Yukon Government extends moratorium on mineral staking and oil and gas leases in Peel Watershed

Thanks to your involvement….Another Victory Worth Noting!

The Yukon government announced Aug 30, 2012 a third extension to the moratorium on staking mineral claims and oil and gas leases inside the Peel River watershed. The moratorium was scheduled to expire Sept. 4, but has been extended to May 4, 2013.

Environment Minister Currie Dixon said it’s the government’s intent to have a finalized land use plan for the Peel region in place before the latest extension expires in May of next year. He also said his government has been working internally to develop a land use proposal that will include a range of options and tools.

After nearly seven years of public input and dollars, the Peel Planning Commission, which was formed in Oct 2004, completed the Final Recommended Plan for the Peel Watershed back in July 2011. Since taking office in Oct 2012, the new Cabinet has not explicitly rejected the Final Recommended Peel Plan that calls for 80% permanent and interim protection, but released its own ‘Guiding Principles’ in Feb 2012 to make proposed modifications to the Peel Plan and allow for development throughout the watershed.

The public has heard very little from the government since.

The irony is, the Commission, communities, First Nations and Yukon public spent years providing input on the Final Recommended Plan and now the government is making thier own plan.

While it is fantastic the moratorium on mineral staking is extended, the public still awaits the final round of consultations on the Recommended Peel Plan. It’s time to keep moving forward with the work that’s already been done, rather than going back to the drawing board and starting over.