Draft Shienjik (Fishing Branch) Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area Management Plan Prepared by the Fishing Branch Local Planning Team Graham Baird, Co-chair - Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation Shelley Gellatly, Co-chair Yukon Territorial Government Stanley Njootli, North Yukon Renewable Resources Council Richard Wyman, Industry NGO Representative Gladys Netro, Conservation NGO Representative Darius Kassi, Vuntut Planning Commission Darielle Talarico, Tourism NGO Representative
Acknowledgements This management plan has been prepared by the Fishing Branch Local Planning Team in consultation with members of the public, government staff and other stakeholders. Isaac Anderton Habitat Steward with the Yukon Salmon Committee has attended all the management planning meetings and provided valuable assistance to the LPT. Past and alternate members of the Local Planning Team include: Greg Charlie (former co-chair, Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation), Isaac Anderton (alternate, North Yukon RRC), Dorothy Frost (alternate, conservation NGOs), Bruce Chambers (alternate, Vuntut Planning Commission), Katie Hayhurst (former co-chair, Yukon Government), Jill Pangman (alternate, tourism NGOs). Thanks also goes out to all members of the internal Yukon/Federal working group as well as all the people who worked on the Fishing Branch Ecological Reserve plan. The Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, Eagle Plains Resources, and the Nature Conservancy of Canada deserve special recognition for their efforts to ensure the Wilderness Preserve was established as a Goal 1 area, without the possibility of future industrial development. Finally, our thanks go out to everyone who took time to review and comment on this plan. We could not have created this document without you. 2 Final Draft June 2001
Table of Contents Background... 4 Purpose of the Management Plan... 5 Description of the Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area... 5 Vision... 6 Objectives... 7 Wilderness Preserve Zoning... 8 Administration and Operations... 9 Management Guidelines... 10 Natural Resource Protection and Use... 10 Heritage Resource Protection and Appreciation... 11 Communications... 12 Visitor Use/Service... 13 Research and Monitoring... 14 Regional Integration... 15 Habitat Protection Area Specific Guidelines... 16 Plan Review and On-going Public Involvement... 16 Final Draft June 2001 3
Background The Fishing Branch Ecological Reserve and adjacent Settlement Lands were set aside under Schedule B to Chapter 10 of the Vuntut Gwitchin Final Agreement (VGFA) in 1995. A management plan for the area was approved by the Vuntut Gwitchin and Yukon Governments in April 2000. Schedule B also provided for the establishment of a larger Habitat Protection Area (HPA) to surround the Ecological Reserve. The Vuntut Gwitchin and Yukon governments agreed in 1999 that the use of the Yukon Protected Areas Strategy (YPAS) would result in a protected area that met the intent of Schedule B. A Local Planning Team (LPT) was established in April of 1999 to lead the public consultation process and recommend a protected area to represent the North Ogilvie Mountains and Eagle Plains Ecoregions. The LPT was also required to bring forward a recommendation that met the objectives outlined for an HPA in Schedule B. The LPT submitted a proposal to the Yukon and Vuntut Gwitchin governments in November of 1999 which included: a Wilderness Preserve, to be established under the Yukon Parks Act, which met the YPAS Goal 1 criteria for a protected area (Appendix B), a Habitat Protection Area, to be established under the Wildlife Act, which met the YPAS Goal 2 criteria (Appendix B), a series of suggested management guidelines to be considered during the preparation of the management plan. The boundaries of the Wilderness Preserve and HPA were accepted and approved in December 1999 (see Figure 1). The Local Planning Team was then mandated to prepare and recommend a management plan for the two protected areas. This work started in September of 2000 and this (draft) plan reflects the outcome of those discussions. 4 Final Draft June 2001
Purposes of the Wilderness Preserve, Habitat Protection Area and the Management Plan The purpose for the Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area (HPA) are identified through the Vuntut Gwitchin Final Agreement and/or the Yukon Protected Areas Strategy as: to provide for and manage a larger Habitat Protection Area to surround the existing Fishing Branch Ecological Reserve and Vuntut Gwitchin Settlement Lands as contemplated by Schedule B, Chapter 10 of the VGFA (Appendix A), to protect a representative example of the North Ogilvie Mountains and a portion of the Eagle Plains Ecoregions from development as identified for Goal 1 areas in YPAS (Wilderness Preserve). to protect the entire Fishing Branch River and lower Cody Creek watersheds, as well as portions of Miner River, Cody Creek and Salmon Fork headwaters, to provide a buffer, through the creation of the Habitat Protection Area, to mitigate human activities that could adversely affect the Wilderness Preserve values. The purpose of this management plan is to provide long term strategic direction for management authorities responsible for these lands. The primary function of the plan is to outline the guidelines to be used when permitting human activities within the Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area. The plan highlights the key values and factors that are to be considered when decisions are made related to these protected areas. This management plan does not apply to subsistence or other activities protected under the Vuntut Gwitchin Final Agreement, unless otherwise noted. Protected Area Description The Fishing Branch Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area are located approximately half way between Dawson City and Old Crow in the Vuntut Gwitchin Traditional Territory. The Wilderness Preserve fully surrounds the previously established Ecological Reserve and adjacent Settlement Lands. The area is accessible by helicopter or via foot, snowmobile or boat (during high water conditions) from Old Crow. The Wilderness Preserve (5400 km2) is protected under the Yukon Parks Act. As a Goal 1 protected area under the Yukon Protected Areas Strategy, the Wilderness Preserve is protected from industrial development. The Habitat Protection Area (1000 km2), located to the south-east, will permit industrial development subject to the management guidelines identified in this plan. Final Draft June 2001 5
The headwaters of the Fishing Branch River originate within the Wilderness Preserve. Salmon travel from the Bering Sea to spawn and die in this watershed. The resulting nutrient load sustains an unusually diverse ecosystem for this latitude and location. Grizzly bears congregate in the Ecological Reserve each fall to feed on the spawning salmon. Protection of the watershed is critical to the maintenance of natural processes and biological relationships in this area e.g. grizzly bear-salmon interaction. The area also includes a migration route for the Porcupine Caribou herd and provides habitat for many other species of wildlife including Dall s sheep and moose. The Fishing Branch area is located in Beringia, a dry, cold northern region that was not affected by the last ice age. Karst topography is prevalent here, including ancient caves. These Beringian caves contain an array of late ice-aged plants and animals, as well as evidence of human occupation. This area provides many opportunities for us to gain a better understanding of the role Eastern Beringia played in the past. The Vuntut Gwitchin are strongly connected to the Fishing Branch area, and relate this in their concern for the protection of the water and fish in this region. The Wilderness Preserve and HPA enhance the protection provided through the Ecological Reserve and adjacent settlement lands already established through the VGFA. The Fishing Branch area contains a range of landforms and soils that are typical of the North Ogilvie Ecoregion including rugged mountains, gentle slopes, floodplains and karst geology, as well as a good representation of surface features and disturbance patterns. The area is relatively undisturbed by human activity and as such presents opportunities to learn more about the ecological systems, natural features and cultural sites in the region. Vision for the Fishing Branch Protected Areas The Fishing Branch protected areas will be managed in a fashion that fosters a spiritual connection to and respect for the water, land and wildlife, and promotes stewardship of the area by all. The protected area will continue to demonstrate a high degree of ecological and cultural integrity, as demonstrated by the existence of: naturally occurring populations of wildlife e.g. salmon, grizzly bears, moose and caribou, on-going natural processes and ecological relationships which are relatively undisturbed by human activity in the area, continued opportunities for the Vuntut Gwitchin to enjoy a subsistence lifestyle as outlined on page 108 of the VGFA, on-going protection, documentation and interpretation of the paleontological, archaeological, cultural and historical values in the area, including those of the Gwich in, the on-going use in a full and fair manner the traditional knowledge and experience of the Vuntut Gwitchin and scientific community in the protection management and operation of the area. 6 Final Draft June 2001
Objectives for Fishing Branch The objectives for the Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area (HPA) flow from the work completed by the Local Planning Team, and subsequently accepted by the Yukon Government during the fall of 1999. Objectives: to maintain the long term viability of natural population levels of grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) which concentrate seasonally at Bear Cave Mountain, to manage the Ecological Reserve, Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area as an ecological unit, to maintain the ecological integrity of the area, including the salmon-grizzly bear relationships and karst-hydrological processes, to provide for a range of ecological, geomorphological, paleontological and archaeological investigations, in a Beringian environment that is unique to northwestern North America, to protect the cultural values of the VGFN and archaeological/heritage sites in the area (both known and unknown), to protect habitat located within the winter range and migration corridors for the Porcupine Caribou herd, to provide for potential access routes within and through and resource development within the HPA while providing management regulations to protect wildlife values and aquatic ecosystems in the Wilderness Preserve, to protect salmon spawning areas outside of the Ecological Reserve. Final Draft June 2001 7
Zoning (Goal 1 Wilderness Preserve) This zoning prescription does not apply to the Habitat Protection Area. The Yukon Parks Act restricts development in each park, to such development, which is consistent with the purpose for which the park was established and reasonably necessary to provide for public use and enjoyment of the park or the preservation of the park and its facilities. Under the existing Yukon Parks Policy (1991), a protected area established under the Yukon Parks Act may be divided into as many as four management zones. Different uses are permitted in each zone. Given the purpose and objectives of the Wilderness Preserve, it is recommended that the entire Wilderness Preserve be designated as a Natural Zone. Limited facility development can be permitted in the Wilderness Preserve under the Natural Zone designation. Over-snow motorized land based activities and motorized water based activities are permitted provided they do not threaten the resources being protected. Under a Natural Zone designation, all-weather motorized land based activities are not allowed. The Local Planning Team has recognized and provided for the use of existing access, a winter cat trail, to the Rusty Springs mineral claims located to the west of the Wilderness Preserve. For greater clarity these include the TROG claims 171 206, 405 412 and 413 432 as identified on mineral claim maps 116K/1, 1116K/ 8 and 166K/9 dated, March 9, 2000, obtained from the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. The LPT was also directed to consider potential use of the existing Porcupine Airstrip located within the Wilderness Preserve. The Porcupine Airstrip is overgrown and would require clearing prior to use. The strip was originally built to service oil and gas exploration in the area. This zoning recognizes the relative isolation of the area, current and traditional activities of the Vuntut Gwitchin, while recognizing pre-existing rights related to the Rusty Springs mineral claims. Access provisions provided for the existing Rusty Springs mineral claims (as above) will not apply to any future claims staked in the area outside of the Wilderness Preserve. Any development permit issued under the Parks Act, will under go a CEAA like assessment. In the absence of a legislated trigger, the assessment would be coordinated by the Environmental Assessment section in Renewable Resources and would incorporate such principles as: identifying impacts, consistency with the management plan guidelines, mitigation, public consultation and the opportunity for key stakeholder participation. The Yukon Environmental Assessment Act will be used if devolution proceeds prior to the completion of the Development Assessment Process (DAP). As soon as DAP is enacted, it will be the review mechanism used. 8 Final Draft June 2001
Administration and Operations Nothing in this management plan will, or is intended to, abrogate the rights guaranteed under the Vuntut Gwitchin Final Agreement or the Umbrella Final Agreement. Management of the Fishing Branch Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area will be coordinated in a manner that recognizes the legislation and regulatory authority of the Vuntut Gwitchin, Yukon and Federal governments. Upon devolution, the Habitat Protection Area will be managed by the appropriate Yukon government department. Administration and operation of the protected areas will be subject to yearly appropriations. The Management Committee which is to be set up under the FB Ecological Reserve and Adjacent Settlement Lands Management Plan will also be used to ensure the integrated and effective implementation of the Wilderness Preserve and HPA management plans. The Vuntut Planning Commission will be involved in Committee work as appropriate. The management guidelines to be considered in the administration and operation of the Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area include: In managing the Wilderness Preserve and HPA, the management guidelines and provisions of the Vuntut Gwitchin Final Agreement will take precedence. Securing the involvement of key management authorities and the Vuntut Gwitchin through participation on the Management Committee. Recognizing the participation of the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Lands Branch on the Management Committee as being essential to the effective implementation of this plan. Vuntut Gwitchin elders have recommended that the protected areas be called (Ecological Reserve, Wilderness Preserve and HPA) Shienjik which is Gwitchin for Chum salmon river. All park operations and management will be conducted so as to protect ecological and cultural resources. Park management and operations will adhere to these management guidelines unless deemed necessary for public health and safety and emergencies. Final Draft June 2001 9
Management Guidelines The objectives for the Fishing Branch Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area are presented on page 7. This section, in conjunction with the Zoning prescription, specifies the guidelines and parameters within which the protected areas are to be managed. These guidelines will assist park managers and other land managers and authorities to meet the protected areas objectives. These management guidelines apply to both the Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area unless otherwise noted. Natural Resource Protection and Use The Fishing Branch Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area objectives have been outlined on pg 7. The natural resources of note in this area include: the watersheds, grizzly bear populations, salmon spawning areas, grizzly/salmon interactions, karst topography, and habitat for the Porcupine Caribou Herd. The area also contains representative examples of landforms, soil and flora common to the North Ogilvie Mountains and a portion of the Eagle Plains Ecoregions (refer to Fishing Branch Final Proposal, Nov. 24, 1999). The Wilderness Preserve and HPA illustrate a high degree of naturalness with relatively little sign of human activity. These management guidelines will be used to help ensure human activity and use of natural resources in the protected areas is done in such a fashion as to ensure the natural features are protected and the protected area objectives are met over the lifetime of this plan. Natural ecological processes will continue without human interference within the Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area unless they pose a threat to human life or property. Approved recommendations from the Porcupine Caribou Management Board, Yukon Salmon Committee, the Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board and other publicly mandated bodies with authority in this area, will be considered and implemented as required. If and when further salmon spawning areas are identified within the Wilderness Preserve and/or HPA, the management guidelines relating to commercial bear viewing operations, trails, signs, food and garbage, that are outlined in Section 7.0 of the Ecological Reserve plan will be reviewed, considered and adopted as required. VGFN and the Yukon Government will pursue a hunting closure of grizzly bears within the Wilderness Preserve. This will be done by requesting voluntary compliance by licensed and First Nations hunters. Effectiveness of the voluntary closure will be monitored and if necessary, regulated through legislation. Approved recommendations and/or management guidelines from the North Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Plan will be adopted for the Fishing Branch Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area, as appropriate. 10 Final Draft June 2001
Wildlife management activities will be conducted in a manner which is acceptable to the Vuntut Gwitchin people, minimizes impacts, and only if deemed essential to implementing the objectives of the plan. Heritage Resource Protection and Appreciation The Vuntut Gwitchin have a profound connection and sense of belonging to the Fishing Branch Area. The area is considered sacred to the Vuntut Gwitchin. The land and resources are an integral part of the Vuntut Gwitchin culture and spiritual heritage. The Fishing Branch region continues to provide the people with abundant food and water, as it has for many generations. The Fishing Branch Area is also part of Beringia. Unlike other ancient paleontological sites in the Yukon, this area has not been subject to the last period of glacial erosion and weathering. Plant and animal remains, and the remains of human activity, have been found in caves, dating back to the last ice age. This area promises to increase our understanding of Eastern Beringia and possibly unravel the story of early human occupation of the north. These management guidelines will be used to assist in the protection and appreciation of the heritage resources and use of natural resources over the lifetime of this plan. Gwitchin place names will be recognized and adopted as appropriate, when renaming, naming and/or interpreting features and resources within the Fishing Branch Protected Areas. Any requests to rename place names will be referred to the Yukon Geographical Place Names Board as per the Umbrella Final Agreement (Section 13.11.0). The Vuntut Gwichin culture and heritage will be recognized and encouraged in the management of the Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area, during the implementation of this Plan. When interpretive projects are undertaken related to the heritage resources of the Fishing Branch area they will be done in cooperation with the VGFN. The Gwich in language will be used in educational, interpretive and outreach material as deemed appropriate. The potential of the Fishing Branch region to contribute to our understanding of the environment, fauna and human history of Beringia is recognized, particularly in the caves and karst topography of the region. Final Draft June 2001 11
Communication Effective communication will be the key management tool for the Fishing Branch Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area. In order to meet the objective to manage the Ecological Reserve, Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area as an ecological unit, it is essential that all land managers communicate on a regular basis. Integrated communication services will be required for all 3 protected areas and the Vuntut Gwitchin settlement lands, in order to meet the needs of both land managers and the public in conserving, enjoying, appreciating, understanding and supporting management objectives. Effective support for the protected areas will rely on a public that has developed an appreciation and understanding of the protected areas and their associated resources. The communication program will also be the primary means of enhancing visitor safety and experiences, reducing unintentional visitor damage to protected area resources, and can assist in reducing the requirement for search and rescue requirements. The Management Committee, discussed under the Administration and Operations section, will be expected to communicate management issues and decisions to their respective departments and governments as well as to the publicly mandated bodies with which they work. To provide an integrated communications program that informs, educates, and interprets the values and resources of the Ecological Reserve, Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area. Priority interpretive messages will flow from the protected area objectives, and will include information on salmon/grizzly bear interaction, karst/hydrological processes and cultural/historic stories related to the VGFN traditional occupation and use of the area. Visitor information and interpretive services for the Fishing Branch protected areas, provided out of Old Crow, should be located in the Visitor Reception Centre being built by Parks Canada. Filming activities within the Wilderness Preserve, will conform to the objectives and the management guidelines outlined in this plan. Marketing initiatives will be consistent with this management plan and messages will reflect the protected area objectives. 12 Final Draft June 2001
Visitor Use/Services There is currently little known about the recreational use of the Wilderness Preserve or Habitat Protection Area. Very few visitors or commercial operators are using the region at present and recreational use of the area is not expected to increase in the near future. The Ecological Reserve and Adjacent Settlement Lands Management Plan addresses visitor access, wildlife viewing and commercial activities in detail. It is anticipated that most visitor use and commercial tourism interest will be focussed in that area due to the grizzly bear viewing opportunities. It is also anticipated that most, if not all, on site visitor services (e.g. food caches) will be provided within the Ecological Reserve. The Wilderness Preserve does not currently provide the same opportunities and as such, there is little need for on-site visitor services. Visitor use will be permitted to ensure visitors to the area are provided with the required pre-trip planning information prior to their departure. Visitor information and services for the Wilderness Preserve and HPA will be provided, as appropriate, at potential staging areas e.g. Tombstone Territorial Park, Dawson City, Eagle Plains Hotel, Whitehorse, Old Crow, etc. Pre-trip planning information for the Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area will assist visitors in developing realistic expectations for the types of experiences and hazards they may encounter. Access into the Wilderness Preserve will require a Park Use Permit (or mandatory registration) as required under the Yukon Parks Act. This does not apply to VGFN citizens who are pursuing subsistence activities within the Wilderness Preserve. The permitting/registration system will not be used to restrict access to the Wilderness Preserve at this point in time. It will facilitate communication between park managers and visitors (e.g. providing pre-trip planning info, public safety information, search and rescue information, interpretive information) and the collection of visitor use data e.g. where people are going, numbers, visitor satisfaction information. Means will be taken as required to prevent food conditioning of bears and to reduce all other human/ wildlife conflicts as outlined in parts of Section 7.0 of the Ecological Reserve Plan. Aircraft landings will require a Park Use Permit. Visitors and commercial operators in the Wilderness Preserve should be encouraged to obtain insurance to cover the costs of emergencies. It is recommended that search and rescue services for the area continue to be provided as on vacant Crown Land. Tourism opportunities in the Fishing Branch WP and HPA should be identified as part of any Tourism Plan that is developed for the traditional territory. All tourism activities in the protected areas shall be consistent with the management plan objectives. Final Draft June 2001 13
Economic opportunities associated with the Fishing Branch protected areas should be identified as part of the development of any Economic Development Plan prepared under the provisions of Chapter 22 of the Vuntut Gwitchin Final Agreement. Research and Monitoring The Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area have been established to protect specific resources, which are considered important to the Vuntut Gwitchin and Yukon public. It is the responsibility of the Yukon, Vuntut Gwitchin and Federal governments to ensure that activities falling under their legislation and jurisdiction do not compromise the protected area resources and values as identified in this plan. Responsible land managers are accountable to the Yukon public regarding their ability to meet the identified Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area objectives. Measures to determine whether or not the protected area resources are, indeed, being protected need to be identified and monitored. This section outlines the guidelines for developing, managing and permitting any research and monitoring programs within the Wilderness Preserve and HPA. Visitation to the Wilderness Preserve will be monitored through data gathered in the permit system, to determine whether protected area objectives are being met. If the objectives are not being met, visitor use restrictions may be considered in the future. Indicators reflecting the future viability of grizzly bear populations at natural levels will be identified and monitored. Baseline data requirements need to be identified and monitored to ensure that water which is flowing on or through the Wilderness Preserve and HPA remains substantially unaltered as to quantity, quality and rate of flow, including seasonal rate of flow. Researchers will adhere to the procedures outlined in the Guidebook on Scientific Research in the Yukon and the Principles and Procedures for Researchers in the Vuntut Gwitchin Traditional Territory. All research and monitoring within the Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area will be consistent with the protected area objectives and the management plan guidelines and permits will be assessed on these factors. Vuntut Gwitchin traditional and local knowledge will be incorporated into applicable research projects. More detailed resource assessments need to be conducted in areas where there are known potential conflicts e.g. possible winter or all-weather road access (in the HPA) to Rusty Springs mineral claims. 14 Final Draft June 2001
Regional Integration It is understood that the management guidelines outlined in this plan apply only to the Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection area as indicated. The protected areas cannot be managed in isolation from the surrounding lands and without consideration of the goals of the adjacent land managers. The following guidelines will assist protected area managers in future discussions with adjacent land managers. The entire Miner River watershed, while not in the current protected areas, is recognized as an important salmon spawning region. The area should be managed by the appropriate authorities so as to maintain these values. The Vuntut Planning Commission will be requested to consider ecological connectivity issues between the Fishing Branch Protected Areas and other critical wildlife habitat areas in the Vuntut Gwitchin traditional territory when developing the land use plan for the North Yukon. Final Draft June 2001 15
Habitat Protection Area (Goal 2 Area) The Habitat Protection Area is designated under the Yukon Wildlife Act, but will remain Crown land until devolution. The Habitat Protection Area will not be administered under the Yukon Parks Act. The area is notated on Territorial Base Maps, but not withdrawn from resource exploration or development. The principle land manager for the HPA is the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. DIAND Lands Department will be invited to participate on the Fishing Branch Management Committee to ensure the HPA is included in management discussions on the entire Fishing Branch protected area. The Habitat Protection Area is intended to act as a buffer to the Ecological Reserve and Wilderness Preserve. The assessment of industrial and other permitted activities within the HPA will be based on the objectives for the Wilderness Preserve and HPA and appropriate conditions or mitigative measures prescribed. The Natural Zone application will not apply to the Habitat Protection Area. Information packages (prepared by YTG and VGFN) about the protected areas will be given out with all land use permits issued within the HPA. Research will be done to determine important wildlife habitat in the HPA, as necessary. These data will be required to assist with land use permitting in the HPA. If critical wildlife habitat is identified within the HPA and further protection is required, Wildlife Act regulations may be developed and implemented on an as needed basis. Plan Review and On-going Public Involvement The management plan will be reviewed and updated in 5 years and after that in conjunction with the review of the Ecological Reserve Management Plan. All management plan reviews will include the opportunity for the Yukon public to consider and comment on the recommended changes. Alterations to the management plan can be made at the discretion of the minister and will include a full public review. 16 Final Draft June 2001