NWT Conservation Statistics
NWT Conservation Statistics: Established Protection
The NWT Protected Areas Strategy (PAS) is a community-driven process to protect natural and cultural lands in the NWT. The overall vision of the PAS is to create a network of protected areas across the territory. To achieve this vision, the PAS works with many agencies and processes responsible for land and water conservation and environmental management.
The NWT Conservation Statistics factsheet summarizes the amount of land currently protected by established protected areas. The total area of the NWT (1,352,600 km²) excludes marine areas, but does include all the freshwater areas (including Great Bear and Great Slave Lakes). A variety of long-term protection mechanisms are available in the NWT with a range in levels of protection¹.
Legally, the top of the land (surface rights) is managed differently than the underground (subsurface rights) based on mining and oil and gas laws. Some protected areas are specific to 'surface rights' only. Different legislation is used for specific purposes. For example, legislation may permit no industrial development, development only of the subsurface, or development of the surface and subsurface.
For example:
- National Parks permanently prohibit industrial development; these parks have surface and subsurface protection.
- Migratory Bird Sanctuaries are legislated areas with surface protection. Certain developments may be allowed under specified conditions, since these areas do not have subsurface protection.
To download the factsheet on the NWT Conservation Statistics (pdf).
Further information regarding conservation statistics are available by contacting the NWT Protected Areas Strategy Secretariat.
¹ There are many existing legal land interests in the NWT. These include mineral claims, oil and gas exploration licenses, and commercial and residential leases. Identifying these "third party" interests is an early step in the PAS planning process.
