Public Engagement for the Yukon North Slope Wildlife Conservation and Management Plan - June 2021
UPDATE: Following the public review, the "What We Heard" report is now available. Thank you for your comments.
Established under the 1984 Inuvialuit Final Agreement (IFA), the Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) advises the appropriate federal and territorial ministers with respect to the management and administration of wildlife, habitat and harvesting on the Yukon North Slope. The IFA requires the Council to prepare and recommend a Yukon North Slope Wildlife Conservation and Management Plan. Prior to recommending a final plan to the appropriate authorities, the Council is seeking public comment on the draft Plan.
The draft Plan builds on the special conservation regime established in the IFA for Yukon North Slope, which includes Ivvavik National Park, Herschel Island – Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park and Aullaviat/Aungauniarvik (the eastern Yukon North Slope). It brings together Inuvialuit knowledge and Western science about this special part of Northern Yukon and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region
This draft Plan is a guide and a reference for managers and stewards, for those that depend on and enjoy this region, and for the public-at-large with an interest in the area. It provides a set of management priorities and recommendations based on many years of evidence rooted in Inuvialuit Knowledge and Western science.
The draft Plan’s conservation vision reflects the principles in the IFA and builds on them with the goal: To value and conserve the health of wildlife populations, diversity and productivity, wildlife habitat, and Inuvialuit traditional uses of the Yukon North Slope.
The draft Plan recognizes and builds on existing guiding documents relating to the Yukon North Slope for species-based management (e.g. the ISR Grizzly Bear Management Plan), land-based and marine management (e.g. Ivvavik National Park Management Plan), and policy guidance (e.g. Yukon Government Climate Change Strategy). The draft Plan is intended to provide a comprehensive view, at a regional scale, of wildlife, wildlife habitat, and Inuvialuit traditional use supported by newly documented Inuvialuit and science knowledge. The issue of climate change is considered in each of these topics.
The draft Plan has benefited from extensive briefings, meetings and consultations with Inuvialuit organizations, the communities that depend on the Yukon North Slope, the Government of Yukon, the Government of Canada, and other management partners, such as the Porcupine Caribou Management Board.
Requested Feedback:
The Council is seeking comments on the draft Plan from interested organizations and individuals. A summary of engagement to date can be found here: List of Meetings and Information Sessions leading to the WCMP
The complete draft Plan can be accessed here: June 2021 Draft WCMP for Public Engagement
Below you will be able to upload comments (PDF or Word doc) or type in your comments on the Plan. Please note that any comments provided will be considered public and will be shared with our planning partners.
You can provide your comments through the public survey for 30 days, from June 7 to July 7, 2021. Following this public comment period, the Council will prepare a "What We Heard" report. This report will include an anonymized summary of comments received for public release.
The Council will review and consider comments it receives in finalizing the plan and recommending it to the appropriate authorities for signing.