Artwork: Yukon Graphic Recording

INTENT STATEMENT

The vision focuses on conservation with limited use and on ensuring landscape connectivity, ecosystem representation, and the protection of key areas for wildlife, stewardship, and heritage. Future management will see Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in leading land stewardship through an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area. Careful management of access and sustainable tourism opportunities must respect the area’s ecological and cultural significance.

This LMU has intact ecosystems and important habitat for caribou, sheep, moose, grizzly bears, and salmon. It contains traditional routes and sites, as well as areas of high cultural importance for Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in. This area is critical for cultural continuity, as it maintains cultural ties to the land for Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Citizens and provides opportunities to youth and future generations. There is an active outfitting concession, traplines, and associated infrastructure in this LMU, as well as opportunities for recreation and tourism (including hiking, packrafting, and snowmobiling). There are no major access roads or trails, though overland access routes are present in the winter.

The SMA designation enhances landscape connectivity between Kit Range / North Cache Creek in the Peel River Watershed, Tombstone Territorial Park, and LMU 1: Tthetäwndëk (Tatonduk). It also protects a portion of the McQuesten Highlands ecoregion, which is currently absent from Yukon’s protected area system. This area offers strong potential for a sustainable tourism economy due to its proximity and accessibility to Tombstone Park, Dawson City, and the historic Yukon Ditch. Ecologically, it is a biodiversity-rich landscape with intact ecosystems and species of conservation concern, including sheep, moose, grizzly bears, salmon, and three overlapping caribou herd ranges. An Indigenous-led stewardship approach will enable Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in to exercise their stewardship obligations.

TR’ËHUDÈ AND STEWARDSHIP

This area is rich in Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in cultural history and contains important traditional routes and trails. Much of this LMU is covered by Settlement Lands which speaks to the importance of this area for maintaining cultural connectivity. The family ties to the land are shared in stories of living memory.

“Growing up fishing with drying racks along the beaches along the Chandindu and taking salmon up to Old Crow. We learned not to camp at Fifteenmile because the grizzlies would come down.”

– John Flynn, Dawson Regional Planning Commission

LMU DIRECTIONS

1. Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in should have the primary responsibility of managing this area through the establishment of an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA).
2. Development footprint is allowed according to ISA 1 surface disturbance and linear feature density thresholds.
3. Mineral development is allowed only within existing mineral tenure. Withdraw all other lands from quartz and placer mineral staking.
4. For activities on existing mineral tenure that overlap with mapped sheep habitat, include mitigations to reduce potential impacts to sheep habitat. Specifically, timing windows may apply in winter habitat and lambing areas.
5. The SMA Management Plan should consider the priority values and a long-term sustainable tourism framework. Due to the high concentration of Settlement Land, this framework should be led by Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in.
6. In the absence of an SMA Management Plan, surface access (on non-Settlement Land) should be co-managed by the Parties on a project-by-project basis. Carefully managed surface access should be supported by the Parties to encourage sustainable tourism activities, forestry, Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in cultural activities, and access to a mineral deposit that has been proven viable by a proponent. If the Parties cannot reach an agreement regarding surface access, the Dispute Resolution process (THFA 26.3.1.3) should be followed.
7. Given the high concentration of Settlement Land throughout this LMU, the intention is that all decisions not on Settlement Land are co-managed by the Parties.
8. Directions in the Dawson City Community Wildfire Protection Plan should be followed.
9. 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 overlays (Section 5.3.4) must be followed.