Boreal Forest

Above: Antler found in the
Horseranch Range, British
Columbia (Photo: Brian Evans)

The boreal forest in Northern British Columbia remains a vast and relatively pristine area due to its remoteness and small population. This may not be the case indefinitely however, as the area is under increasing developmental pressure from industry looking north for fibre, oil, gas, and minerals.

CPAWS-BC has an unprecedented opportunity to help shape the future of this region. In July of 2002, we signed a Protocol Agreement with the Kaska Dena First Nation. The signing ceremony took place on the banks of the Dease River, near Boya Provincial Park. David Porter, Chair of the Kaska Dena Council, and Bob Peart, Executive Director for CPAWS-BC, signed the document on behalf of their organisations.

The agreement requires that both parties work cooperatively on issues of common interest. Both groups recognize the global significance of Kaska Dena traditional territory, a 145,000 square mile landscape that is a key component of the broader Y2Y landscape.

CPAWS-BC recognizes the Kaska Dena as a legitimate steward of their land, and the Kaska have recognized that CPAWS has legitimate conservation interests in the area. CPAWS and the Kaska have agreed to work together on land-use planning for the Kaska Dena traditional territory in B.C., with consideration for both traditional knowledge and conservation biology.

The first step in land use planning for the Kaska Dena traditional territory is to identify the areas that need to be protected for traditional and/or biological reasons. This is being achieved through a conservation based forest plan for the Dease-Liard basin in BC. This planning process has already identified significant areas that must be protected, including the Horseranch Range, and areas around the communities of Good Hope Lake and Lower Post. CPAWS-BC is actively engaged in this process with the Kaska Dena Council and the provincial government.

Negotiations are underway to expand the protocol agreement to include CPAWS-Yukon, Yukon Kaska communities and the Kaska Tribal Council. We are currently working with Kaska Dena consultants on an initial template for a "Conservation Area Design" or CAD, for the entire Kaska Territory. The CAD would be the basis for a land plan that would guide decision makers in this region for generations.