dun, the Trondek Hwech'in and the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nations as well as The Tetlit Gwich'in Council manage the rest.

White says it's time to complete the signing of all the Yukon Regional Land Use Plans in a much quicker fashion.

"It was a commitment made that when the (Yukon First Nation) final agreements were signed, there would be more regional land-use plans created throughout the territory. There's eight regional land-use plans altogether. So far, North Yukon has been completed and now with the completion of the Peel Watershed on the 22nd, it will be the second regional land-use plan signed. That still means there are six remaining that need to be done. We are hopeful that it won't take 20 more years like it had through two to get the remaining six done."

White says the signing of land-use plans in the territory are relevant to all Yukoners.

"The reason why land-use plans are so important is that it creates certainty for all people. It certainty for industry and for people who use the land for hunting, gathering and recreation purposes. The important of land-use planning is that it lets everyone know what's important, it lets everyone know what's being planned, it gets the area protected, and it gets put into future plans.

For those who can't make the signing in Mayo, CPAWS Yukon is holding a live-stream event at the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre next Thursday.