CPAWS Yukon supports Minister Guilbeault’s call for the Yukon to protect 30% of land and water by 2030
Whitehorse, Yukon – Today the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, issued a statement calling for provinces and territories to match federal conservation targets of 30% protection by 2030. CPAWS Yukon strongly encourages the Yukon Government to continue being conservation leaders and adopt a target of protecting at least 30% of land and water by 2030.
The Yukon, currently sitting at 19.1%, has yet to formally adopt conservation targets of any kind. As the country grapples with the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, the Yukon has an opportunity to be a role model for the rest of the nation.
The path to protect 30% by 2030 is one that will require meaningful work with First Nations and non-First Nation Yukoners, through the land use planning process and Indigenous-led conservation efforts. With the Recommended Land Use Plan for the Dawson Region slated to be released in the near future, and First Nations across the Territory calling for their lands to be protected, protecting at least 30% of the Territory by 2030 is a very achievable goal if we simply follow their lead.
A 2021 poll commissioned by CPAWS Yukon and the Yukon Conservation Society and carried out by DataPath Systems made it clear that Yukoners strongly support bold conservation targets. 78.3% of polled Yukoners want to see the Yukon match or exceed the federal conservation targets.
“Commiting to at least 30% protection by 2030 will show that the Yukon Government is prioritizing our cultural and ecological needs. It may seem tempting to think we don’t have to worry here because we have an abundance of nature right on our doorstep, but we can’t risk sleepwalking into similar environmental emergencies that the rest of the country faces. The Yukon Government has funding opportunities, public will, and pathways through land use planning to achieve bold conservation targets. Let’s get ‘er done.”
- Chris Rider, Executive Director of CPAWS Yukon
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Minister Guilbeault’s Statement on 30% by 2030
Government of Canada’s announcement on Indigenous Guardians funding
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database
Contact
Adil Darvesh, CPAWS Yukon Communications Manager,
adarvesh@cpawsyukon.org | 867-393-8080 x9