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Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta

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What is Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta?

Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta (Tsoo-den-ee-len Too-yuh-ta) is a Indigenous and territorial protected area.

Established under the Protected Areas Act, Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta will strive to protect the biodiversity of the Taiga Plains and Taiga Cordillera while contributing to the cultural continuity of an area that is a sacred place and harvesting area of the K’asho Got’ı̨nę.

Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta is 10,060 km² in size and lies west of the Mackenzie River and the community of Fort Good Hope.

The establishment of Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta helps the GNWT fulfill commitments to the protection of biodiversity under the Pathway to Canada Target 1 initiative and the GNWT’s Healthy Land, Healthy People Action Plan, contributes to mitigation efforts under the 2030 NWT Climate Change Strategic Framework and, more broadly, supports the GNWT’s commitment to working with Indigenous governments to advance their priorities.

 

Ts’ude niline Tu’eyeta
Photo credit: Pat Kane

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Why is it important?

  • For generations, Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta has been used for trapping, hunting, fishing and camping. The area has many archaeological, burial and historic sites.
  • The Ramparts River watershed is a critical wetland that filters millions of litres of water per day. As a key migratory bird terrestrial habitat site, the wetlands provide excellent nesting, brood rearing and staging habitat for ducks, geese and loons.
  • Several species at risk – including peregrine falcon, grizzly bear, mountain caribou, wolverine, short-eared owl and boreal woodland caribou – are also found within Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta.
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Timeline

  • 1993 – The Ramparts is identified as a Sahtú heritage place/site in the Sahtú Dene and Métis Comprehensive Claim.
  • 2000 – The Ramparts Rivers and Wetlands is described in Rakekée Go’ié Godi: Places We Take Care Of: Report of the Sahtú Heritage Places and Sites Joint Working Group.
  • 2006 – Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta is sponsored as a candidate protected area under the NWT Protected Areas Strategy.
  • 2007 – The Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta Working Group is established.
  • 2011 – All assessments of the area’s values are completed (see Resources section below).
  • 2012 – The Final Working Group Recommendation Report is released.
  • 2013 – The K’asho Got’ine Lands Corporation requests establishment of Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta.
  • 2018 – Notice is provided to Sahtú Land Use Planning Board that the GNWT is in negotiations to pursue Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta under the Protected Areas Act.
  • 2019 – The GNWT provides a preliminary screening notification for the establishment of Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta Indigenous and territorial protected area. Comments received can be found on the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board Public Registry.
  • 2019 – The GNWT and the K’asho Got’ı̨nę sign an establishment agreement for Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta on September 4th, 2019.
  • 2022 – Regulations for Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta are finalized and the Indigenous and territorial protected area comes into force.
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Next steps

  • The GNWT and K’asho Got’ine are currently collaborating on implementing the Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta establishment agreement. This includes forming a management board and preliminary work on developing a management plan for Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta.
  • The GNWT is also working to develop regulations specific to Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta under the Procted Areas Act.
  • The GNWT will continue to recognize and respect Aboriginal and treaty rights, including requirements of land, resources and self-government agreements within Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta.
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Map

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Resources

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