• Published on Feb 20 2019 | 

CPAWS-NWT congratulates the Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation. On Monday February 18th, 88% of ballots cast by members supported the establishment of Thaidene Nëné. This vote is an important step in the protected area establishment process as it authorizes Chief and Council to sign Establishment Agreements with Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories to permanently protect Thaidene Nene under Denesoline, federal, and territorial law.

View the press release here. 

• Published on Nov 09 2018 | 

By: Zoe Guile, CPAWS-NWT Conservation Coordinator

Last week I attended the 17th North American Caribou Workshop (NACW) in Ottawa.This workshop brought together people with a vested interest in caribou to share indigenous knowledge, science, and experiences. We discussed the status of caribou in North America and key challenges to their conservation, management, and recovery.

The status of caribou populations in North America is dire. For example, the Bathurst herd of Barren-ground caribou, whose historic range includes the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Saskatchewan, have declined by 96 per cent since the 1990s. There are three main factors that affect caribou population decline; human activity, wildfire, and climate change. It was reported at the NACW that all caribou herds are on a pathway to extinction due to these factors (read more in the Globe and Mail). Many attendees expressed their frustrations with the lack of action on caribou recovery while we continue to meet and discuss research and recovery strategies at length.

Some key takeaways from the workshop included that there is:

• A need for environmental assessment to more meaningfully consider protection of caribou. Only one project that has gone to the environmental assessment phase has ever been rejected in order to protect caribou habitat.
• A necessity for purposeful implementation of the Species At Risk Act. Caribou populations continue to decline while recovery planning carries on past legislated deadlines.
• A lack of consideration of cumulative effects in Environmental Assessment and land use decision making.
• A significant need for greater public education on issues facing caribou populations.

Some outcomes  that I hope to see before the next NACW in 2020 are:

• Protection of habitat. Habitat loss will continue to be the most significant driver of caribou decline in the coming years. By conserving large and connected areas of habitat, we can mitigate decline and give a chance to population recovery.
• Canadians from across the country support the efforts of Indigenous communities to protect lands for their ecological and cultural value and for future generations. Conservation has its greatest success when management and stewardship activities are led by the knowledge and experiences of local peoples. You can read more about Canada’s newest Indigenous Protected Area, Edéhzhíe, which protects habitat for boreal woodland caribou here.
• A  serious effort to improve road access management. Governments across North America are behind the curve on managing roads for wildlife, especially where a new roads bring access into an undisturbed landscape. Roads through caribou habitat, mostly for industrial access, disrupt herd movement and act as pathways for predators and humans to hunt caribou more efficiently.

I found that the necessity for greater public education on issues facing caribou was made abundantly clear at the NACW. There is a need for the public to become aware of issues facing caribou so that they are compelled to take action. I am looking forward to using the knowledge gained at the workshop to engage in caribou management and share important issues with the public in a more meaningful way.

Although caribou populations are declining there was still an heir of hope at the NACW. Many committed people are putting their all into caribou recovery. Indigenous leaders, scientists, conservationists, industry and governments must must work together to ensure a future for caribou.

Add your name to the list of over 150,000 Canadians who expect our Government’s to protect caribou and their habitat here.

• Published on Oct 04 2018

In a letter sent to the GNWT Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Robert C. McLeod, CPAWS-NWT addressed concern that timelines for tabling the draft Protected Areas Act Legislation (PAL) have fallen behind to the extent that it will be delayed until after the 2019 territorial election. The PAL is a commitment of the current government mandate which if not fulfilled will further frustrate the establishment of candidate protected areas.

The letter can be read here

• Published on Feb 28 2018 

CPAWS celebrates “historic investment” in nature conservation in Federal Budget 2018

OTTAWA, ONTARIO – CPAWS applauds today’s announcement of $1.3 billion dollars of new federal funding over five years to protect Canada’s land, ocean, and wildlife. This unprecedented investment will support Canada’s efforts to achieve its commitment to protect at least 17% of our land and 10% of our ocean by 2020, delivering on the Prime Minister’s promise that Canada will achieve and substantially exceed this target in the coming years.

“Today’s significant federal investment in protecting our land and marine ecosystems could be a game-changer for nature conservation in Canada,” said Alison Woodley, CPAWS National Conservation Director. “Budget 2018 recognizes the scale of the biodiversity crisis we face and the importance of supporting the efforts of all levels of government, civil society, and other partners in conservation efforts moving forward.”

For the first time, the federal budget allocates funding for federal government action on nature conservation as well as to support conservation efforts by Indigenous governments, provinces, territories, and other partners. This cost-shared model is similar to the approach used to deliver on other shared priorities in Canada such as infrastructure, climate change mitigation, and health care.

Highlights of federal Budget 2018 conservation investments include:

• $500 million over five years for a new $1 Billion “Nature Fund” to support conservation partnerships and which will leverage funding from other government and non-governmental sources;
• $800 million over five years to support:

New federal protected areas
Increased capacity for national park management
Increased capacity to protect species at risk
Funding to establish a coordinated network of conservation areas working with provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners.
“We thank the federal government for listening to the recommendations made by CPAWS and our environmental partners in the Green Budget Coalition,”  said Woodley, “and we deeply appreciate the efforts of many thousands of Canadians who wrote to the Finance Minister, and of the 116 parliamentarians who signed an open letter supporting our recommendations. Today’s investment shows that raising our collective voice truly works!”

“We are particularly pleased to see the budget acknowledge the leadership of Indigenous peoples in protecting Canada’s land and waters,” said Éric Hébert-Daly, CPAWS National Executive Director. “This funding will support Indigenous governments in their conservation efforts, which will make an important contribution to reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.”

“This is not a matter of starting from scratch. With this funding, we can move quickly to complete existing protected area proposals while at the same time planning for the connected networks of protected areas needed in the long term to safeguard ecosystems and wildlife in the face of climate change,” says Woodley. “Canada has the best opportunity in the world to be leaders in conservation. Now we have resources to deliver on this potential!”

While few details are available in the budget, CPAWS looks forward to working with all governments and other partners to ensure this new investment delivers on Canada’s conservation commitments.

“Investing in protected areas will conserve Canada’s wildlife, water, and wilderness, provide more protected spaces for healthy outdoor activities, and create jobs in communities across the country by growing sustainable nature and culture-based tourism economies,” says Hébert Daly. “This is an investment in the future of our country, which will deliver huge returns.”

• Published on Dec 15 2017

YELLOWKNIFE – the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) NWT chapter welcomes the release of the Nááts’įhch’oh National Park Reserve Management Plan, the first for Nááts’įhch’oh, and is pleased that the plan considers both cultural and economic benefits for the Sahtu Dene and Metis of the Tulita District.

CPAWS NWT hopes that Nááts’įhch’oh National Park Reserve will contribute to building land and resource management capacity in the region through an investment in training local people and knowledge holders to become managers, park rangers, monitors, and scientists who will lead their community.

CPAWS NWT had the opportunity to comment on the draft Management Plan and applauds Parks Canada for considering and incorporating many of our comments into the plan.

Missing from this Management Plan, however, is the required Ecological Integrity Management Plan (EIMP), a primary component of Parks Canada’s responsibilities as the manager of our national parks. CPAWS NWT understands that an EIMP will be consulted on in spring 2018 as a priority next step for Minister Catherine McKenna, Parks Canada, and the Nááts’ihch’oh National Park Reserve Management Committee. CPAWS NWT looks forward to working with the government and Management Committee on this plan.

Nááts’įhch’oh is critical ecologically as the headwaters of the South Nahanni Watershed and important habitat for northern mountain caribou. CPAWS NWT has been working to protect the South Nahanni Watershed for over two decades.