Ch. 3 Land - Environment Yukon

number of humans is immense. As
countries complete the industrialization
process, the world-wide demand for
resources and land will multiply
exponentially. These forecasts allude
to a profound impact on the remaining
areas of wilderness in the world.
While at the beginning of the 20th century, wilderness was often seen
as a frontier to be pushed back,
many individuals now view natural
and pristine areas as essential to
the maintenance of a sustainable
ecosystem. For the First Nation people
who still have ties to the land, the vast
undeveloped regions of the Yukon are
their homeland with familiar trails,
campsites, fishing camps, caches and
hunting areas 2. Despite a growing
individual awareness of the value
of wilderness, an escalating world
population and demand for resources
are so great that, on a global scale,
there is increasing stress on the
remaining wilderness areas. In many
countries of the world, wilderness areas
have disappeared.
The Environment Act recognizes
wilderness as a natural resource with
ecological as well as economic value.
The Act provides enabling legislation
for the establishment of Wilderness
Management Areas to protect the
wilderness resource. Currently, the
approach is to use the Yukon Parks Act
and the Protected Areas Strategy to
Management Plans for the Yukon North Slope
Plan
Yukon North Slope Wildlife
Conservation and Management
Plan
Co-Management Plan for
Grizzly Bears
Management Plan for the
Porcupine Caribou Herd from
1996/97 to 1999/2000
Ivvavik National Park Management
Plan
The Inuvik Inuvialuit Community
Conservation Plan
Aklavik Inuvialuit Community
Conservation Plan
Herschel Island Park Management
Plan
Responsible Agencies
North Slope Wildlife Management
Advisory Council
Government of the Northwest
Territories
Porcupine Caribou Management
Board
Parks Canada, in cooperation with
the Inuvialuit
Inuvik Hunters and Trappers
Association, Community
Corporation and Elders Committee
Aklavik Hunters and Trappers
Committee, Community
Corporation and Elders Committee
Yukon Department of Renewable
Resources in cooperation with the
Inuvialuit Game Council, Inuvialuit
Hunters and Trappers Committee
and Wildlife Management Advisory
Council (North Slope)
“Our history, painting, literature…
all have been deeply influenced
and distinguished by the wilderness…
As we surrender our wild
heritage, we surrender much of
what distinguishes us as
Canadians.” –Bruce Littlejohn
1989 3.
identify and protect natural areas,
including wilderness lands.
Wilderness Mapping Project
In order to track changes in the amount
of wilderness land in the Yukon, an
estimate of developed, natural and
wilderness lands has been calculated
(Figure 3.1). The method and the
limitations of the mapping project are
detailed below.
Technical Notes for the Preparation of
the Wilderness Mapping Project
■ A sub-committee of the 1995
Yukon State of the Environment
Steering Committee developed
the approach to mapping wilderness
based on a methodology
adapted from the British
Columbia Ministry of Forests 4.
The approach used in 1995 has
been repeated in 1999 with
changes in terms of the data base
used to build the wilderness map.
■ In addition to the actual development
(e.g. mine site, highway),
areas of varying widths (depending
on the type and intensity of
development) were included in
the Developed or Natural Categories.
The width of the buffers
surrounding the various types of
developments as well as the
minimum area of land included
in the Developed and Natural
Categories are shown in Figure 3.1.
Limitations of the wilderness mapping
projects
■ In both 1995 and 1999 it was
impossible to accurately map all
developments due to the cost
C H A P T E R 3 L A N D ❧ 3 5