YLUPC
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Artwork: Yukon Graphic Recording

INTENT STATEMENT

The scope of the Dawson Regional Plan is geographically bound. However, the Yukon River is a single ecological feature and should ultimately be managed as such. The long-term vision for the future of the Yukon River is to encourage management of the river in its entirety, honouring its many functions and its importance to the people of the Yukon.
The Yukon River Corridor represents a significant multi-use area and transportation corridor in the Region. This is demonstrated by the abundance of identified heritage and cultural sites along this historic route, including Jëjik Dhä Dënezhu Kek’it (Moosehide Village). The corridor continues to be an area of immense cultural value to Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and provides rich habitat for key species, including salmon, moose, raptors, and species-at-risk. This LMU supports a diverse range of year-round economic activities, including mining, tourism, agriculture, and recreation, and it maintains the aesthetic qualities of a northern wilderness river.
The Yukon River Corridor is the site of many competing land uses. As some of these land uses proceed, their impacts can make other uses more difficult in the future. Because of the high and competing interests in this area, and the threats to multiple values, it requires significant extra attention and resources to plan. This level of detail is beyond the scope of a regional plan. A sub-regional plan is therefore required to focus on the specific land uses and cultural importance of this area. Sub-regional planning will focus on protecting and enhancing water quality and salmon habitat, protecting the scenic values that attract tourism opportunities, preserving important cultural sites, and managing important industrial access points.
The designation as a sub-regional planning area indicates that this LMU is a priority for planning, accompanied by the appropriate time and resources. It is not intended to delay planning for this important area and should not be interpreted as such. This sub-regional plan should follow Chapter 11 of the THFA, and interim measures provided should be in place until sub-regional planning is completed.

TR’ËHUDÈ AND STEWARDSHIP

“Throughout the stories … you will hear of Smart Man, Beaver Man, and Tsà’ Wëzhè. This is the Traveller, known by many names up and down the Yukon River and across the north. Tsà’ Wëzhè went into the world and made it safe for us, the Dënezhu. He made agreements with the land and animals that ensured our survival: the land and animals would provide for us for as long as we lived by those agreements, for as long as we lived Tr’ëhudè. The stories of Tsà’ Wëzhè, Beaver Man, Smart Man, the Traveller, teach us that Tr’ëhudè means to live in integrity, justice/ balance, interdependence, and respect, and we must adhere to these values if we want the land, our culture, and our community, to survive.”
– Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Tr’ëhudè Land Vision, 2021
There are many places along the Yukon River Corridor where cultural education and connection to the land take place. This value is held strongly by Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, and it is important that these spaces are protected so these opportunities can be preserved for youth. The river is central to the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in cultural landscape.
“It is the history of my relations and ancestors … We must remember to treat it with respect. It is powerful and it is empowering.”
– Donna Michon, Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Citizen

LMU DIRECTIONS

  1. Interim measures – applied upon Plan approval until sub-regional plan is approved
  2. Development footprint is allowed according to ISA 2 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 (including critical minerals). Withdrawal is in place until the completion and approval of a sub-regional plan. When a claim expires, it should be withdrawn from further staking while interim withdrawal is in place.
  4. No large-scale, permanent infrastructure is allowed before the completion of the sub-regional plan.
  5. If plans to build a permanent bridge across the Yukon River (from Dawson City to West Dawson) proceed, they should be accompanied by the sub-regional plan. If the Parties intend to proceed in the absence of a sub-regional plan, they must agree to a Plan Amendment.
  6. If Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in chooses to pursue an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area, this Plan affirms that choice and recognizes it as consistent with its objectives, pending a sub-regional plan.
  7. If Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in chooses to pursue Personhood for the Yukon River, this Plan affirms that choice and recognizes it as consistent with its objectives.
  8. To protect Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in heritage resources, a buffer around the Forty Mile Heritage Site should be established. The boundaries should be two km beyond the Tr’ondëk–Klondike UNESCO World Heritage Site boundaries for Ch’ëdähdëk (Forty Mile), Ch’ëdähdëk Tth’än K’et (Dënezhu Graveyard), and Fort Cudahy and Fort Constantine.
  9. The management of this LMU should adhere to any relevant directions set out in the Fortymile Townsite Management Plan.
  10. Sub-regional Planning
  11. Sub-regional planning should be conducted by the Dawson Regional Planning Commission and initiated within six months of Dawson Regional Land Use Plan approval. If planning is delegated to a sub-regional planning commission, members on the Dawson Regional Planning Commission should have the first option of being on the sub-regional commission.
  12. The sub-regional plan will need to consider:
    1. The different interests in the northern and southern portion of the Yukon River Corridor.
    2. Recreation and access management.
    3. Maintaining the wilderness characteristics for recreational, traditional, and tourism purposes.
    4. Ongoing stewardship of salmon.
  13. Comprehensive Yukon River Management Plan
  14. A Yukon-wide plan for the health and vitality of the socio-cultural, economic, and environmental values of the entire Yukon River should be developed with all affected First Nations, territorial, and federal governments.

PRIORITY VALUES

  • Community Culture
  • Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Culture, Heritage, and Hän Language
  • Community Resilience
  • Water
  • Salmon
  • Moose
  • Landscapes
  • Wetlands
VALUES
Land–People Relationship
  • Areas of high recreational significance for community and visitors; activities include harvesting, hiking, paddling, boating, dog sledding, skiing, snowmobiling, transportation, and access to trapping.
  • Used for annual events such as the Yukon River Quest and the Yukon Quest.
  • The high level of use presents many opportunities for ancestral and community stewardship.
Community Culture
  • A gathering place for the Region’s residents now and in the past, especially historically around the fishery and currently around salmon advocacy.
  • Recreational and tourism activities provide opportunities for visitors and newcomers to learn about the heritage and history of the area and its people.
Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Culture, Heritage, and Hän language
  • Location of traditional routes, historic sites, Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in land use sites, heritage reserves, historic resources, and archaeological sites.
  • Important area for harvesting, gathering, trapping, fishing, and travel that facilitates other land use within this important river corridor.
  • Opportunities for land-based learning and cultural education opportunities for Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in youth are located along the river.
Community Resilience
  • River crossing to access communities.
  • Use by the Rangers.
  • Includes part of the Tr’ondëk–Klondike UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Water
  • The Yukon River and its tributaries are major hydrological features in the Region and across the Yukon.
Plant and Animal Relations
  • High-value waterbird habitat along riparian areas and raptor key areas.
  • Important habitat for freshwater fish.
  • Areas of known sheep presence within the river corridor are mapped in the WKA database.
  • Species-at-risk known to occur include spiked saxifrage, bank swallow, lesser yellowlegs, olive-sided flycatcher, rusty blackbird, short-eared owl, wolverine, Dawson wallflower, and peregrine falcon.
  • Species-at-risk expected in low numbers include gypsy cuckoo bumble bee, Suckley’s cuckoo bumble bee, western bumble bee mckayi subspecies, barn swallow, common nighthawk, transverse lady beetle, and horned grebe.
  • Low-elevation steppe meadows and river sandbar / dune systems contain endemic species.
Salmon
  • Important migration and spawning habitat for salmon. Tributaries to the River offer important spawning habitat.
Caribou
  • Overlaps with the Fortymile and Nelchina caribou herds and includes migration corridors and winter habitat for the Fortymile caribou.
Moose
  • Extensive good habitat for moose, especially calving areas.
Landscapes
  • Part of the Klondike Plateau ecoregion.
  • Contains low-elevation steppe meadows with endemic species (Dawson Wallflower and William’s Catchfly). River sandbar / dune systems contain endemic species such as Alaskan Bugseed.
  • Known occurrences of mineral licks.
  • Old-growth forests (>140 years old) in riparian areas.
Wetlands
  • Wetland and riparian habitat along major watercourses.
Sustainable Local Economy
  • May offer suitable land for agricultural purposes.
  • Claims along the mainstem and along several tributaries near or within the corridor. Infrastructure for mineral development includes barge landings, trailheads, and docks along the mainstem.
  • Overlaps with several trapping concessions.
  • Various landing sites and docks provide water access and there are connecting trails off some areas of the mainstem. River traffic consists of barging, tourism, and recreational boating.
  • Opportunities for wilderness tourism, including canoeing, fishing, hiking, camping, dogsledding, snowmobile tours, boat tours, wildlife viewing, and increased Indigenous tourism opportunities.
  • A thriving subsistence and commercial salmon fishery once existed on the river.

Indicator gauges

Surface disturbance (km²)
Linear disturbance (km)

Cumulative effects