Sayhoue/Edacho: First Site to Achieve Interim Protection Under NWT Protected Areas Strategy

The tribute delivered by the Northwest Territories’ regional offices of each organization follows today’s earlier announcement by Heritage Canada that Sahyoue/Edacho has been protected through a five-year interim land withdrawal under the NWT Protected Areas Strategy (PAS). Prior to this announcement, the Sahyoue/Edacho (Grizzly Bear Mountain/Scented Grass Hills) National Historic Site was not protected from industrial development. The surface and subsurface land withdrawal provides protection from development while the area is further studied until a final legislated designation is put in place. Sahyoue and Edacho are important cultural and spiritual areas for the Sahtu Dene, as well as outstanding examples of northern wilderness characterized by extensive boreal forests and healthy wildlife populations.

“Other northern communities can now see that the PAS is an effective process for the establishment of protected area sites in the NWT,” said Greg Yeoman of CPAWS. “The PAS is designed to establish a network of protected areas in the territory, and this is actually the first of many sites being advanced.”

“We’ve been supporting Deline’s work for almost two years on this, so it’s a great day for us as well as Deline, and really all Canadians” said Bill Carpenter, Regional Conservation Director of WWF. “This five year withdrawal will provide the area with the protection it needs while further assessment and evaluation work is undertaken before final designation which ensures permanent protection.”

CPAWS and WWF worked with the community to move the area toward protection through the PAS process. The two groups assisted by funding community work on the project and providing major administrative and technical support on the proposal for interim protection.

“Having a working relationship with agencies such as WWF and CPAWS shows how well the partnership approach can lead to a successful conclusion under the PAS” said Deline Chief Leroy Andre. “Adequate yearly funding of the Strategy by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and the Government of NWT is now required so as to finish the job of protecting Sahyoue/Edacho, and to complete a network of protected areas in the NWT which will protect the land and traditional lifestyles, while also giving certainty to industry on where they can and cannot operate” added Chief Andre.

Last year the PAS was not funded by DIAND for the first four months of the Financial Year until WWF, CPAWS, and Aboriginal organizations publicly pushed the government to act.

“With all the non-renewable resource development that is being talked about, we should all be working extra hard now and dedicating the necessary resources to establish protected sites with strong environmental management plans, so that a network of special areas are protected prior to any large scale changes which may result from industrial activity” concluded Carpenter.

As part of the celebration of this announcement, CPAWS-NWT invites the public to a slide show highlighting the cultural and ecological values of Sahyoue/Edacho on April 5th in Yellowknife. Presenters will include Chris Hanks, subarctic archeologist, who worked with the elders of Deline for about a decade recording the stories of this land in support of the National Historic Site commemoration.