CPAWS welcomes federal environment minister's commitment to protect more wilderness

Posted on October 19, 2006

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) applauds the October 13th commitment by Environment Minister Rona Ambrose to continuing federal work on a range of proposed protected areas in the Northwest Territories, as well as to completing the national parks system.

"The Minister's announcement is the first of many steps needed from the federal government to protect important ecological and cultural lands throughout the NWT before intense mining and oil and gas industrial pressures foreclose these opportunities," says Daryl Sexsmith, executive director of CPAWS' NWT chapter.

Minister Ambrose was in the small Dene community of Lutsel K'e last Friday on the shores of NWT's Great Slave Lake to sign a memorandum of understanding with Chief Adeline Jonasson of the Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation, to work towards establishing a new national park on the East Arm of Great Slave Lake over the next three years.

"We congratulate the community of Lutsel K'e and the federal government on their decision to proceed towards a national park in this large magnificent area of land where the boreal forest meets the northern tundra," says Sexsmith.

In her speech in Lutsel K'e and in an interview with Canadian Press, Minister Ambrose also committed to continuing to work towards completing a system of national parks and establishing new national marine conservation areas in Canada.

"We are pleased that the federal government will continue work towards new national parks on Bathurst Island, Nunavut, in the Manitoba Lowlands, and in the south Okanagan -Similkameen area of BC, as well as marine conservation areas in Gwaii Haanas and the Georgia Strait in BC, and in Lake Superior," said Gillian McEachern, National Conservation Manager for CPAWS.

"The Minister's indication that the federal government will work with Quebec on possible new national parks is also a step forward towards completing the national parks system. CPAWS will be actively engaged in most of these areas across the country to help move sites to real protection as soon as possible," added McEachern.

CPAWS also welcomes Minister Ambrose's remarks that she will continue work towards expanding Nahanni National Park Reserve - a World Heritage Site and renowned paddling destination. In an interview with Canadian Press, she committed to completing this expansion by 2008. CPAWS has been working with local First Nations in the NWT for years to protect the entire South Nahanni Watershed in the expanded park.

Public consultations on new boundaries for Nahanni National Park Reserve are expected this winter.

"As a next step, we would ask the federal government to work with local First Nations to withdraw the entire South Nahanni Watershed from mineral staking this fall, so the wilderness values are protected while discussions on boundaries progress, notes Sexsmith. "We also urge the federal government to propose a new park boundary during the public consultations that includes the entire South Nahanni Watershed. Canada needs to protect this magnificent World Heritage Site and this is the boundary that local First Nations, CPAWS, scientists and thousands of Canadians support," said Sexsmith.

A junior mining company, Canadian Zinc Corporation, has been trying to open a lead/zinc/silver mine upstream from the current park, within the area of interest for the expansion, and part of the watershed remains open to mineral staking.

In her speech, Minister Ambrose also indicated the federal government's commitment to making progress on a number of other proposed protected areas in the Mackenzie Valley, including Edehzhie (Horn Plateau) and the Ramparts as National Wildlife Areas.

"For a decade, CPAWS has been working with communities, other conservation groups and governments to identify key lands so they can be protected before large scale industrial activities get underway. Now we're looking for concrete government steps to protect these lands following the minister's remarks," adds Sexsmith.

In September, CPAWS issued a set of recommendations to the government for a federal nature action plan - a critical component of any meaningful environmental policy. The recommendations include actions to protect the intact ecosystems of Canada's north; complete our national parks system; protect and restore our ocean ecosystems; and protect and restore habitat of species at risk.

CPAWS is Canada's voice for parks and wilderness protection. Since 1963 it has grown to 13 chapters across the country coordinated by a national office in Ottawa, representing nearly 20,000 members.

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For more information:

Daryl Sexsmith, Executive Director, CPAWS-NWT (867) 873-9893
Gillian McEachern, National Conservation Manager, CPAWS (613) 569-7226

View "Canada's Wilderness: Irreplaceable: Recommendations for a federal nature action plan", September 2006 at
http://www.cpaws.org/files/FedActionPlan2006-english-web.pdf