Science and natural resources

The Government of Yukon and the Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board have developed a draft conservation plan for grizzly bears in the territory. The draft plan presents a 25-year vision for grizzly bears in Yukon, and outlines the conservation actions recommended to achieve this vision.

The Government of Yukon and the 11 self-governing First Nations are committed to the long-term responsible management of Yukon’s mineral resources, and to supporting a healthy mining industry that adheres to high environmental and social standards.

To help achieve this, they collectively appointed an independent panel.  The independent panel hosted a nine-month public engagement process.

We are proposing an update to the Quartz Mining Act to advance reconciliation. The changes would allow First Nations to stake quartz mineral claims on specific land that is withdrawn from staking. The changes will also provide opportunities to remediate some of Yukon’s abandoned Type II mine sites. 

There are approximately 700 known contaminated sites in Yukon. The contamination on these sites can range from very small (such as a leak from a fuel tank on a house) to very large (such as large-scale chemical spills).

The Contaminated Site Regulation establishes cleanup standards, processes for identifying, investigating and assessing contaminated sites, and permits for managing contaminated material within Yukon. The Spills Regulation sets reporting standards for spills of contaminants. 

Guided by the Supreme Court of Canada decision, the five parties worked collaboratively to complete, approve and implement a Regional Land Use Plan for the Peel Watershed that reflects the objectives of the Final Agreements. The first step is this final round of community engagement, which had two objectives:

The Government of Yukon, Yukon First Nations, transboundary Indigenous groups and local municipalities are working to update the way we address climate change, energy and building a green economy.

We are developing a new strategy that will make our communities more resilient, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and plan for Yukon’s energy needs and economic future.

We asked Yukoners about their priorities on addressing climate change, meeting our energy needs, and developing a green economy.

Planning for a healthy forest in the Whitehorse and Southern Lakes area includes you.

We want to know if the plan meets the needs of the people in the Whitehorse and Southern Lakes area.

After years of collaborative effort, we have a plan for the Whitehorse and Southern Lakes area that will provide a balanced approach for the management and use of forests in the area.

The recommended Whitehorse and Southern Lakes Forest Resources Management Plan:

After two years of work with the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations, local residents and stakeholders including the Alsek Renewable Resources Council and the Yukon Wood Products Association, we have a draft timber harvest plan for the Quill Creek area.  

We asked Yukoners:

The Government of Yukon’s Forest Management Branch is currently working to complete an annual allowable cut determination for timber in the Dawson forest resources management plan area.

Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in is also completing an annual allowable cut determination on their respective Settlement Land within the plan area.

As part of the public engagement process, information for the annual allowable cut determination is available for the public to review and comment upon.