Dan Paleczny, PhD Director, Yukon Parks Branch, Department of Environment
Land use planning often occurs on a regional scale within territorial and First Nation jurisdictions in Canada. Planners, decision makers and participants in planning processes are often challenged by the question of scale--should we strictly limit our thinking to the area within the planning boundary? There are practical implications that guide this practice. However, there are also wider ecological, cultural and political strategic considerations that should be taken into account. This presentation examines the transboundary context for Yukon, by viewing Yukon and its boundaries from the perspectives of watersheds, fish and wildlife habitat needs, climate change projections, protected areas, road networks, ecoregions, and more. It suggests that if we aspire to the principles of the ecosystem approach and adaptive management, we'll need to widen our perspectives on the question of scale.