Dawson Region - CPAWS Yukon

Planning in the Dawson Region

The Dawson Region hosts vast landscapes of intact boreal forest, wetlands that store ancient peat and carbon, and soaring mountains etched with hoofprints.

Fortymile caribou by Malkolm Boothroyd

The Dawson Region is steeped in the history and culture of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in people. Land use planning is in its final stages and will shape the region’s future.

The planning area for the Dawson Regional Land Use Plan encompasses intact boreal forests, wetlands that store ancient peat and carbon, and soaring mountains etched with the hoofprints of wild sheep. These landscapes anchor the tradition and culture of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, with ecosystems that support keystone species like caribou, grizzly bears, and salmon. Yukoners and tourists alike hike, paddle, pick berries, hunt, and fish here. When completed, the Dawson Plan will give certainty to the people and wildlife that call this special place home.

Where we stand now – the Final Recommended Plan

Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation and the Yukon government (the Parties to the Plan) have launched public consultations on the current Final Recommended Dawson Regional Land Use Plan. This is the final draft stage before it becomes the Final Dawson Regional Land Use Plan that will be used for years to come.

This is the last opportunity to ensure that the Dawson Plan still includes your vision for the future of the Dawson Region. After this public engagement, Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and the Yukon government will compile the feedback and implement what they can into a final Dawson Plan for approval by Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and the Yukon government .

The Dawson Plan is built by Yukoners for Yukoners, but it is not yet finalized. The deadline to comment is Friday December 18th, 2026.

Upon review, we feel that the Final Recommended Dawson Plan is an excellent baseline, but there’s room for improvement.

What’s in the Final Recommended Plan and how can it be improved?

Co-Management and Culture must be pillars of the Dawson Plan

In the spirit of the Dawson Plan’s motto, “On the land we walk together – Nän käk ndä tr’ädäl,” the Final Recommended Plan includes clear language and intent for the Yukon government and Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in to co-manage and jointly implement the future Accepted Plan. This is a real win for the Dawson Plan and sets a powerful precedent for the land use planning across the territory moving forward. The Yukon government and Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in coming together as equal partners to manage and implement the Dawson Plan will ensure culturally significant areas within the Dawson Region are stewarded for future generations of Yukoners.

Our Recommendation: Co-management and joint implementation between Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and Yukon Government remain a pillar of the Dawson Plan and should not be removed or reduced in any way. This is vital.
Wetlands should have the highest level of protection

A major concern from previous Plan drafts was the lack of landscape connectivity throughout the region. Connectivity ensures that wildlife like wolves, caribou, and grizzly bears have large, uninterrupted areas to not only survive, but thrive. Healthy wetlands keep wildlife corridors open and accessible across ecosystems and help keep our lakes and rivers clean and connected across vast distances.

The Final Recommended Plan made considerable improvements to connectivity, with stronger land and water protections in the Wehtr’e (Antimony) area and the Łuk Tthe K’ät (Scottie –Ladue) wetlands. These are all positive changes for wetlands and wildlife, and we must ensure that they don’t get reduced!

One area of the current draft that needs strengthening, however, is the protections for Nän Dhòhdäl (Upper Indian Wetlands). This area faces immense pressure from placer mining, but is an important wetland with fens and bogs that are thousands of years old that store carbon and safeguard us against wildfires. They are also culturally important harvesting grounds for First Nations, learn more as you travel with Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in citizens down the Indian River:

Our Recommendation: The increased protections within Wehtr’e and Łuk Tthe K’ät are positive improvements that must remain in the Dawson Plan. To build on these strengths, we want to see Nän Dhòhdäl designated as a Special Management Area. This is the only way to ensure that planning comes before development.
Chu Kon Dëk (Yukon River Corridor) should be protected from the start

The Yukon River watershed is the very heart of the Dawson Region. The surrounding rivers, like the Stewart, White and Klondike, all flow into the Yukon River and sustain wildlife, plants, and communities as they etch their way through the landscape.

The current draft recommends that planning for Chu Kon Dëk (Yukon River Corridor) be done through a different planning process – sub-regional planning – to begin six months after the final approval of the Dawson Plan.

Chu Kon Dëk is important not just to Dawson’s people and wildlife, but to all Yukoners connected to the larger watershed. The lower section of the Stewart River is part of the Chu Kon Dëk area in the Dawson Plan, providing greater protections for a vital Yukon River tributary that runs through the Goldfields. There is also clear support in the current Plan for Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in if they choose to pursue an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area or Legal Personhood for the Yukon River.

Our Recommendation: Until a sub-regional plan is complete, Chu Kon Dëk should be designated for interim protection with a staking moratorium.
Caribou health and habitat must be a priority

The Dawson Region is home to the Fortymile, Porcupine, and Nelchina migratory caribou herds, as well as the Hart River, Clear Creek, and Klaza woodland caribou herds. Their health and survival rely on the region’s undisturbed alpine plateaus, clean water, and fragile lichen carpets. Mining operations and access roads are well known to push caribou out of their key habitat, shrinking the herds’ population and survival.

The Final Recommended Plan includes more protections to limit human-caused disturbances in vital caribou habitat. It includes three “caribou overlays” within core winter and summer habitats for the Fortymile and Nelchina herds, as well as the most important habitats for the woodland herds. These overlays are separate map layers that move across the boundaries of the Dawson Plan’s management areas, reflecting the needs and realities migrating caribou face in the region. These “caribou overlays” seek to protect the functional habitats caribou use and use the health of lichen as an indicator for caribou health.

Our Recommendation: The Final Recommended Plan made big strides forward for caribou in the Dawson Region; these are the minimum protections we can accept as we move forward. No protections for the herds should be lost.
At least 45% of the Dawson Region should be conserved

In the current draft, 43% of the Dawson Region is protected through Special Management Areas, excluding Tombstone Territorial Park and Settlement Land. Almost all all mineral claims are outside of the Special Management Areas.

Our Recommendation: The Dawson Plan must protect at least 45% of the Dawson Region with no rollbacks protections to secure a sustainable future for the lands, waters, wildlife, and people.

Ways to Engage

We have until Friday December 18th to ensure that the Dawson Plan reflects the values and vision that we have for a healthy Dawson Region.

The Dawson Plan is built by Yukoners and is for everyone.

To submit your comments to Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and the Yukon government, you can:

Take the online survey. The survey is 40-60 minutes long, and it helps to have your notes together before starting.
Send an email to dawson-rlup@yukon.ca with your comments to strengthen the Dawson Plan.

Take the Survey

Send an Email

To learn more or ask questions you can visit the official, community info sessions throughout the month of November:

Dawson City

Monday Nov 9th
3 pm – 7 pm
Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Community Hall

Friday Nov 20th
11 am – 2 pm
Downtown Hotel

Mayo

Thursday Nov 12th
4 pm – 7 pm
Mayo Curling Lounge

Old Crow

Monday Nov 16th
4 pm – 7 pm
Darius Elias Community Hall

Whitehorse

Wednesday Nov 18th
4 pm – 8 pm
Gold Rush Inn

Online

Tuesday Nov 24th
6 pm to 7:30 pm
Register on Zoom

Planning in the Dawson Region

Where we stand now – the Final Recommended Plan

What’s in the Final Recommended Plan and how can it be improved?

Ways to Engage

Dawson City

Mayo

Old Crow

Whitehorse

Online

Stories from the Dawson Region

Moments from Mayo to Moosehide

Peat beneath our feet

On the Dawson Region Recommended Plan

How do we give a voice to the wilderness?

Contact Us

Quick Links