Nááts'ihch'oh National Park Reserve – a Proposal

Boundary Options for the Proposed Nááts'ihch'oh National Park Reserve

It is not a vote - it’s a discussion! The three boundary options being presented for the proposed Nááts'ihch'oh National Park Reserve are not final boundary proposals and some refinement to the final boundary may result from the input received through consultation. We are seeking feedback from Aboriginal groups, stakeholders and the public on what they think the proposed park reserve should look like. The Governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories need to know what people think and whether there are other issues not identified here that need to be considered before a final park boundary is recommended.

The Senior MERA Committee — made up of senior representatives from Parks Canada, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Natural Resources Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories — prepared the boundary options. This Committee used information from various studies conducted in recent years. Considerable research on wildlife and conservation values within the Greater Nahanni Ecosystem (including the proposed Nááts'ihch'oh National Park Reserve) has been completed and made public as part of the recent process to expand boundaries of neighbouring Nahanni National Park Reserve. A Mineral and Energy Resource Assessment (MERA) of the Greater Nahanni Ecosystem was also recently completed by Natural Resources Canada. A MERA is required by Government of Canada policy prior to establishing national parks and reserves in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Follow the links to this mineral value study in Learn More – MERA.

All options are limited to the Sahtu portion of the Greater Nahanni Ecosystem. They take into consideration conservation and mineral potential values, as well as existing third party interests. The existing third party interests, including existing mineral claims and leases, will be respected.

In general, all of the boundary options :

• Are limited to the Sahtu portion of the Greater Nahanni Ecosystem;
• Allow for both creation of a national park reserve and mineral development;
• Achieve protection of some key conservation values;
• Recognise existing third party mineral interests (mineral claims and leases);
• Provide access to specific mineral development areas;
• Were approved for consultation by federal and territorial government parties to the Mineral and Energy Resource Assessment process.

Boundary Option 1

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Total Area: 6450 square kilometres

Boundary Option 1 was developed to best protect conservation values within the proposed national park reserve while still providing open area around existing third party mineral interests (mineral claims, leases).

This option achieves protection of key conservation values:

• 94% of the upper watershed of the South Nahanni River *;
• Habitat for an estimated 95% of the grizzly bear population (approximately 108 grizzlies);
• 81% of the summer habitat for the Upper Nahanni woodland caribou herd;

The 6% of the watershed not within the proposal accounts for 20% of the highest mineral favourability areas identified in the MERA study.

It excludes the three main areas of mineral claims and leases.

* NOTE – calculation of the percentage of watershed included is based on the total estimated area of the upper South Nahanni River watershed in the Sahtu Settlement Area — 6840 square kilometres.

Boundary Option 2

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Total Area: 5770 square kilometres

Boundary Option 2 was developed to be a compromise between conservation and potential mineral resource values. It provides a larger open area around existing mineral claims and leases and thus allows more mineral potential to be available. The option also leaves an open area for possible future staking and development in the northern part of the watershed as well as the area between Lened and Howard’s Pass.

Key conservation values protected in this option include:

• 84% of the upper watershed of the South Nahanni River*;
• Habitat for an estimated 85% of the grizzly bear population (approximately 96 grizzlies);
• 72% of the summer habitat for Upper Nahanni woodland caribou herd.

The 16% of the area not within the proposal accounts for 43% of the highest mineral favourability

This option, while protecting certain key conservation values, will result in less protection of other important conservation values such as the summer habitat for the Upper Nahanni woodland caribou herd.

* NOTE – calculation of the percentage of watershed included is based on the total estimated area of the upper South Nahanni River watershed in the Sahtu Settlement Area — 6840 square kilometres.

Boundary Option 3

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Total Area: 4840 square kilometres

Boundary Option 3 takes full advantage of the mineral potential available within the proposed national park reserve while still providing some protection of key conservation values.

It provides a larger open area around existing third party mineral interests (mineral claims, leases). The option leaves open a larger area for possible future staking and development in the northern part of the watershed as well as leaving open a larger area between Lened and Howard’s Pass and along the Yukon border and an area in the northernmost reaches of the South Nahanni River.

This option offers protection of some key conservation values including:

• 70% of the upper watershed of the South Nahanni River*;
• Habitat for an estimated 70% of the grizzly bear population (approximately 71 grizzlies);
• 44% of the summer habitat for Upper Nahanni woodland caribou herd.

The 30% not within the proposed national park reserve accounts for 70% of the highest areas of mineral favourability.

This option, while protecting certain conservation values, will result in less protection being offered to other key conservation values.

* NOTE – calculation of the percentage of watershed included is based on the total estimated area of the upper South Nahanni River watershed in the Sahtu Settlement Area — 6840 square kilometres.