© Canoe North Adventures

Northwest Territories

Large protected areas in Northwest Territories are among the best in the country when it comes to protecting enclosed habitats and wildlife. However, 73 per cent of habitats in the territory are completely unprotected.

The Northwest Territories’ rich and wide-ranging habitats, from forests to wetlands to tundra, are home to iconic and Threatened species like the barren-ground caribou and wood bison. High levels of soil carbon storage and climate refuges makes the Northwest Territories an important region for nature-based solutions to climate change. Yet despite a few large protected areas, the majority of the physical habitats in the Northwest Territories are unprotected. In October 2018, Canada’s first Indigenous-led protected area was announced – the Edehzhie Protected Area. The Dehcho Dene First Nation has been a long-time advocate for the importance of protecting the region which has significantly improved the connectivity and shoreline coverage of the territories’ protected area network.

Click on the map and headings to learn more.

© Staffan Widstrand

Regional spotlight

In the Edehzhie protected area, important habitats for woodland caribou, wood bison and migratory birds are protected in the traditional territory of the Dehcho Dene First Nation.