The Mackenzie Valley Five-Year Action Plan
The NWT Protected Areas Strategy (PAS) outlines a community-based process to establish a network of protected areas across the NWT. It recognizes the need to balance conservation and economic development, while respecting Aboriginal rights, third party interests, and land use planning processes.
Conservation planning for pipeline development
The Mackenzie Valley Five-Year Action Plan describes what needs to be done over five years (2005-2010) to help communities in the Mackenzie Valley work through the PAS process to protect the land in advance of pipeline development.
The Action Plan is part of the PAS, and will be driven by community decisions. It was created by aboriginal, government, environmental, and private industry partners of the PAS.
Why do we need the Mackenzie Valley Five-Year Action Plan?
Few areas in the Mackenzie Valley are protected for the long term, and there is a lot of potential for new development. The proposed Mackenzie Gas Project will directly or indirectly affect 16 different ecoregions in the Mackenzie Valley. The pipeline will bring other development as well, including feeder lines to communities and all-weather roads.
The Action Plan was created as a part of the preparation for development in the Mackenzie Valley. As development proceeds, it will become more difficult to protect important areas and connect them to form a network of protected areas.
Communities, with support from PAS partners, need to take action now to work towards their long-term conservation goals in the Mackenzie Valley. The Action Plan helps focus the resources of all the PAS Partners to meet the timeline of the proposed Mackenzie Gas Project.
Objectives of the Mackenzie Valley Five-Year Action Plan
- Enhance protected areas planning
- Build capacity among communities, government, and other partners
- Ensure candidate area information requirements are met for advancing sites
- Increase communications among partners
Funding
The Governments of Canada and the NWT, World Wildlife Fund, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, and Ducks Unlimited Canada have all committed funding for the Action Plan over the next five years. In total, more than $16 million is available between 2005-2010 to implement the Action Plan.
Related Links
- Northern Gas Project Secretariat
Established to assist in the environmental assessment and regulatory review of the proposed Mackenzie Gas Project
