Artwork: Yukon Graphic Recording

INTENT STATEMENT

The vision for this area is to protect the important wetland ecological values and recognize and protect Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in cultural values and traditional use areas. It is a place of cross-cultural connection and reconciliation. Future management of this area should ensure that First Nations’ traditional use continues unimpeded and that this valuable landscape is protected for future generations.

This area contains Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Settlement Land parcels, including R-22B, Nänkäk Chèhôlay (Land of Plenty), which hosts year-round culture camps for Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in. The area is highly valued by the Dawson City community for recreation, offering easy access off the Dempster Highway for activities such as hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking, and camping.

The Tintina Trench Flyway provides valuable habitat for migratory birds. The Flat Creek Wetlands provide important ecosystem services and are essential to the ecological and socio-cultural value of the Klondike River, an important habitat for spawning salmon and the source of Dawson City’s drinking water. There are also areas of high agricultural value. The area contains an active outfitting concession, traplines, and associated infrastructure. The LMU is home to a significant moose population, which has ecological value and is important for subsistence harvesting and resident hunters. Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and the Government of Yukon both have timber harvest operations within the LMU. The presence of the North Klondike Highway is also significant, as it provides vital community connections, supports transportation needs, and contributes to tourism. Secondary road access occurs through Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Settlement Lands.

This LMU is designated an SMA because R-22B is a culturally and ecologically significant area that supports traditional economic activities and serves as a year-round host site for Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in culture camps and events. In addition, the Klondike River’s North and South channels provide critical salmon spawning habitat and supply drinking water for Dawson City, and the Tintina Trench flyway offers essential migration pathways for birds and includes areas of habitat concern. With few mineral claims and minimal surface access, setting the development footprint thresholds at levels comparable to an ISA 2 helps maintain these values without restricting Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in’s ability to access the land or develop infrastructure for traditional land use activities.

TR’ËHUDÈ AND STEWARDSHIP

“Nänkäk Chèhôlay is a place where the land can provide for you and you could live forever; it is a place of healing.”

– Debbie Nagano, Dawson Regional Planning Commission

Residential school survivors chose Nänkäk Chèhôlay for Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Citizens. It is close to Dawson City, making it an accessible place for Citizens to reconnect with the land and each other. Nänkäk Chèhôlay is important to Elders and a place where stories can be shared and Citizens can engage in cultural activities. Continued peaceful use and enjoyment of this area by Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in for traditional activities, including harvesting, recreational pursuits and forestry opportunities, is a priority.

LMU DIRECTIONS

1. Development footprint is allowed according to ISA 2 surface disturbance and linear feature density thresholds.
2. Withdraw all lands from quartz and placer mineral staking.
3. Industrial Land Use:
   1. Any industrial activity requires the agreement of both Parties.
   2. Development of the North Fork Hydro site (s 7.8.1.1 THFA) may be considered jointly by both Parties. The North Fork Hydro site is located in LMU 6 but would draw water from the river within LMU 10. If the project proceeds, LMU Direction 8 below would require changing through a Plan amendment to allow water flow to be blocked on the Klondike River.
   3. Forestry and fuelwood harvests are allowed, as guided by the Dawson Forest Resources Management Plan on non-Settlement Land, and as guided by Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in on Settlement Land.
4. In the absence of an SMA Management Plan, surface access of non-Settlement Lands should be co-managed by the Parties in consideration of sustainable development and cultural activities, including tourism, agriculture, and forestry.
5. Development should be planned to minimize impacts to identified key habitats for valued species.
6. Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in should have the primary responsibility of managing this area through the establishment of an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA).
7. Wetlands:
   1. Flat Creek Wetlands is nominated as a Wetland of Special Importance.
   2. No development should occur in bogs, fens, or marshes within this LMU.
8. With regards to the Klondike River:
   1. Do not block the flow of water in the Klondike River.
   2. No ground disturbance or storage of contaminants (including fuel storage, outhouses, waste materials, and tailings ponds) within 30 m of the high-water mark.
   3. Direct Reclamation of existing disturbances should be directed towards standards that protect heritage and water values.
   4. Use existing access points wherever possible.
   5. Access should be shared.
9. The SMA Management Plan should consider the priority values.
10. This area is located within important caribou herd ranges. It is crucial to maintain key caribou migration pathways and to minimize disturbance to key habitat. Stewardship Directions for the caribou overlay (Section 5.3.4) must be followed.