A new national park in the Yukon’s Peel Watershed is being explored by the Gwich’in Tribal Council, the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun and the Yukon and federal governments.

The fourth in the Yukon, the new national park would encompass more than half the size of Prince Edward Island.

“A national park in the Peel Watershed would permanently protect the area, contribute to the recovery of species at risk, and support the continuation of Indigenous cultural practices for future generations,” Parks Canada said today from Inuvik.

“On this Earth Day, in partnership with Indigenous peoples and in close collaboration with provincial, territorial, and municipal governments, the Government of Canada re-affirms its commitment to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and to restore biological diversity levels by 2050.”

Grand Chief Ken Kyikavichik of the Gwich’in Tribal Council, Chief Dawna Hope of the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun, Nils Clarke, the Yukon’s minister of the Environment, and Steven Guilbeault, the federal minister of Environment and Climate Change and minister responsible for Parks Canada, took part in today’s announcement.

The Peel Watershed covers 74,000 square kilometres, from its headwaters in the Yukon to its confluence with the Mackenzie River near Fort McPherson in the Northwest Territories.

The watershed sits in the traditional territories of the Gwich’in and the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun.

“The Peel Watershed holds great cultural significance and is central to the traditions, cultures, and ways of life for both the Gwich’in and the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun, who have been caring for these lands and waters since time immemorial,” Parks Canada said.

“It is the habitat for the Porcupine caribou herd, boasting a diverse landscape with free-flowing rivers, untouched boreal forest, and deep river canyons.

“The forests are essential for sustaining boreal caribou as well as other iconic Canadian species, including grizzly bears, peregrine falcons, and moose.”

The canyons are home to an abundance of waterfowl, birds of prey, and other migratory birds each spring.

As well, the Peel River and its tributaries hold crucial spawning areas for whitefish and other important fish species.

The area being considered for the new park includes the Peel River corridor, Turner Lake Wetlands, and Caribou River, which are identified for permanent protection under the Peel Watershed Regional Land Use Plan.

If established, the new national park would permanently protect 3,000 square kilometres of rich and diverse landscapes.

It would also help sustain biodiversity, help fight the effects of climate change, and complement the federal government’s commitment to conserving 30 per cent of lands and waters in Canada by 2030.

The park would only be created with the full support the Gwich’in Tribal Council and the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun.

“It would also be co-developed and co-managed with both nations, as Parks Canada is committed to a system of national heritage places that recognizes and honours the historic and contemporary contributions of Indigenous peoples, their histories and cultures, as well as the special relationships Indigenous peoples have with ancestral lands and waters,” Parks Canada said.

“Climate change, biodiversity loss, and human impacts on the environment require bold action to safeguard the Yukon’s diverse ecosystems, culture, and traditions,” said Clarke.

“A feasibility study for a national park is a key next step in implementing the Peel Watershed Regional Land Use Plan.

“This will further protect this area for future generations and supports the conservation and protection goals of the Canada-Yukon Nature Agreement.”

Yukon MP Brendan Hanley called the watershed “a special place – one of incredible beauty, rich ecosystems, and great cultural value.

“The signing of this collaboration accord between the Gwich’in Tribal Council, the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun, Parks Canada, and the Government of Yukon is great news.

“Today is a prime example of how we are working together to protect natural landscapes and biodiversity for the benefit of current and future generations,” Hanley added.

Kyikavichik said the Gwich’in Tribal Council “is thrilled at the prospect of permanently protecting our homelands in the Teetł’it Gwinjik (Peel River) Watershed.

“The Gwich’in have lived in these areas for thousands of years, and we continue to exercise our traditional ways of subsistence and living out on these lands.

“As we work to reconnect our future generations to this vital landscape, it is our intention that a National Park can assist in reconciling our relationship with Canada by sharing this unique ecosystem with Canada and abroad through preservation and the creation of a land-based economy in our traditional territory,” Kyikavichik said.

Hope said, “The Collaboration Accord we are celebrating today is an important expression of our commitment, with the governments of Canada, Yukon, and the Gwich’in Tribal Council, to jointly implement the Peel Watershed Land Use Plan.

“It is vindication for all the work of our elders and citizens in negotiating the Nacho Nyak Dun Final Agreement and tirelessly advocating for protection of the Peel - all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada.

“As we have said so often over the past 20 years, the Peel is an area of unparalleled cultural and spiritual value for our people,” Hope added.

“It is our place of refuge. We look forward to collaborating with our Gwich’in cousins and the Governments of Canada and Yukon to co-manage the lands in the Peel in a way that ensures those lands are respected and protected for all time.”

Guilbeault said the impacts of climate change “are felt around the world, but are even more pronounced in the North.

“Exploring the feasibility of establishing a new national park in the Yukon is a great step toward protecting this amazing territory’s beautiful and unique ecosystems.

“Thank you to the Gwich’in Tribal Council, the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun, the Government of Yukon, and Parks Canada for your initiative and desire to establish a new national park to protect and conserve the important cultural and natural areas the Peel Watershed has to offer.”

During implementation of the watershed regional land use plan (approved in 2019), a northern portion of the watershed was identified by the Gwich’in Tribal Council as a potential candidate for a new national park.

The Canada-Yukon Nature Agreement took effect in April 2023.

Through this pact, Ottawa is supporting the Yukon government and Indigenous governments to work toward initiatives related to conservation, protected areas and biodiversity.

A new national park in the Peel Watershed would permanently protect a portion of the Northern Boreal Plains Natural Region, which is currently under-represented in the National Parks System Plan.

The Yukon has three national parks or national park reserves: Ivvavik National Park; Kluane National Park and Reserve; and Vuntut National Park.