Support Peel watershed protection 'one last time,' say Yukon environmental groups

Environmentalgroups in Yukon aremakingone final push in their campaign for greater protection of the Peelwatershed region.

The Yukon government,the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyk Dun, the Tr'ondk Hwch'in, the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation and the Gwich'in Tribal Council areaccepting public commentson the final recommended plan for the vast area, until Nov.19.

Julia Duchesne, who works in public outreach with the YukonConservationSociety (YCS), believesthere may be aperceptionthat the issue is settled, afterFirst Nations andenvironmentalistgroupswon aSupremeCourtdecision last year.

"When we won the victory in court, that was fantastic. But what it didn't do was fully protect the Peelwatershed," Duchesne said.

"What it did was protect the process, and send it back to the Yukonpublic's hands. Even though it's been so long, we really urge Yukonersto come out and stand up forthe Peel one last time."

The YCSand the Canadian Parks And Wilderness Society (CPAWS) Yukon chapter have organized events in the next fewweeks, includingdocumentary screenings, a portrait exhibit and what's called a "pop-up art shop." Visitors to the events will be encouraged to submit comments on the Peel plan, online.

"We're hopefully at the end of a very long road," says Duchesne.

Group asks for more than Recommended Land Use Plan

Land use planning for the Peel watershed begannearly a decade ago. A protracted legal battle beganafterDarrell Pasloski'sYukon Party government replaced the recommended final plan for the region, as delivered by independent commission in 2011, with its own plan.

During the 2016territorialelection campaign,Sandy Silver's Liberals pledged toaccept the final plan as recommended by theoriginal Peel WatershedPlanning Commission.

However, after being elected, the new territorial governmenthad to re-open the issue to public consultation as per the court's decision.

Duchesne says that groups such as YCSare still pushing for more protection than what is recommended in thefinal recommended plan,which calls for 55per cent of the watershed to be permanently protected from development, and another 25 per cent to be an area of "interim protection," with review from time to time.

Duchesnesays the entire 80 per cent should be "fully protected, as soon as possible."

"We know there's a strong appetite to protect the majority of the Peel watershed and to protect it now," she said.