Ch. 3 Land - Environment Yukon

■ protecting core areas within each
ecoregion to represent the ecological
diversity of the Yukon; and
■ protecting special areas which
contain important wildlife and
habitat values, uncommon landforms
and natural features, special
cultural, heritage and spiritual
values, special outdoor recreation
values or wilderness areas with
intact ecosystems.
The representative core protected areas
are very important. They must be able
to support sustainable populations of
plants and animals for the foreseeable
future and longer, survive climate
fluctuations, disease and provide a
future gene pool. The four criteria used
to select the representative core
protected areas are:
■ representation of the ecosystem
diversity of the ecoregion (Figure
3.5);
■ naturalness with few human
caused disturbances;
■ ecological viability on a long term
basis; and
■ research and education values.
In 1999 the Yukon government set up
a Protected Areas Secretariat (PAS) to
coordinate the planning and establishment
of protected areas 2.
Parks and other types of protected
areas in the Yukon may be established
by federal agencies (Parks Canada or
What is a Protected Area?
An area of land and/or sea
especially dedicated to the
protection and maintenance of
biological diversity, and of natural
and associated cultural resources,
and managed through legal or
other means (World Conservation
Union) 3.
WORLD CONSERVATION UNION 1 (IUCN) CLASSIFICATIONS
Categories I , II, III, are fully protected as per Goal One 2 (44,433 km 2 )
Category IV is protected as per Goal Two 3 (10,651 km 2 )
IUCN Category I and II: Strict Nature Preserve,
Wilderness Areas, National Parks (44,252 km 2 )
1 Herschel Island Territorial Park 116
2 Fishing Branch Wilderness Preserve 5,400
3 Tombstone Territorial Park 2,164
4 Kluane National Park 22,015
5 Vuntut National Park 4,387
6 Ivvavik National Park 10,170
IUCN Category III: Natural Monument (181 km 2 )
7 Fishing Branch Ecological Reserve 165
8 Coal River Springs Ecological Reserve 16
IUCN Category IV: Habitat /Species Management Areas (10,651 km 2 )
9 Old Crow Flats Special Management Area 7,785
10 Horseshoe Slough Habitat Protection Area 79
11 Ddhaw Ghro Habitat Protection Area 3 1,595
12 Llutsaw Wetlands Habitat Protection Area 31
13 Nordenskiold Wetlands Habitat Protection Area 76
14 Ta’Tla Mun Special Management Area 32
15 Nisutlin River Delta National Wildlife Area 53
16 Fishing Branch Habitat Protection Area 1,000
ICUN Category VI (0.55 km 2 )
17 Sha'washe Special Management Area 0.55
Unassigned under the IUCN System (6,450 km 2 )
18 Kluane Wildlife Sanctuary 6450
1 Changed in 1990 from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The acronym did not change.
2 Goals as per the Protected Area Strategy
3 With the exception of Fishing Branch Habitat Protected Area, these areas are currently withdrawn from
mineral activity (status as of 1999). Status is subject to management planning
Figure 3.5 Yukon Protected Areas and Sanctuaries
The classification of protected areas in the Yukon is based on categories established by
the World Conservation Union, an international organization. The classifications are
generally accepted world-wide.
C H A P T E R 3 L A N D ❧ 3 9