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On April 17, 2003, the Deh Cho First Nations and the Canadian government signed an interim agreement to set aside18,800 sq. km. of land in the South Nahanni Watershed around the Nahanni National Park Reserve. Once this land withdrawal is completed, some 62% of the Nahanni watershed will be under Canadian legal protection.
Furthermore, in January of 2003, the Sahtu First Nations released a draft land use plan which specified the upper 20% of the South Nahanni Watershed as a possible conservation area thru the expansion of the National Park Reserve.
See http://www.cpaws.org/nahanni/ for additional info.
To reduce the visual impact of campers upon the river banks, the Nahanni National Park Reserve now requires that all fires be contained within a fire box or fire pan. This small fireplace enclosure reduces fuel need, leaves less ash behind, and makes erasure of the remains easier to achieve.
Furthermore, to reduce the impact of human wastes, a voluntary pack-out procedure is being suggested, and tests of various portable toilets and disposable human waste removal systems are being implemented. Both private and commercial trippers are being encourage to participate in these trials and respond to their effectiveness.
See http://parkscanada.gc.ca/pn-np/nt/nahanni/activ/activ1c_e.asp
To reduce the impact of campsite overuse and the conflicts between campers and wildlife, new restrictions within the Park have been deemed necessary. Overnight camping at Big Bend Creek (km 202), Dry Canyon Creek (km 229), and Whitespray Spring (km 256) are now prohibited. Also, landing at Whitespray Spring is prohibited; paddlers must fill their water containers from their boats. And, during the black bear berry foraging season from August 1st to September 30th, overnight camping at Kraus Hotsprings (km 265) is prohibited.
These restrictions will be reviewed and adjusted after annual reassessments.
Search general site: http://parkscanada.gc.ca/pn-np/nt/nahanni/natcul/natcul1_e.asp
(Mining Watch Canada, Feb. 27, 2004)
The Prairie Creek mine, located just outside the boundary of Nahanni National
Park Reserve and World Heritage Site, is an environmental and financial disaster
waiting to happen. The issues are numerous and somewhat complex.
They involve the minešs poor location, toxic substances, regulatory oversight,
Aboriginal lands and the expansion of one of Canadašsmost famous National
Parks...
... The mine is in the Deh Cho First Nations traditional territory and poses a
threat to traditional livelihoods and to future opportunities to develop their
land in a sustainable fashion. The Deh Cho First Nations want the lands
around Nahanni National Park, including the mine, to be protected ...
... The Canadian Zinc C orporation, owners of the mine, is a company with no
history of operating a mine, and is depending on a sustained rise in the price
of zinc and silver to make the mine profitable ..
...There have been environmental assessments on small individual projects and
activities at the mine, but there has not been an assessment of the overall
impact of this 20 year old site. This despite a history of fuel spills,
heavy metals being discharged into Prairie Creek and the presence of large
amounts of toxic substances ...
... the ores thes CZN hopes to mine have high levels of mercury, arsenic and
antimony. The calls into question the minešs economic viability, as it
would be difficult to sell such ore concentrates to smelters ...
To read this very interesting and factual article,
please visit
http://www.miningwatch.ca/documents/Nahanni_&_Prairie_Creek.pdf
The Senate in Ottawa will consider motions to
expand Nahanni National Park Reserve to include the entire South Nahanni
Watershed, and to stop all industrial activity within the watershed.
"Expanding Nahanni National Park Reserve now to protect the entire
watershed is critical if we are to seize this great opportunity to protect clean
water, wildlife and wilderness into the future," says Harvey Locke,
Vice President of Conservation for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness
Society.
"Nahanni is a crown jewel of ecological and cultural importance in
the boreal forest region. Its protection would support the goals of
the Boreal Framework which aims to conserve the natural values and human
communities of Canada's boreal region -- one of the largest intact forest
ecosystems left on earth," says Cathy Wilkinson, Director of the Canadian
Boreal Initiative.
Nahanni National Park Reserve was established in 1976 to protect the river
from hydro-electric development, after the late Prime Minister Trudeau
visited the area. However, the current park protects only one
seventh of the drainage basin, or watershed of the South Nahanni River,
leaving the park vulnerable to environmental impacts of industrial
activities upstream.
The Deh Cho First Nations, in whose traditional territory 80% of the South
Nahanni Watershed is located, have urged the government to protect the
entire watershed. The headwaters of the watershed are found in the
Sahtu region, where the local community of Tulita support protecting the
area in an expanded park.
See: http://www.cpaws.org/news/2004-03-30-nahanni.html
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