An abbreviated version of the video “Our Land is Our Future” may be viewed on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRZaQv0aBjw&mode=related&search=
Over 95% of the 10 million-acre territory of the Taku River
Tlingit First Nation (TRTFN) in north western British Columbia is wilderness.
The prevailing salmon producer of Southeast Alaska and the largest intact
wilderness river system on the Pacific Coast of North America, the 4.5 million-acre
watershed of the Taku River, dominates this territory as it flows from the
interior boreal forests of British Columbia to the coastal temperate forests
of Alaska.
Achieving conservation success across such a broad landscape requires the implementation of a suite of creative land designations, inventive management arrangements, and supporting economic developments. As the Taku’s long serving stewards and its powerful political advocates, the Taku River Tlingit First Nation (TRTFN) provides the fulcrum for this work.
The best prospect for achieving conservation success lies in increasing the wildlife, fish, and land management capabilities and authority of the TRTFN. On-going treaty negotiations, government land planning decisions, and resource development proposals each have potential to impact the salmon, wildlife, ecological integrity, and wilderness characteristics of the Taku River. Each of the components of this project are designed to best equip the Taku River Tlingit to assume management authority, engage with the government in land planning and designations, participate in treaty negotiations, and to effectively review, challenge, and manage proposed development activities in the Taku River watershed and throughout their traditional territory.
Initial efforts have included supporting the Taku River Tlingit’s legal challenge of mining and road building in the Taku River watershed, the development of a Conservation Area Design (CAD) and land plan, wildlife and fisheries research, capacity building and economic development support. Recently, our efforts have expanded to include social and cultural assistance programs, resource level planning, specific departmental and organization development, and to formulate protective land designations.
One of the most important advancement in the past 12 months is the establishment of formalized land use planning negotiations between the Taku River Tlingit First Nation government and the government of British Columbia (G2G). The advent of these talks is the product of a number of circumstances, not the least being the TRT’s own determination to assert their rights and title through the Canadian courts. This combined with the TRT being equipped with their own robust Conservation Area Design and Land Plan, has generated a unique opportunity to create a lasting conservation outcome for their territory. Over the next three years the TRTFN will seek resolution with the Province to designate protected areas, establish authority to make decisions for resource management, and promote a sustainable economic future for their territory.