Ch. 3 Land - Environment Yukon

Relationship of Agriculture to the
Environment
In the Yukon, the major impact of
agriculture is the conversion of land
from natural to developed areas and
the related loss of wildlife habitat,
subsistence and trapping areas, and
public recreation lands. Competing
uses for land are particularly critical in
the greater Whitehorse area. Most land
with agricultural potential close to
Whitehorse is either subject to land
claim negotiations or has already been
allocated. Interest in agricultural parcels
is reaching further into the hinterland
where there may be less conflict with
recreational use, but more potential
for negative effects on wildlife and
subsistence activities.
While competing interests between
agriculture and other land and resource
interests remain largely unresolved, the
actual land area utilized for agriculture
is small. An estimated 102 sq km, (1.5
per cent of the Yukon’s 6,680 sq km of
arable land) has been developed for
farming. In terms of the total land area
of the Yukon this accounts for only
0.02 per cent. However, areas
developed for farming are usually valley
bottom lands, which are limited in the
Yukon and are often key wildlife habitat
or of high recreation value.
As reported in the 1995 State of the
Environment Report, the Takhini River
Valley experienced a change from
wildlands and habitat to farmland and
rural residential over the past 20 years.
While this farming area contributes
to the supply of local food produce,
the conversion of natural areas to
farmland has been difficult for the
First Nation families who traditionally
used this area.
The 1991 agricultural policy, required
the consideration of other resource
interests. Despite the more thorough
review in the 1990s, the end result was
limited accommodation for the
traditional land users.
Stella Jim explains how development
affected her way of life.
“Takhini valley, there is all fences
now, and Champagne. It was all
wide open. Ever since that place
has started farming, fences all over
the place. Old people can’t hunt
around where people used to
hunt. Now it’s just a fence all over
the place. You can’t go and step
out there any place you want. All
the way down, nothing but farm
all over, from Stoney Creek to
Whitehorse 5.”
Several local area land use plans have
considered other resource values
(Klondike Valley, Lorne Mountain and
Golden Horn). However, in 1999 there
were no regional land use plans in
place to assess agricultural land use in
a broader perspective in relation to the
overall land and resource values in a
region.
While land use allocation is seen as
an important issue in terms of land use,
there are other environmental concerns
that have been raised. Disease transmission
and genetic contamination are
concerns with game farming. Currently
there are six game farming operations
in the greater Whitehorse area.
These include wood bison, elk and a
commercial game farm with a variety of
animals. About 585 hectares is used
by game farm operators at present.
There is no evidence of genetic contamination
or disease transmission to
date 4.
Fish habitat can potentially be affected
by agricultural activities but no records
of significant fish habitat degradation
from agriculture have been noted.
Soil erosion and pollution from
agricultural activities can cause soil
degradation if clearing and cultivation is
not carried out in a sound manner. The
Yukon Agriculture Branch monitors
agricultural practices to prevent soil
degradation.
PROGRESS & CHALLENGES
Progress since 1995
■ Agricultural sales have increased
from $2.3 million in 1991 to
$3.5 million in 1996, indicating
that the use of land for
agriculture has fairly significant
economic benefits to the Yukon 2.
■ Ibex Valley, Mount Lorne and
Golden Horn local land use
plans that identified agricultural
lands in an integrated approach
have been prepared.
■ The agricultural policy has been
reviewed.
■ The Yukon Land Use Planning
Program, that is expected to
address the disposition of
agricultural land use in an
integrated approach, has been
established.
Challenges
■ Continuation of the spot land
allocation process for most
agricultural dispositions.
■ Lack of an adequate supply of
rural residential lands, resulting
in pressure on the agricultural
land program.
■ Under-utilization of land
disposed of for agriculture.
■ Increasing pressure for the
subdivision of agriculture land.
3.7 Transportation
The story of the Yukon is linked to the
territory’s transportation network.
Before the Gold Rush, people traveled
by foot, dog team, boat, on trails and
by river, leaving little evidence of their
passage. During the Gold Rush, local
roads were developed in the Klondike
region and travel through the Yukon
was enhanced by the railway from
Skagway to Whitehorse, better overland
trails between communities and a
river boat system. Signs of past users
6 4 ❧ Y U K O N S T A T E O F T H E E N V I R O N M E N T R E P O R T 1999