A Whole-of-Government Approach to establishing National Marine Conservation Areas in the High Arctic and IBA Thaidene Nene

April 12, 2019

A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) was conducted on the proposal in accordance with The Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals (2010). The proposal was evaluated against natural resource, cultural, and visitor service objectives for the purpose of identifying anticipated positive and negative environmental effects. The SEA found that the proposal will result in a range of environmental, cultural and socio-economic benefits, including the support of biodiversity, and the provision of environmental services, and increased resilience to climate change, through collaboration between Parks Canada and associated Inuit groups. Individual projects undertaken to implement the proposal will be evaluated separately to determine if an impact assessment is required under the Nunavut Planning and Project Assessment Act, or successor legislation. There are no important negative environmental effects anticipated.

The Proposal supports the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy goals of Healthy Coasts and Oceans, Healthy Wildlife Populations and Connecting Canadians with Nature. There are no important negative environmental effects anticipated from management statement implementation.