Newsletters and Announcements

Kusawa Park Planning Process on Hold

March 18, 2010

The park planning process is temporarily on hold while the Yukon Government and First Nations discuss options concerning future park management structures necessary to implement the approved park management plan.

The results of these discussions concerning management options will become public as part of the consultation process to develop the recommended plan.

There will be a public announcement when the park planning process resumes.

Public comment wanted on proposed Vision and Guiding Principles for Kusawa Park

May 21, 2009

Whitehorse – The Kusawa Park Steering Committee invites Yukoners to help them move forward on a comprehensive and cooperative management plan for one of the Yukon’s favourite and most accessible wilderness recreation areas.

Public consultation begins today on the Vision and Guiding Principles that form the basis for developing the Kusawa Park management plan, which in turn will guide development and operation of the park. Do the Vision and Guiding Principles reflect what you want to see as the future of Kusawa Park? What would you change? Why?

The proposed vision sees Kusawa Park as a place of many hearts and hands working together to tend a special place where all are welcomed. The six proposed Guiding Principles include respect for the ecological integrity of the area as well as acknowledging the economic benefits and opportunities that may come.

This is the second opportunity for public input in what is expected to be a two-year-long planning process. The deadline for comments on the Vision and/or the Guiding Principles is June 30, 2009. Comments should be sent to the Steering Committee Secretariat.

The rest of the press release, as well as the Vision and Guiding Principles, are available for download in this PDF: May 2009 Press Release.

Planning for Kusawa Territorial Park Begins

February 12, 2009

Whitehorse – A Steering Committee is in place, information is being gathered, a website is under construction … all of which means the planning process for Yukon’s much-loved Kusawa area is off and running – exciting news for Yukoners who cherish what will soon become one of Yukon’s most accessible protected wilderness, recreation and cultural areas.

The committee expects to take two years and several rounds of public consultation to develop a management plan for the park.

Land for Kusawa Park was set aside in 2005 under the Kwanlin Dun First Nation, and Carcross/Tagish First Nation final agreements, and will be managed according to those Agreements, the Parks and Land Certainty Act and other applicable legislation. The park falls within the traditional territory of three First Nations – Carcross/Tagish, Kwanlin Dun, and Champagne and Aishihik First Nations. For this reason, the Steering Committee, established in 2008, is comprised of six representatives; one from each of those First Nations, and three representatives from the Yukon government.

The Steering Committee will develop and recommend to the Yukon government a comprehensive management plan to guide development and operation of the park. The plan will be based on the extensive data already available, as well as on consultation with the First Nations, residents of the area, other user groups, government experts, and the public.

The management plan will honour the objectives for the park set out in the First Nation final agreements and will include:

• a long-term vision for the park;
• strategies for managing ecological integrity, cultural and historic values, visitor use and third-party rights and interests;
• an environmental impact assessment of the plan; and,
• an implementation strategy for the plan.

Currently, the Steering Committee is in the first of the six stages of the planning process – Information Gathering. Information Gathering first involves tracking down, collecting and reading existing scientific and available traditional knowledge, social, historic, cultural and biodiversity information on the Kusawa area.

Information Gathering also includes an important first call for public input – asking Yukoners to tell us what they value about the area. The Steering Committee plans to advertise in local media, contact key stakeholders directly, and promote use of its website (http://www.kusawapark.ca). The Committee will ask the public and interest groups to respond by March 31, 2009.

The members of the Steering Committee are: Lawrence Joe, Champagne Aishihik First Nation; Bill Barrett, Carcross Tagish First Nation; Tom Beaudoin; Kwanlin Dun First Nation; Bruce Downie, Yukon Parks, YG; Karen Clyde, Fish and Wildlife Branch, YG; Cathryn Paish, Tourism Yukon, YG.  A facilitator, Angela Walkley of Cambio Consulting, has been contracted to assist the Steering Committee through the process.

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For more information contact:

Kusawa Park Steering Committee
Afan Jones, Secretariat
Tel:  667 3048
Mail:  P.O. Box Stn Main 31162
Whitehorse Yukon Y1A 5P7
Email:  .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Website:  http://www.kusawapark.ca

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