Habitat Protection and Special Management Areas

Protected areas identified and established within a Traditional Territory of a Yukon First Nation under a Final Agreement are called Special Management Areas. They can be Yukon Parks, Habitat Protection Areas, National Parks or Wildlife Areas, or other types. The level of protection is defined in a management plan developed for each particular area, with management by the Yukon government, First Nation governments, and Renewable Resource Councils, depending on the area and jurisdiction.

A Habitat Protection Area is an area identified as requiring special protection under Yukon's Wildlife Act. It is an area where disturbance to wildlife, or to the plants on which it depends, could lead to the decline of a species or population. It may be an area where a wildlife species is concentrated at certain times of year, a habitat type that is rare in the Yukon or a site that is particularly fragile. Habitat Protection Areas can provide the buffering and linkage of core protected areas described in the Yukon Protected Areas Strategy.

The following describes some of the Special Management and Habitat Protection Areas in the Yukon.

Ddhaw Ghro
Ddhaw Ghro is the Northern Tutchone name for the area formerly known as McArthur Wildlife Sanctuary. The 1,595 square kilometre area is dominated by Grey Hunter Peak. The surrounding hillsides support a population of rare Fannin sheep, a unique colour variation that occurs in the transition zone between stone sheep range and Dall sheep range. Important mineral licks and hotsprings are included in the area. Ddhaw Ghro was identified as a Special Management Area under the Final Agreements of the Nacho Nyak Dun and Selkirk First Nations; and will be designated a Habitat Protection Area.

Horseshoe Slough
Horseshoe Slough is an important waterfowl breeding and staging area in the Traditional Territory of the Nacho Nyak Dun First Nation in the central Yukon. The 79 square kilometre slough is a side channel of the Stewart River at the mouth of No Gold Creek, about 80 km upstream of Mayo. Horseshoe Slough has been designated a Habitat Protection Area under the Yukon Wildlife Act as described in the Nacho Nyak Dun Final Agreement.

Llutsaw Wetland
Llutsaw Wetland (formerly Von Wilczek Lakes) is an important wetland complex covering 31 square kilometres along the North Klondike Highway south of Pelly Crossing. It was identified as a Special Management Area under the Selkirk First Nation Final Agreement and will be designated a Habitat Protection Area.

Nordenskiold Wetland
The Nordenskiold River valley south of Carmacks is a major wetland complex and an important waterfowl staging area. An area of 76 square kilometres of the complex was identified as a Special Management Area under the Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation Final Agreement, and will be designated a Habitat Protection Area.

Old Crow Flats
Old Crow Flats is the Yukon's largest wetland complex. Located on the Old Crow River system north of the Arctic Circle, the Flats contain more than 2,000 ponds and marshes ranging in size from one-half to 4,700 hectares. The area is an important breeding and moulting ground for 500,000 waterbirds. Waterfowl, muskrats and other wildlife of the Flats are of great importance to the Vuntut Gwitchin.

Under the terms of the Vuntut Gwitchin Final Agreement, the 7,785 square kilometre southern part of the Old Crow Flats was designated a Special Management Area and the northern part was included in Vuntut National Park.

Old Crow Flats will be managed to maintain the integrity of the area as one ecological unit with the conservation of fish, wildlife and their habitats, and the protection of traditional use by the Vuntut Gwitchin as guiding principles.

Ta'Tla Mun
Ta'Tla Mun (formerly Tatlmain Lake) is an important food fish lake southeast of Pelly Crossing in the Traditional Territory of the Selkirk First Nation. It also has a reputation as a high quality fly-in sportfishing lake. The 32 square kilometre area was identified as a Special Management Area under the Selkirk First Nation Final Agreement.

Fishing Branch
Fishing Branch is a Special Management Area described in Schedule B, Chapter 10 of the Vuntut Gwitchin Final Agreement. A management plan was written for the Ecological Reserve and adjacent blocks of settlement land. An additional Habitat Protection Area and a Wilderness Preserve were also created. For more information, see the Fishing Branch Territorial Park page.

Tombstone Territorial Park
Tombstone Territorial Park is a Special Management Area described in Schedule A, Chapter 10 of the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in Final Agreement. The schedule had provisions that allowed for a steering committee to make recommendations on the park boundary and a management plan for the park. For more information, see the Tombstone Park pages.