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Canadians have made their voices clear: There is no place for oil and gas extraction in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
OTTAWA (Tuesday, June 19, 2018) — The Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Yukon Chapter (CPAWS Yukon) and Nature Canada together are making sure the U.S. Government knows there is no place for oil and gas extraction in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Today is the final day of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s public scoping period in advance of its environmental review of oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Refuge. More than 12,000 Canadians have submitted comments and signatures to the U.S. Government, urging the cross-border impacts of oil and gas drilling be addressed.
Every spring the longest land mammal migration on Earth takes place as the Porcupine caribou herd crosses the Yukon and Northwest Territories to give birth in the Arctic Refuge. The Trump administration’s push for oil and gas extraction would strike the heart of these calving grounds, which could have disastrous impacts on the health of the herd and on the Gwich’in communities that rely on caribou for their culture and livelihood.
Quotes:
Dana Tizya-Tramm, Councilor, Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation: “From a people that understands resources extremely well by living in the unforgiven environments and climates of the Arctic North, we see the unilateral development of the wellspring of Arctic ecosystems as a significant threat to indigenous peoples, the lands, animals, and our collective futures. It must be known to produce oil and gas from this area can only be done so by manipulating environmental law and trampling human, and indigenous rights.”
Brook Brisson, Senior Staff Attorney at Trustees for Alaska: “Protecting the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge is of international importance. The Porcupine caribou herd migrates through Canada to return to the coastal plain in Alaska to calve and replenish themselves each year. Borders do not mean anything to their survival, but habitat and protected ecosystems do. American laws recognize the international importance of the wildlife in this region, and international agreements give Canadians an important voice in this process. We will ensure that the laws and agreements within and between our countries are upheld.”
Chris Rider, Executive Director of CPAWS Yukon : “The impacts from oil drilling in the Arctic Refuge would not stop at the U.S. – Canada border. Drilling in the Porcupine caribou herd’s calving grounds could have devastating impacts across Alaska, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. It’s critical that Canadian’s stand with the Gwich’in and say no to drilling in the Arctic Refuge.”
Graham Saul, Executive Director of Nature Canada: “It is critical we work alongside CPAWS Yukon and the Vuntut Gwitchin to ensure Canadian voices are included in this environmental review. Today’s submission of 12,000 Canadian signatures and comments is an incredible opportunity for Canadians to speak directly to the U.S. government about the serious and irreversible impact oil and gas development would have on one of the last, healthy barren-ground caribou herds on earth. It is Nature Canada’s mission to protect our wildlife areas and countless species that depend on this habitat. We have been doing this for more than 75 years and have helped protect more than 63 million acres of wildlife areas.
The Arctic Refuge is home over 200 species of birds, which migrate to six continents and every state in the United States. The Arctic Refuge provides important habitat for polar bears, grizzly bears, wolves and wolverines. It was established by President Eisenhower in 1960 and expanded by President Carter in 1980. In 2017, a provision included in President Trump’s tax overhaul opened parts of the Refuge’s Coastal Plain to oil and gas development.
High-quality images of the Arctic Refuge available for media use:
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/14m9LLrjivux_uTByUhEDJeatPPnN5g31
For comment please contact:
Dana Tizya-Tramm
Councilor, Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation
(867) 333-4335 (cell)
Adil Darvesh
CPAWS Yukon
867-393-8080 x 9
adarvesh@cpawsyukon.org
Janet Weichel McKenzie
Nature Canada
(613) 808-4642 (cell)
jweichelmckenze@gmail.com
Yukon Conservation Society and CPAWS Yukon call for public comments on Arctic Refuge drilling
WHITEHORSE, Yukon, June 13,2018 – The Yukon Conservation Society and CPAWS Yukon are joining together and urging the U.S. Government to consider the transboundary impacts of oil and gas extraction in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Now is a critical time for Yukoners to voice their support for the Porcupine caribou herd and the Gwich’in. Less than one week remains before the deadline for public comments in the Bureau of Land Management’s scoping period.
The proposed oil and gas extraction would fall in the heart of the Porcupine caribou herd’s calving grounds, which could have disastrous impacts on the health of the herd and on the Gwich’in communities that rely on caribou for their culture and livelihood. “Caribou are an iconic northern animal and a vital part of Gwich’in life,” says Mike Walton, executive director of YCS. “The United States must consult with Canada and the Gwich’in about drilling the calving grounds. Canadians are concerned about the dangers of pursuing oil in caribou country.”
“The Trump administration is attempting to condense its environmental review into an impossibly short time frame,” says Malkolm Boothroyd of CPAWS Yukon. “We have to demand the most comprehensive review possible, and hold them to account if they try to cut corners.” The coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge was opened for development through a provision included within Trump’s controversial tax bill. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has begun the environmental review process of oil and gas lease sales, and is nearing the end of its 60-day public scoping period.
The Gwich’in Steering Committee, Sierra Club, Alaska Wilderness League, EarthJustice, Nature Canada, Environment America, and The Wilderness Society are among the organizations campaigning for the Arctic Refuge’s protection. In May, investors managing over $2.5 trillion USD in global assets called on the oil and gas industry to leave the Arctic Refuge alone. Yukoners can add their support at cpawsyukon.org/porcupine-caribou until June 19th or by writing in person at CPAWS Yukon’s Arctic Refuge Open House: Monday June 18th from 4-6pm in the CPAWS Office at 506 Steele Street.
Contacts:
Adil Darvesh
Communications Coordinator
adarvesh@cpawsyukon.org
867-393-8080 x9
Julia Duchesne
Outreach & Communications Director
outreach@yukonconservation.org
867-668-5678
References:
[1] Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: Title II, Section 20001:
https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/hr1/BILLS-115hr1enr.pdf
[2] U.S. Bureau of Land Management; Coastal Plain Environmental Impact Statement
https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/plans-in-development/alaska/coastal-plain-eis
[3] National Committee says barren-ground caribou are threatened; Yukon News
https://www.yukon-news.com/news/national-committee-says-barren-ground-caribou-are-threatened/
[4] Species at Risk Public Registry: Caribou Barren-ground population; COSEWIC
http://www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/species/speciesDetails_e.cfm?sid=1341
[5] Effects of Petroleum Development on Terrain Preferences of Calving Caribou; Arctic
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c4b2/4362c9cf4af2aeb42fce651422aa8a3b88c7.pdf
[6] Investors urge fossil fuel firms to shun Trump’s arctic drilling plans; The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/14/investors-urge-fossil-fuel-firms-shun-trump-arctic-drilling-plans-alaskan-wilderness
Encouraged in Anchorage
Header Image: Anonymous Security Guard
Written by: Malkolm Boothroyd, Campaigns Coordinator
The US Government must of worked really hard to find such an unappealing photo of the Arctic Refuge. #savethegravel
The fingerprints of the fossil fuel industry cover Anchorage, Alaska. BP logos decorate the airport and Exxon Mobil’s name is carved on the plaques beside commemorative trees. The city’s convention centre sits in the shadow of the ConocoPhillips skyscraper. That’s why I was shocked that nobody from any of the oil companies showed up to the convention centre to testify in favour of oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the heart of the Porcupine caribou herd’s calving grounds.
Indigenous leaders and environmental campaigners have so successfully illustrated the importance of the Arctic Refuge for human rights and the Porcupine caribou, that some of the most powerful oil companies are wary of associating themselves with the issue. Instead contractors and industry lobbyist groups spoke in their place, reiterating talking points of “responsible oil and gas development,” “world class industrial safety” and “I’m a third-generation Alaskan” with such predictability that I wished I’d drawn up bingo cards. Still, we outnumbered the oil and gas advocates almost two-to-one at the hearing.
Indigenous people travelled from as far away as Kaktovik, St. Paul Island and Old Crow to speak for Indigenous rights and protection of the Arctic Refuge. Chris Rider and I made the trip from Whitehorse, to urge the US Government to include transboundary issues be included in the scope of the review. (Add your voice here, it will be super helpful!) Chris spoke about the vulnerability of caribou to industrial development in their calving grounds. I described childhood experiences travelling in the Refuge, and about how caribou, bears, whales and migratory birds do not recognize the Alaska-Canada border.
I left Anchorage empowered. Hearing the powerful words of so many Indigenous leaders, and meeting with the Alaska Wilderness League, The Wilderness Society, Trustees for Alaska and Earthjustice reminded me about how strong our movement is. If I was an oil company I’d be worried too.
Malkolm Boothroyd, CPAWS Yukon Programs Coordinator, speaking at the public consultations in Anchorage, Alaska
Chris Rider, CPAWS Yukon Executive Director, speaking at the public consultation in Anchorage, Alaska
Developing a much needed wetland policy
Header Image: Moose, Randi Newton
Written by: Randi Newton, Conservation Coordinator
This spring the Government of Yukon started developing a policy for wetland management in the territory. While it seems long overdue, CPAWS is nonetheless excited to be contributing to the process. We hope to see a robust, conservation-focused policy that will fill a large gap in protecting Yukon’s wetlands and provide land managers with a consistent approach for making decisions. Right now most wetlands in the territory are protected only by their remoteness, not by a formal policy, and there is no straightforward roadmap for wetland protection when wetlands fall in the path of development, resource extraction or infrastructure.
HOW IS THE POLICY BEING DEVELOPED?
The wetland policy is in the very early stages of development and it should be complete by early 2020. Between now and then, we’ve been told the government will work with First Nations and look to Yukoners for input. We will keep our eye on opportunities for engagement and, in the meantime, you can come chat wetlands with us at the CPAWS office if you’d like to learn more about what we’d like to see in the policy. As one component of policy development, the Government of Yukon has invited various organizations to participate in a series of roundtable meetings and work on elements of the policy. We recently took part in the first stage of these meetings and we were struck by the collaborative approach being used to develop the policy. The meeting room was filled with people with a wide diversity of perspectives and values, including representatives from First Nations, mining, oil and gas, forestry, different government departments, environmental and conservation organizations, renewable resource councils, and municipalities.
As part of the roundtable meetings, people were asked to write down, in about six words, why this conversation about wetlands mattered to them and what their bottom-line interest in the policy was. As you can see from the sample below, answers were diverse and sometimes conflicting.
- Thoughtful protection, not chipping away, project-by-project
- Need to be able to mine and reclaim land
- Wetlands provide life for all people Ensuring habitat protection and species persistence for future generations
- Integral to ecosystem resiliency and food security
- Wetlands have sustained First Nations for thousands of years
- The future of wetlands is ours
- Yukon’s environmental and economic needs are met
With this many voices in the room, will it be challenging to collaboratively work on a wetland policy? Absolutely. In fact, it is likely there will be elements that the group will not agree on. However, we are also optimistic that people will learn from each other and work to build as much of the policy as possible in a collaborative way. Our hope is that the government is committed to applying this work and creating a forward-thinking, conservation-focused policy that turns the tide of wetland loss. Although challenging, the time to act is now and making tough decisions on a policy will never get easier.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING WETLANDS
Yukoners value the many crucial functions that wetlands provide. They are a rich source of biodiversity and are home to both rare and common mammals, birds, fish, insects, amphibians and plants. Wetlands help to sustain cherished ways of life, including activities like hunting, fishing, trapping and foraging. Many wetlands are the site of past and current First Nation camps and travel routes. People also visit wetlands for spiritual recharge and pastimes like hiking, bird watching and photography.
As long as they remain intact, wetlands will continue to shape the Yukon landscape and the ecological processes that sustain it. For example, some wetlands in the territory contain depths of peat layers that are thousands of years old. These deep organic layers trap significant amounts of carbon that would otherwise find its way into the atmosphere. Wetlands are also natural reservoirs that replenish groundwater supplies, buffer against flooding and release water in times of drought. By storing sediment and contaminants, wetlands act as natural environmental filters.
WHAT SHOULD THE WETLAND POLICY INCLUDE?
Certain elements are critical if the policy will be truly effective at protecting wetlands.
- No-net loss of wetland functions. Wetlands are complex ecosystems and they provide many functions, including habitat, water regulation and carbon storage. If development is allowed to impact these functions, impacts must be fully offset through restoration or reclamation. Otherwise, we risk losing wetlands little by little, project by project.
- Protection of important wetlands. Some wetlands are so valuable for ecological or cultural reasons, or impossible to restore, that they should be completely off limits to development and disturbance. The wetland policy needs to include a way to identify and designate these off-limit wetlands.
- Clear mitigation hierarchy. Realistically, not all wetlands in the territory will be protected from development. However, the policy needs a clear hierarchy of actions so that the first priority is to avoid wetland impacts, the second is to minimize impacts, and the third is to offset impacts. It would be a mistake to rely on offsetting impacts through reclamation, since some wetland types like fens and bogs take thousands of years to form.
- An ecosystems approach. The policy needs to include a framework to consider and protect the roles that wetlands play at a landscape scale. These critical functions can be missed and then eroded if wetlands are only managed during the review of individual projects.
- Wetland inventory and research. Wetlands are generally poorly mapped and understood in the territory. The policy should commit to future research and inventories to help us better understand their critical ecological and cultural values.
- Implementation strategy. The wetland policy is only the starting point for protecting wetlands in the Yukon and it must include a strong roadmap for implementation. This will help ensure that the policy is clear and achievable, and that resources and capacity are in place to support its goals.
CPAWS is pleased to see the government take this important step towards conserving the territory’s wetlands. Yukoners know just how valuable wetlands are and, with the right policy framework in place, we can ensure they will persist for generations to come.
U.S. government barrels forward to open Canadian caribou herd’s calving grounds to drilling
Whitehorse, Yukon, April 19th, 2018 – Canadians have just been given a chance to speak directly to the U.S. Government about its reckless plan to allow oil and gas development in the birthing grounds of an international barren-ground caribou herd.
The Porcupine caribou herd undergoes the longest land-mammal migration on earth, beginning in their calving grounds in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, then travelling into the Yukon and Northwest Territories. Gwich’in communities have placed themselves strategically along this herd’s migration routes in order to sustain themselves from this seasonal cycle. They call the calving grounds in the Arctic Refuge “Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit,” which translates roughly to “The Sacred Place Where Life Begins.”
Last fall, the Trump Administration made international news by putting this globally significant herd — one of the last healthy barren-ground herds left in North America — in jeopardy when U.S. Congress snuck a provision to drill in the Arctic Refuge into an unrelated federal tax bill.
The Vuntut Gwitchin in Old Crow, Yukon, have been fighting for the past four decades to keep development out of the Porcupine caribou’s caving grounds. Though it happened without proper consultation or debate, the passing of this provision marked the first legal step towards peeling back longstanding protections of the Arctic Refuge.
Today, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management issued a Notice of Intent, which initiates a scoping period for a mandatory environmental review of this decision. The bureau will be collecting public comments from both Americans and Canadians for the next 60 days. Canadians now have the chance to speak directly to the U.S. government about how this oil and gas development would have an impact on our country.
“This is a deeply Canadian issue,” said Chris Rider, Executive Director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), Yukon Chapter. “Disturbing this fragile ecosystem could have a disastrous effect on the health of the Porcupine caribou herd and the Gwich’in. We need to tell the Trump administration that the only option at this point is simple: stop. Oil and gas development has no place in the heart of the Porcupine Caribou’s calving grounds”
Caribou are incredibly sensitive to light and sound, and any construction in their calving grounds — during one of the most vulnerable phases of their lives —could lead them to abandon the area altogether. The Porcupine caribou have been highlighted as a beacon of hope in the midst of sharp declines by other barren-ground herds across the Canada.3
For the Gwich’in, who rely on the caribou as a main food source, this is an essential food security and human rights issue.
“The Gwitchin’s timeless relationship with the caribou has secured our existence to this day, a relationship that we hold in high regard and with the deepest of respect. The needless threat of developing the Porcupine Caribou Herd’s calving grounds on the coastal plain of Alaska has now elevated this issue to involve all of North America. It is not just the Gwich’in or indigenous peoples’ loss, but all of North America’s last healthy caribou herd whose future is now in question. What does this mean for our collective futures when we no longer show respect for the foundations of our existence? This is a day that signals to the Gwich’in of the northern arctic that our knowledge from before written history and our warnings about the stability of arctic ecosystems are disregarded by US leadership. It is our future generations’ right to continue to enjoy this life-giving relationship with the caribou as we have as the first peoples of these lands. Heed the call, stand with the Gwich’in for what is right, we must each ask ourselves what is more important to us, life, or oil.” – Dana Tizya-Tramm, Councillor, Vuntut Gwitchin Government
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has said they plan to rush through the environmental review process for the lease sale in just over a year. Using a hurried, predetermined plan to complete this process is incompatible with protecting the ecological integrity of the Arctic Refuge.
“By pushing for a lease sale next year, the administration is admitting that they have no intention of seriously evaluating the negative impacts of oil development on wildlife and these wild lands, which science tells us are significant,” said Jamie Williams, president of The Wilderness Society, a leading American non-profit land conservation organization that CPAWS Yukon is working with on this issue. “The Wilderness Society remains opposed to opening the Arctic Refuge coastal plain to drilling. Local communities and the public’s concerns should be fairly considered and addressed. Americans should be outraged at what is being done to the crown jewel of their National Wildlife Refuge System.”
This scoping period is the first phase of that environmental review process. The information gathered during this comment period must inform what will be reviewed as part of the Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed lease sale.
CPAWS Yukon stands with the Gwich’in as they continue to fight for the land that has sustained them for millennia. For more information read our backgrounder on the scoping period, and visit our campaign page.
Media Contact:
Adil Darvesh
1-867-393-8080 ext.9
adarvesh@cpawsyukon.org
Species at Risk
Our planet is bleeding biodiversity. Mammal, bird, reptile and fish populations have declined by sixty percent in the past fifty years. Species are vanishing 100-1000 times faster than the natural rate of extinction. Ambitious action is needed to safeguard vulnerable species and the ecosystems they rely on. The Yukon is fortunate not to have suffered the degree of biodiversity loss that much of the planet has. Still, we cannot afford to be complacent. Current laws are inadequate to protect the Yukon’s biodiversity and ecological character. Canada’s Species at Risk Act fully applies to only 8 percent of the Yukon’s land base, while the Yukon Wildlife Act applies to just 5 percent of the territory’s species. Using existing laws to protect species at risk is like trying to hold out the rain with a fishing net.
It is time for the Yukon to enact standalone species at risk legislation. An expert-led advisory body should assess species using scientific and Indigenous knowledge. Species deemed to be vulnerable and the habitat they rely upon should be automatically protected from further harm. The Yukon should create action plans to help species at risk recover, then put these plans into motion. The components of cutting-edge species at risk legislation already exist in jurisdictions across Canada. By pulling these pieces together, the Yukon can create the most effective species at risk legislation in the country.
The Yukon should collaborate with Indigenous peoples on species at risk policies. The territory should draft action plans in conjunction with Yukon First Nation Governments, affected transboundary nations, the Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board and Renewable Resource Councils. Indigenous Guardians and community-based monitoring programs could work on the front lines to study species at risk, implement action plans and enforce legislation. Taking action on species at risk legislation could open an exciting spectrum of new opportunities in conservation, research and Indigenous leadership.
Yellowstone to Yukon
Header Image: Peter Mather
CPAWS Yukon was one of the founding members of this international initiative, which seeks to preserve and restore native plants, animals and wilderness throughout the 3,200-kilometre-long mountainous spine of the Rockies that links Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming to the Yukon’s Peel Watershed.
The joint Canada-US initiative takes a scientific approach to wilderness preservation and is internationally recognized as one of the planet’s leading mountain conservation initiatives.
THE THREAT
Development pressure throughout the Rocky Mountains continues to build as oil and gas and mining efforts expand and more people move into the region, building more roads, fences, subdivisions and other development that fragments ecosystems and lessens biodiversity.
For more info on the Yellowstone to Yukon Initiative click here.
WHAT CPAWS IS DOING
As a member of the Yellowstone to Yukon initiative, CPAWS Yukon is working to protect areas like the Peel Watershed. It is also encouraging thoughtful and inclusive land-use planning throughout the territory, demanding governments respect citizens’ legitimate support for preservation of important wilderness regions and serving as a watchdog to make sure the existing parks and protected areas are respected and maintained.
Protected Areas
Header Image: Peter Mather
Parks and protected areas are critical for preserving sensitive ecosystems and wildlife habitats. They ensure that regions of high conservation value are maintained today, tomorrow and for future generations. CPAWS Yukon is dedicated to creating new protected areas and wilderness corridors.
Canada is a pioneer when it comes to parks, but our great wilderness is under threat from industry, population growth, tourism, climate change and other human disturbances that are chipping away at the landscape and putting species in peril. For humans to continue to thrive on this planet, we need set aside land where industry, roads and non-renewable resource extraction are limited.
OUR GOAL
Protected areas are important tools for preserving the 23 distinct eco-regions found in the Yukon, from the Southern Lakes to the Blackstone Uplands of Tombstone to the Old Crow Flats and the Beaufort Sea in the north. CPAWS Yukon is committed to the creation of national or territorial parks, habitat protection areas, and other areas with protected status that will help to achieve our conservation goals and ensure Yukon’s rich diversity is preserved.
At the international level, Canada has committed to protecting 17% of its terrestrial area and 10% of its marine area through the United Nations Aichi targets. CPAWS Yukon encourages our federal and territorial governments to go beyond these targets and to be leaders in conservation.
PUTTING PROTECTION FIRST
We are an active participant in consultation processes for the establishment of new parks and protected areas, and we provide feedback on the review of existing park management plans. We believe strongly that parks must focus on their primary mandate of ecological protection by following management plans and regulations that will safeguard wildlife and plants and their habitat.
We recognize that you cannot have protection without people, and that Yukon First Nations have been able to sustain their livelihoods for thousands of years, while servings as stewards of the land. Thus we support approaches to park management that balance sustainable uses of the land, alongside ecological, spiritual and cultural values. We also look for ways that protected areas can facilitate responsible wildlife viewing, environmental education and authentic wilderness experiences, thereby helping to drive the economy. We believe that local communities, and in particular First Nations, can benefit from this conservation economy.
YUKON PARKS
National Parks
The Yukon has four national parks:
Klondike Gold Rush International Historical Park
This national historical park is operated by the National Park Service that commemorates the Gold Rush of the late 1890s. This encompasses the Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site, the Thirty Mile section of the Yukon River and significant historic sites in Dawson City. Click here to learn more.
Ivvavik National Park
Ivvavik National Park is managed by Parks Canada and is an important calving ground for caribou in northern Yukon. Click here to learn more.
Vuntut National Park
Vuntut National Park is located adjacent to Ivvavik National Park and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. It’s key inhabitants include caribou, foxes, wolves, lynxes and minks. It is managed by Parks Canada. Click here to learn more.
Kluane National Park and Reserve
Kluane National Park is found in the southwest of the Yukon, near the Alaskan border. It includes the highest mountain in Canada, Mount Logan. It is managed by Parks Canada. Click here to learn more.