SECTION 1 – Questions on Key Issues

Park management is not about the active management of the ecosystems, plants, animals, or other features that make up a park. It is about the management of human actions within the park to make sure we as human beings are not causing harm to the ecosystems, plants, animals and other features. This is not to say that the intent is to prohibit all human use of the park area. We know that Yukon’s ecosystems evolved in step with humans on the landscape, and First Nations people having been in what is now the Asi Keyi Natural Environment Park area for generations. The intent of managing of human actions within the park is to make sure that the types of activities and the level of use are appropriate and will allow park managers to attain the Park Vision.
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For the most part, the approaches that the Steering Committee is proposing to address the management issues follow common management regimes for territorial parks and have no direct impact to park visitors. However, the Steering Committee is proposing some management approaches that could directly impact park visitors, namely how they are able use the park. As such we want to get a better understanding of how you currently use the park area, how you or your family have used it in the past, how you would like to use it in future, and what your values are regarding park use. The Steering Committee is looking for your feedback on key management areas that have the potential to directly impact how people use the park to help them make better informed decisions on management approaches. The Steering Committee is also interested in understanding if there are any specific locations within the park that you know to be particularly sensitive, again to help them make better informed decisions on management approaches.
Understanding Past Use by the Community
The park area has a complex history of use and prohibitions put in place by governments that occurred decades before the area was identified as a protected area in 2003. In the early 1940’s, hunting and trapping was restricted in a large area that today includes Asi Keyi Natural Environment Park, Kluane National Park and Reserve and the Kluane Wildlife Sanctuary. No persons, including First Nation citizens, were permitted to hunt or trap with the exception of miners with active claims in this area. Trapping and hunting by First Nation peoples has been reinstated within Asi Keyi Natural Environment Park.
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These restrictions put in place in the 1940’s, in addition to other influences, significantly changed how the people of White River First Nation and Kluane First Nation used the land. Today both First Nations use, and will continue to use, the park for activities such as, but not limited to, collection of medicines, hunting, fishing, and possibly the collection of surface copper. Establishment of Asi Keyi Natural Environment Park does not affect Treaty and Aboriginal rights for the two First Nations.

​The Steering Committee would like to get a better understanding of the history of you or your family’s use of the area that is now Asi Keyi Natural Environment Park.
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    Understanding Current Use and Future Wants
    In addition to implementing a gradual and thoughtful approach to opening the park to visitor use and different activities, the Steering Committee is proposing to prohibit certain activities within the park area that will have long-lived negative impacts. These proposed prohibitions are in keeping with the Objectives of the park, the Park Vision and guiding principles, and prohibitions that exist in other protected territorial parks in Yukon. The proposed prohibitions are not expected to impact any known current activities within the park. See pages 7-11 of the Engagement Backgrounder for the prohibitions that already exist in the park and will continue to be prohibited.

    The proposed prohibitions can be found in the proposed management approaches sections of the Background document. They are:
    • No domestic sheep, goats, or camelids (i.e. llamas and alpacas) in the park.
    • Prohibit development of roads within the park.
    • Prohibit development of landing strips for fixed wing aircraft within the park.
    • Development of trails by the public will not be permitted.
    • All industrial activities and non-park infrastructure developments that are incompatible with park values and guiding principles will be prohibited including:
      • Commercial timber harvesting
      • Power generation including all associated infrastructure (e.g. hydro, wind,
      • geothermal, solar fields, etc.). Note, this does not exclude small scale solar or wind power generation for facilities within the park.
      • Roads
      • Utility corridors (surface and subsurface) including oil pipelines
      • Infrastructure inside the park to support activities outside the park (ie. a road or trail through the park to access mineral claims outside it).
      • Quarrying
      • Any other type of industrial development or activity not listed
      • Commercial extraction of other natural resources not listed
    The Steering Committee would like to know how you currently use the park area, how you would like to use it in the future. The Steering Committee would also like to know if what they are proposing to prohibit will have a direct impact on any activities that you are currently undertaking within the park.

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    ​On a scale of 1-5, how important is it to you to be able to access and travel within the park using the following methods (1 = not important, 5 = very important):
    Taking a Precautionary Approach to Park Use
    Asi Keyi Natural Environment Park is a protected area, but it is also an area that will welcome visitors. The Steering Committee does not want to rush opening the park to use as all activities can have negative impacts if not managed correctly. At this time the Committee wants to only permit activities with low levels of impacts and in areas of the park that can sustain use. This will help to avoid long-lived negative impacts to the park environment. When park managers have a better understanding of how use is impacting the park, the three parties will consider opening the park to more use and different kinds of activities. This gradual opening of the park to more activities and uses will help ensure that there are no long-lived negative impacts and that park objectives and values are not compromised.

    With this in mind, the Steering Committee is proposing the following management approaches:
    • Consider feasibility and appropriateness of motorized methods of land and water travel including, but not limited to, snowmobiles, off road vehicles, and motorized boats.
    • Human-powered methods of access with low levels of physical impact to the park environment will be permitted. These include hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, pack-rafting (and other non-motorized boats).
    • Use of aircraft will be allowed. All aircraft (fixed-wing and rotor) will require a permit to land in the park.
    • Animal-powered methods of access will be allowed with a permit. This includes horseback and dog-sled team.
    • Other methods of access will be considered on a case-by-case basis to determine if they are appropriate or feasible within the park.
    • If it is determined in the future that any method of access is having undesired impacts to park values those methods may become restricted or prohibited.
    • Consider feasibility and appropriateness of developing and maintaining designated trails.
    • Consider development of seasonal travel restrictions in specific areas of the park in order to reduce impacts to important and sensitive biological events (i.e. calving).
    • If it is determined in future that existing management actions are not appropriate they may be amended to either increase or reduce restrictiveness.
    • Facilities for the public may be developed in future if the need arises, based on visitor use patterns to help manage use and reduce impacts on park values.
    ​The Steering Committee would like to get a better understanding of how you feel about a slow and cautious approach to opening the park up to visitor use.

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    Special Management Considerations
    Asi Keyi Natural Environment Park is a legally protected area. This means that activities that are not compatible with its conservation objectives are not permitted. Even though the whole park area is protected, there may be values, features, areas or times of year where or when increased restrictions or even reduced restrictions on use by people are advisable. There are many different types of tools that can be used to apply different levels of restrictions. Restrictions may be tight and prohibit use or they may be more open and allow for higher amounts of use. Restrictions can be very specific, for example, designated aircraft landing sites. Or they can be more generalized, for example, zones applied to the park that allow for activities and uses which may be different in each zone. Levels of restrictions can also be different at different times. For example, an area is closed to human use during lambing only, or areas may be closed to use for a few years to allow them to rest.

    The Steering Committee would like to know if there any values, features, areas, or times of year where/when you think special management considerations are advisable to put in place.

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    ​SECTION 2 - General Questions
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    The Steering Committee outlines information contextually important to this round of engagement in the document entitled Community and Public Engagement Background Package on: Management Issues, Proposed Goals and Possible Management Approaches. While the above questions focus on specific questions of the Steering Committee to help guide recommendations on key issues, the Steering Committee also wants to hear from you about the management issues, proposed goals and management approaches more generally.

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    Questions