{"id":11546,"date":"2026-03-25T15:52:33","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T19:52:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/planyukon.ca\/?post_type=lmu&p=11546"},"modified":"2026-05-25T16:22:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T20:22:13","slug":"pw-004","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planyukon.ca\/?p=11546","title":{"rendered":"PW-004"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Image<\/td>\nRugged mountains separated by broad valleys or flatter, rolling terrain with open forests characterize LMU 4. (YG photos)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Land Status<\/td>\nNon-Settlement Land, TH Settlement Land (S-30B, S-31B)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Implementation News<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
    \n
  • This LMU has been designated as an ORV Special Management Area.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Objectives<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
    \n
  • Wilderness character is maintained.<\/li>\n
  • Cultural activities of relevant First Nations are practiced without significant disturbance from other land-use activities.<\/li>\n
  • Unfettered movement and habitat use of Porcupine and Hart River caribou herds, Dall\u2019s sheep and other large mammals.<\/li>\n
  • Wilderness tourism activities linked to the existing Tombstone Territorial Park that are consistent with the objectives above and don\u2019t require significant infrastructure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rationale for Designation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
    \n
  • Overlapping key wintering areas for two caribou herds: Porcupine caribou herd, and the Hart River herd.\n
      \n
    • Overlapping caribou key areas only occur in two places in the Region.<\/li>\n
    • The Hart River herd is of the Northern Mountain ecotype, which is listed as \u201cSpecial Concern\u201d under SARA.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • Sheep habitat valued by outfitters and the TH.<\/li>\n
    • National hotspot for plant endemism.<\/li>\n
    • Adjacency to Tombstone Territorial Park and the Dempster Highway Corridor improves suitability for recreation, hunting\/outfitting, and tourism.<\/li>\n
    • Generally high ecological values, no coal, oil and gas potential, and generally low potential for carbonate-hosted zinc-lead and Wernecke Breccias.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Biophysical Setting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Setting<\/td>\nAn area of tundra-like plains at the confluence of the West Hart River, Rae Creek, and the Hart River surrounded by mountains that lie to the east of Tombstone Territorial Park.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ecoregions<\/td>\nMackenzie Mountains and North Ogilvie Mountains.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bioclimate Zones<\/td>\nTaiga Wooded, Taiga Shrub and Alpine.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ecological Resources<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Significant Wildlife and Fish Habitats<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Caribou<\/td>\nUnusual convergence of key\/concentrated use areas for both the Porcupine and Hart River herds throughout.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Moose<\/td>\nHigh habitat suitability and use in valley bottoms and in narrow bands along smaller tributaries; low to nil late winter habitat suitability in higher country.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Marten<\/td>\nGenerally poor quality winter habitat; significant pockets of moderate habitat occur.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sheep<\/td>\nSome highly suitable winter habitat with documented (TK, big game outfitters, scientific) habitat use.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fish<\/td>\nFish likely present in rivers and lower gradient streams; winter overflow and surface groundwater indicate good overwintering potential.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Grizzly Bear<\/td>\nMostly moderate habitat suitability in low to mid elevations; high habitat suitability in riparian areas.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Peregrine Falcon<\/td>\nNo known or predicted habitat.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Birds (General)<\/td>\nHigh value waterbird habitat in riparian areas; low to moderate breeding bird species richness; high number of species of conservation concern in mountain valleys.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vegetation<\/td>\nA national hotspot for plant endemism. Alpine plants, shrubs, and riparian coniferous forests.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wetlands, Lakes and Riparian Areas<\/td>\nBroad swaths of riparian habitats along major rivers and creeks.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Permafrost<\/td>\nExtensive high water content permafrost expected for flatter pediments\/plateaus and valley bottoms.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Special Features<\/td>\nSome mineral licks. Several possible wildlife passes.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Heritage, Social and Cultural Resources<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Heritage Resources<\/td>\nCulturally important places, camps and cabins around Lomond Lake, along the West Hart River and scattered elsewhere (TH and NND).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Palaeontological Resources<\/td>\nSedimentary rocks in this area have high potential to yield Paleozoic fossils.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Economic Development<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Transportation and Access<\/td>\nThe Dempster Highway lies at the northwestern boundary, and the old Hart River road\/trail extends into the unit from the west. Conceptual access route has been identified that bisects the unit from west to east. A few airstrips of unknown status.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Traditional Economy<\/td>\nHunting, fishing and trapping, with most activity to the west.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Recreation and Tourism<\/td>\nHigh value hiking and recreation potential. Paddling opportunities. Proximity to Dempster Highway gives options for \u201cfront-country\u201d tourism.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Forestry<\/td>\nLittle potential for forestry.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Big Game Outfitters and Trapping<\/td>\nPete Jenssen Outfitting, Blackstone Outfitting Ltd. and Reynolds Outfitting Ltd; some high value hunting (sheep, caribou).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oil and Gas Resources<\/td>\nNo potential.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mineral Resources<\/td>\nApproximately 495 quartz claims; one Cu-Zn deposit; high general mineral potential, though generally low potential for carbonate-hosted zinc-lead and Wernecke Breccias.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Special Management Considerations<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
    \n
  1. Extensive regionally rare overlap of winter core areas of two caribou herds.<\/li>\n
  2. Subsequent Dempster Highway land use plan may apply to northwestern part of unit.<\/li>\n
  3. The administrative boundary between NND and TH traditional territories bisects the unit north\u2013south.<\/li>\n
  4. The Hart River Trail accesses the unit from the west. Use of this trail by off-road vehicles is allowed, subject to Section 4.3.1.1 of the Plan and other management plans.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Image Rugged mountains separated by broad valleys or flatter, rolling terrain with open forests characterize LMU 4. (YG photos) Land Status Non-Settlement Land, TH Settlement Land (S-30B, S-31B) Implementation News This LMU has been designated as an ORV Special Management Area. Objectives Wilderness character is maintained. Cultural activities of relevant First Nations are practiced without […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/planyukon.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/planyukon.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/planyukon.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planyukon.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planyukon.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11546"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/planyukon.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11546\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/planyukon.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planyukon.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planyukon.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}