What lies in the store for the Peel watershed? Only the Yukon government knows for sure and it's still not telling.
When quizzed about the mineral staking ban, which is set to expire on New Year's Eve, the government failed to provide any clear answers.
Here is that Dec. 19 exchange, the last day of the fall sitting of the legislature.
NDP MLA Kate White: The land use planning process for the Peel watershed engaged an unprecedented number of Yukoners. The result of this collective effort is the final recommended plan for the Peel watershed, a balanced plan that sees 55% of the pristine watershed protected.
In developing the final recommended plan, the Peel Watershed Planning Commission heard from First Nation people and their governments, from the mining and tourism industries, from hunters and trappers, from youth and seniors, and from many, many other Yukoners.
The commission was successful in its efforts to ensure that the Peel planning process was thorough, open, respectful and inclusive. It is something that all Yukoners can be proud of.
Will the government recognize the enthusiasm, the commitment and the good faith of all those who participated in the Peel land use planning process and accept the final recommended Peel plan as it was written?
Environment Minister Currie Dixon: Our position on this particular issue hasn’t changed. We have previously indicated that the approach we think is in the best interest of all Yukoners is to modify the final recommended plan submitted by the commission. We’ve suggested that modifications that allow for the use of the highest level of protection in some areas, including the creation of parks or protected areas, is important and also new tools to manage the footprint of any potential activity, including natural resource exploration, are appropriate for other areas. That is the preferred approach that we are taking.
We have been working very hard to meet our consultation obligations as outlined in the Umbrella Final Agreement with the affected First Nations, and we want to exhaust every possible opportunity to come up with a land use plan for the entire watershed region that is supported by all parties of the process.
Our intention is to have a land use plan in place before the staking withdrawal expires later this month. If we are not able to accomplish that, one of the tools that we have is to extend that withdrawal. That is, of course, something we will consider at the appropriate time.
As we have indicated previously, we want to arrive at a land use plan that is balanced, that balances the need for special protection of key areas in the Peel watershed region, but also allows for reasonable, responsible and sustainable development of our natural resources. It allows those folks in various industries that could be doing work up there to conduct their business and do it in a responsible manner that respects the environment.
Kate White: Yukoners young and old continue to raise their voices in defence of the Peel watershed and the final recommended plan. More than nine years into the planning processes, widespread concern for the Peel watershed has not faltered. We are privileged to be the stewards of this magnificent watershed, but I fear that this privilege has been taken from the Yukon public by a government that just won’t listen.
At this 11th hour, the fate of the Peel watershed is known only to this government.
Out of respect for the four affected First Nations and all Yukoners, will the minister assure this House that the Yukon Party government will not release their final plan for the Peel watershed during the holiday season?
EMR Minister Scott Kent: As mentioned by my colleague, the minister of environment, in his initial response. We are looking to bring a modified plan that not only respects the environmental and ecological integrity of the Peel watershed as well as the traditional uses, but also respects those individuals who earn their living working in the resource industry.
I know there are number of Yukoners who gathered here today to voice their concerns about the Peel watershed and are in support of the final recommended plan. I can assure this House that I talk to individuals on a daily basis in this community and throughout the Yukon who earn a living from the resource-extraction industry, and they would like to see opportunities for them to continue to earn a living here in the Yukon and continue to raise their families here.
These aren’t nameless, faceless corporations. They are our friends. They are our families. They are the individuals we know from the hockey rinks, the coffee shops and the grocery stores. These are real Yukoners who are looking to ensure that they have opportunities to continue to provide food for their families and continue to live in the Yukon and raise their families here.
Kate White: The final recommended plan allows for development in 45% of the Peel watershed. The moratorium on new mineral, oil and gas claims in the Peel watershed will expire in 12 days, on December 31. Until today, I’ve been repeatedly told that it would be premature to announce any decision to extend the moratorium under the Quartz Mining Act and the Placer Mining Act.
The four affected First Nations, the citizens here the gallery and everyone who participated in the Peel planning process for the last nine years want to know, will the government commit today to an extension of the interim staking withdrawal in the Peel watershed until the final recommended Peel Watershed Regional Land Use Plan is put in place?
Scott Kent: What we want to do is exhaust every opportunity to come up with the land use plan for the entire Peel watershed area that is supported by all of the parties to the process.
Our intention is to have a land use plan in place before the staking withdrawal expires. If we are not able to accomplish that, one of the tools we have is to extend that withdrawal, and that is something that we would consider at the appropriate time. I know the Member for Riverdale South did a tribute today to people who work over the holidays, and thankfully the minister of environment and I are two of those individuals who will be working through the Christmas holidays.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Yukon gov't Xmas grinch circling the Peel?
Spoiler alert: The Yukon government may be waiting until the eggnog is flowing freely - anytime after Dec. 19 - before dropping its final Peel watershed land use plan bombshell.
The opposition says it sure looks like that`s the strategy. And the government didn't jump at the chance to deny the charge when it was quizzed in the legislature Dec. 3.
For your reading pleasure, here`s what was said, word-for-word.
NDP Kate White: For seven years, First Nation governments, industry and the public engaged in good faith with the Yukon government to develop a land use plan for the Peel watershed. However, the Yukon Party government then ignored the final recommended Peel plan. The public knows that 55% protection, as indicated in the final recommended plan, is balanced. Despite this, the government has been trying to impose on Yukoners and the four affected First Nations a completely new land use plan. We know that this government received final input from those First Nation governments just last week. Will the minister tell this House if his government has the agreement of the four Yukon First Nations to move ahead on a final land use plan for the Peel watershed?
Environment Minister Currie Dixon: As I’ve indicated previously, we have received input from the four affected First Nations with regard to the government-to-government consultation that we undertook with them. We are currently reviewing the input we’ve received from First Nations. Once we’ve concluded the review and consideration of the input we received from First Nations, we’ll determine how to move forward. We will remain engaged with First Nations as we continue forward, and especially, once it comes to implementation, we would hope that implementation would be something we could do in collaboration with First Nations.
As I’ve indicated in this House before and in the public before, we felt that the final recommended plan as presented by the commission was not balanced and, indeed, could be improved upon by applying certain modifications. We then consulted the public on those modifications and received a significant amount of input.
Of course, our intention is to move forward with a land use plan that provides protection for key areas in the Peel watershed region, but also allows for a balanced use and balanced provisions for access that allow our economy to continue on currently and into the future.
Kate White: The minister’s answers provide little comfort to those who want economic and legal certainty in this territory. The minister’s answers also leave much open to speculation. The staking moratorium in the Peel expires on December 31 of this year. The legislature’s last sitting day is on December 19. Most First Nation government offices will be closed over the Christmas week and, in some cases, into the new year. The public’s attention during the last half of December will be turned to celebration, to family and to friends. This government has a record of burying controversial items by announcing them on a Friday of a long weekend or during a holiday period. Is it this government’s intention to announce its own unilateral land use plan for the Peel watershed during the holiday period?
Energy, Mines & Resources Minister Scott Kent: There is no date that is set for a final decision on a plan for the Peel but, as mentioned by the minister of environment, we’re hopeful that all the parties have prioritized this for a timely conclusion of this important planning process.
I certainly recognize that there a number of Yukoners who have invested significantly of their time and their effort, no matter what side of the Peel debate they’re on — whether they want to see land used for traditional purposes or wilderness tourism, or whether they’re engaged in responsible resource activity and they want to make sure that there is a land base available to them going forward to find the next discovery like the Rackla or the White Gold.
This certainly isn’t an issue where you can run to one side or, like the New Democrats do, pick winners or losers. We’re trying to find a balanced plan for the Peel watershed, one with which we can ensure there remains healthy economic activity balanced against the environmental protection and the traditional uses that Yukoners value as well. That’s what we’re working toward.
We’re not going to put an artificial timeline on that. We’re going to ensure that we exhaust every opportunity to come up with a plan that works, not only for the Yukon government, but our First Nation partners as well.
Kate White: The lack of assurance by this government to not announce its own land use plan for the Peel watershed during the Christmas and New Year’s break is very troubling.
By refusing to rule out this possibility, it suggests that the Yukon Party government is contemplating just that. Such an action by this government would be an affront to democracy, would bring dishonour to the Crown and would be contemptuous to Yukoners and to all those who participated in the planning process. Most importantly, it would be a great disrespect to First Nation governments.
Will this government commit to not announcing its own land use plan for the Peel watershed during the holiday period and to extending the interim subsurface withdrawals in the Peel region until after December 31?
Minister Kent: What I’ll commit to is announcing the final Peel watershed plan when it is ready. That’s something that the minister of environment has talked about. Again, we’re reviewing input from First Nations that we’ve received over the past while. That final round of consultations with our First Nation partners has been ongoing for some time now. There is a lot of information and we want to ensure that we exhaust every opportunity to find a plan that not only works for us as the Yukon government, but also works for our First Nation partners.
Again, with respect to the announcement of a final plan or the extension of the staking withdrawal in the Peel watershed, we certainly want to exhaust all the opportunities that we can to reach consensus with our First Nation partners and develop a plan that will work for all Yukoners no matter where they are on this issue.
Again, as I’ve mentioned, the NDP seeks to always run to one side of any argument. We need to, as government, be responsible and find a balance that works for Yukoners, whether they’re First Nations in that area or whether they work in Marwell here in Whitehorse supporting the mining industry. We want to make sure that there are opportunities for everyone when it comes to the Peel watershed and the entire Yukon.
The opposition says it sure looks like that`s the strategy. And the government didn't jump at the chance to deny the charge when it was quizzed in the legislature Dec. 3.
For your reading pleasure, here`s what was said, word-for-word.
NDP Kate White: For seven years, First Nation governments, industry and the public engaged in good faith with the Yukon government to develop a land use plan for the Peel watershed. However, the Yukon Party government then ignored the final recommended Peel plan. The public knows that 55% protection, as indicated in the final recommended plan, is balanced. Despite this, the government has been trying to impose on Yukoners and the four affected First Nations a completely new land use plan. We know that this government received final input from those First Nation governments just last week. Will the minister tell this House if his government has the agreement of the four Yukon First Nations to move ahead on a final land use plan for the Peel watershed?
Environment Minister Currie Dixon: As I’ve indicated previously, we have received input from the four affected First Nations with regard to the government-to-government consultation that we undertook with them. We are currently reviewing the input we’ve received from First Nations. Once we’ve concluded the review and consideration of the input we received from First Nations, we’ll determine how to move forward. We will remain engaged with First Nations as we continue forward, and especially, once it comes to implementation, we would hope that implementation would be something we could do in collaboration with First Nations.
As I’ve indicated in this House before and in the public before, we felt that the final recommended plan as presented by the commission was not balanced and, indeed, could be improved upon by applying certain modifications. We then consulted the public on those modifications and received a significant amount of input.
Of course, our intention is to move forward with a land use plan that provides protection for key areas in the Peel watershed region, but also allows for a balanced use and balanced provisions for access that allow our economy to continue on currently and into the future.
Kate White: The minister’s answers provide little comfort to those who want economic and legal certainty in this territory. The minister’s answers also leave much open to speculation. The staking moratorium in the Peel expires on December 31 of this year. The legislature’s last sitting day is on December 19. Most First Nation government offices will be closed over the Christmas week and, in some cases, into the new year. The public’s attention during the last half of December will be turned to celebration, to family and to friends. This government has a record of burying controversial items by announcing them on a Friday of a long weekend or during a holiday period. Is it this government’s intention to announce its own unilateral land use plan for the Peel watershed during the holiday period?
Energy, Mines & Resources Minister Scott Kent: There is no date that is set for a final decision on a plan for the Peel but, as mentioned by the minister of environment, we’re hopeful that all the parties have prioritized this for a timely conclusion of this important planning process.
I certainly recognize that there a number of Yukoners who have invested significantly of their time and their effort, no matter what side of the Peel debate they’re on — whether they want to see land used for traditional purposes or wilderness tourism, or whether they’re engaged in responsible resource activity and they want to make sure that there is a land base available to them going forward to find the next discovery like the Rackla or the White Gold.
This certainly isn’t an issue where you can run to one side or, like the New Democrats do, pick winners or losers. We’re trying to find a balanced plan for the Peel watershed, one with which we can ensure there remains healthy economic activity balanced against the environmental protection and the traditional uses that Yukoners value as well. That’s what we’re working toward.
We’re not going to put an artificial timeline on that. We’re going to ensure that we exhaust every opportunity to come up with a plan that works, not only for the Yukon government, but our First Nation partners as well.
Kate White: The lack of assurance by this government to not announce its own land use plan for the Peel watershed during the Christmas and New Year’s break is very troubling.
By refusing to rule out this possibility, it suggests that the Yukon Party government is contemplating just that. Such an action by this government would be an affront to democracy, would bring dishonour to the Crown and would be contemptuous to Yukoners and to all those who participated in the planning process. Most importantly, it would be a great disrespect to First Nation governments.
Will this government commit to not announcing its own land use plan for the Peel watershed during the holiday period and to extending the interim subsurface withdrawals in the Peel region until after December 31?
Minister Kent: What I’ll commit to is announcing the final Peel watershed plan when it is ready. That’s something that the minister of environment has talked about. Again, we’re reviewing input from First Nations that we’ve received over the past while. That final round of consultations with our First Nation partners has been ongoing for some time now. There is a lot of information and we want to ensure that we exhaust every opportunity to find a plan that not only works for us as the Yukon government, but also works for our First Nation partners.
Again, with respect to the announcement of a final plan or the extension of the staking withdrawal in the Peel watershed, we certainly want to exhaust all the opportunities that we can to reach consensus with our First Nation partners and develop a plan that will work for all Yukoners no matter where they are on this issue.
Again, as I’ve mentioned, the NDP seeks to always run to one side of any argument. We need to, as government, be responsible and find a balance that works for Yukoners, whether they’re First Nations in that area or whether they work in Marwell here in Whitehorse supporting the mining industry. We want to make sure that there are opportunities for everyone when it comes to the Peel watershed and the entire Yukon.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Kent coy as clock ticks on Peel staking ban
The moratorium on new mineral, oil and gas claims in the Peel watershed expires on Dec. 31.
Even though that's less than a month away, the Yukon government refuses to say whether it plans to extend it or not.
When first put in place in 2010, the government promised it would remain until a land use plan for the watershed was completed. That plan is nowhere in sight.
Here's what the Yukon Party government had to say in response to questions from NDP environment critic Kate White in the Yukon legislature Dec. 2:
NDP Kate White: Last week, the minister of EMR (Energy, Mines & Resources) said that the government was engaging in the final round of consultations with the four affected First Nation governments before finalizing a land use plan for the Peel watershed. The minister of environment said that he was looking forward to concluding them as soon as possible so that the government can move on and ultimately implement a land use plan for the Peel watershed region.
We’ve been told that there has been at least one meeting of the principals that involved the minister of environment, the minister of energy, mines and resources and the premier, and that the hope was to continue working with their senior liaison committee on a government-to-government basis to conclude consultations as soon as possible. Has the Yukon government scheduled another meeting with First Nation governments or have consultations concluded?
Environment Minister Currie Dixon: We are in receipt of input from First Nations through the government-to-government consultations that the member opposite has referenced. We continue to review and give due and thorough consideration to the input we’ve received from the four affected First Nations in north Yukon that are part of the planning process. We intend to remain engaged with Yukon First Nations as we move forward and give consideration to the input they’ve provided us.
The member opposite is quite correct that we would like to see this process wrap up as soon as possible and bring forward a land use plan that we feel balances the needs of the environment in the north Yukon, as well as the needs of our economy today and into the future.
Kate White: In four weeks the staking moratorium for the Peel watershed will come to an end. We’re entering the holiday season. Government offices will be closed and this just adds to the time crunch. For three weeks in a row, the minister has said it was premature to speak about extending the Peel moratorium under the Quartz Mining Act and the Placer Mining Act. The minister said he was looking forward to concluding consultations with the four affected First Nations on the Peel plan as soon as possible.
Will this government present their final plan for the Peel by the end of this month and, if not, will the minister commit to extending the temporary withdrawal of mineral staking in the Peel watershed past December 31?
Energy, Mines & Resources Minister Scott Kent: As my colleague, the minister of environment, said, we are engaged in consultations with First Nations and we’re reviewing input from First Nations. We’re looking to come up with a fair and balanced land use plan for the Peel watershed that not only respects environmental impacts and traditional uses for that area, but also the economic opportunities that are also part of what we’re trying to accomplish.
My answer with respect to the staking ban remains the same. We’re not prepared at this time to speculate on what is going to happen. The staking ban is in effect until the end of this month. We’re working diligently and hard with our First Nation partners to come up with that mutually acceptable and balanced plan that respects all sectors of the economy and offers opportunities for multiple land users who want to use the Peel watershed.
Even though that's less than a month away, the Yukon government refuses to say whether it plans to extend it or not.
When first put in place in 2010, the government promised it would remain until a land use plan for the watershed was completed. That plan is nowhere in sight.
Here's what the Yukon Party government had to say in response to questions from NDP environment critic Kate White in the Yukon legislature Dec. 2:
NDP Kate White: Last week, the minister of EMR (Energy, Mines & Resources) said that the government was engaging in the final round of consultations with the four affected First Nation governments before finalizing a land use plan for the Peel watershed. The minister of environment said that he was looking forward to concluding them as soon as possible so that the government can move on and ultimately implement a land use plan for the Peel watershed region.
We’ve been told that there has been at least one meeting of the principals that involved the minister of environment, the minister of energy, mines and resources and the premier, and that the hope was to continue working with their senior liaison committee on a government-to-government basis to conclude consultations as soon as possible. Has the Yukon government scheduled another meeting with First Nation governments or have consultations concluded?
Environment Minister Currie Dixon: We are in receipt of input from First Nations through the government-to-government consultations that the member opposite has referenced. We continue to review and give due and thorough consideration to the input we’ve received from the four affected First Nations in north Yukon that are part of the planning process. We intend to remain engaged with Yukon First Nations as we move forward and give consideration to the input they’ve provided us.
The member opposite is quite correct that we would like to see this process wrap up as soon as possible and bring forward a land use plan that we feel balances the needs of the environment in the north Yukon, as well as the needs of our economy today and into the future.
Kate White: In four weeks the staking moratorium for the Peel watershed will come to an end. We’re entering the holiday season. Government offices will be closed and this just adds to the time crunch. For three weeks in a row, the minister has said it was premature to speak about extending the Peel moratorium under the Quartz Mining Act and the Placer Mining Act. The minister said he was looking forward to concluding consultations with the four affected First Nations on the Peel plan as soon as possible.
Will this government present their final plan for the Peel by the end of this month and, if not, will the minister commit to extending the temporary withdrawal of mineral staking in the Peel watershed past December 31?
Energy, Mines & Resources Minister Scott Kent: As my colleague, the minister of environment, said, we are engaged in consultations with First Nations and we’re reviewing input from First Nations. We’re looking to come up with a fair and balanced land use plan for the Peel watershed that not only respects environmental impacts and traditional uses for that area, but also the economic opportunities that are also part of what we’re trying to accomplish.
My answer with respect to the staking ban remains the same. We’re not prepared at this time to speculate on what is going to happen. The staking ban is in effect until the end of this month. We’re working diligently and hard with our First Nation partners to come up with that mutually acceptable and balanced plan that respects all sectors of the economy and offers opportunities for multiple land users who want to use the Peel watershed.
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