Agreement to protect subsurface of N.W.T.'s Edéhzhié Protected Area achieved
An agreement on protection for the subsurface of the Edéhzhíe Protected Area in the Northwest Territories has been achieved, according to a news release sent on Friday.
The territorial government is extending a subsurface land withdrawal for the Edéhzhíe Protected Area, states the joint news release between Premier Caroline Cochrane and Dehcho First Nations Grand Chief Gladys Norwegian.
Edéhzhíe, a plateau that rises out of the Mackenzie Valley to the west of Great Slave Lake, covers 25,000 square kilometres of land. Subsurface land is a term used to describe water bodies and anything that lies beneath the surface or the ground.
The area has been a spiritual gathering and hunting place in the Dehcho since time immemorial.
The land withdrawal provides indefinite protection for 14,200 square kilometres of subsurface land, complementing the designation of an Edéhzhíe National Wildlife Area. In 2018, after 16 years of negotiations, a portion of Edéhzhíe was officially federally protected as a national wildlife area.
"The extended withdrawal will complement this culturally and ecologically important region's future designation as a National Wildlife Area," states the release.
The permanent protection of the ecological and cultural values of Edéhzhíe under the Canada Wildlife Act, was recommended by a multi-stakeholder working group, according to the release.
Completing the designation will "support community job creation, climate action, regional decision making, and implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples," the release states.
Commitment to finish Dehcho land-use plan
Premier Cochrane and Grand Chief Norwegian also committed to completing the Dehcho land-use plan "as soon as possible."
"The finalized plan will provide a shared vision to respect land in the region in a manner that guides conservation and supports the economic, social and cultural well-being of residents in the Dehcho."
Lands Minister Shane Thompson also emphasized the cultural and ecological significance of Edéhzhíe in the release, stating the work to advance the area is "an important piece of the land management picture for the Dehcho region."
In the release, Norwegian said this represents a new government to government relationship, saying elders have always seen Edéhzhíe as an important landmark.
"Today we celebrate this important milestone. It ensures a successful future for Edéhzhíe that will help enable Dene survival and well being into the future," said Norwegian in the release.
Cochrane is quoted as saying that by working together she is confident that the territorial government and the Dehcho First Nations can build "strong, trusting and respectful relationships that will resolve many of the complex challenges we have faced for decades."
