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A new national park in the Yukon鈥檚 Peel Watershed is being explored by the Gwich鈥檌n 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.

鈥淎 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,鈥� Parks Canada said today from Inuvik.

鈥淥n 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.鈥�

Grand Chief Ken Kyikavichik of the Gwich鈥檌n Tribal Council, Chief Dawna Hope of the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun, Nils Clarke, the Yukon鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檌n and the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun.

鈥淭he Peel Watershed holds great cultural significance and is central to the traditions, cultures, and ways of life for both the Gwich鈥檌n and the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun, who have been caring for these lands and waters since time immemorial,鈥� Parks Canada said.

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

鈥淭he forests are essential for sustaining boreal caribou as well as other iconic Canadian species, including grizzly bears, peregrine falcons, and moose.鈥�

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鈥檚 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鈥檌n Tribal Council and the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun.

鈥淚t 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,鈥� Parks Canada said.

鈥淐limate change, biodiversity loss, and human impacts on the environment require bold action to safeguard the Yukon鈥檚 diverse ecosystems, culture, and traditions,鈥� said Clarke.

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

鈥淭his will further protect this area for future generations and supports the conservation and protection goals of the Canada-Yukon Nature Agreement.鈥�

Yukon MP鈥圔rendan Hanley called the watershed 鈥渁 special place 鈥� one of incredible beauty, rich ecosystems, and great cultural value.

鈥淭he signing of this collaboration accord between the Gwich鈥檌n Tribal Council, the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun, Parks Canada, and the Government of Yukon is great news.

鈥淭oday is a prime example of how we are working together to protect natural landscapes and biodiversity for the benefit of current and future generations,鈥� Hanley added.

Kyikavichik said the Gwich鈥檌n Tribal Council 鈥渋s thrilled at the prospect of permanently protecting our homelands in the Teet艂鈥檌t Gwinjik (Peel River) Watershed.

鈥淭he Gwich鈥檌n 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.

鈥淎s 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,鈥� Kyikavichik said.

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

鈥淚t 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.

鈥淎s we have said so often over the past 20 years, the Peel is an area of unparalleled cultural and spiritual value for our people,鈥� Hope added.

鈥淚t is our place of refuge. We look forward to collaborating with our Gwich鈥檌n 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.鈥�

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

鈥淓xploring the feasibility of establishing a new national park in the Yukon is a great step toward protecting this amazing territory鈥檚 beautiful and unique ecosystems.

鈥淭hank you to the Gwich鈥檌n 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.鈥�

During implementation of the watershed regional land use plan (approved in 2019), a northern portion of the watershed was identified by the Gwich鈥檌n 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.