What we heard

Feedback on the Kluane National Park and Reserve draft management plan

Introduction

The Canada National Parks Act requires Parks Canada to review management plans for each national park every 10 years. Management plans are developed through consultation with Indigenous people, partners, stakeholders and the public, and are intended to serve as the key accountability document for park management decision-making.

Kluane National Park and Reserve’s (KNPR) last management plan was signed in 2010 and since 2019 the new plan has been under review. Preliminary public consultation took place throughout 2019, and the feedback collected then was reflected in a previous What We Heard report. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, public consultation and management plan development were delayed. However, in 2022 work resumed in full and public consultation on the draft management plan recommenced.

The new plan illustrates a long-term vision and strategic direction for protecting, presenting, and operating the park. KNPR is cooperatively managed by Parks Canada, Kluane First Nation, and Champagne and Aishihik First Nations through the Kluane National Park Management Board. Parks Canada and the Board have led the development of the park’s management plan.

In order to facilitate meaningful opportunities to contribute to the development of the management plan, a two-phased consultation plan is being implemented:

• Preliminary public consultation: Preliminary public consultation was conducted in the spring and early summer of 2019 to gather feedback on primary elements to be considered in the development of the draft management plan.
• Draft plan consultation: Public consultation on the draft management plan occurred over the summer and fall of 2022. A newsletter was distributed to stakeholders and the general public via email, mail out, Government of Canada’s Consulting with Canadians webpage, and the KNPR website, which provided background information on the planning process and updated park information. Parks Canada and the Kluane National Park Management Board hosted two open house events in October 2022 in Burwash Landing and Haines Junction, attended Fireweed Community Markets in Whitehorse in September 2022, and had a public information booth at the park’s annual Northern Nights Festival. A public survey was open for comment for a nine-week period, ending November 14, 2022.

Throughout the planning process, Parks Canada and the Kluane National Park Management Board have been engaging with First Nation governments and communities.

Going forward, publicly available progress reports on the implementation of the management plan will be published on an annual basis.

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Response

In 2022, members of the planning team connected with more than 450 people about the management plan at open houses and information sessions, received eight letters from stakeholders and citizens, and collected responses from 73 survey participants.

This report presents a summary of comments and themes received throughout the public consultation process that focuses on the plan’s vision statement, goals, and zoning.

The management planning team appreciates the time and consideration given throughout the public consultation process, whether in person, by letter, or in the survey. Your commitment to sharing your thoughts and feedback have been invaluable in shaping the final plan.

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What we heard

Vision Statement

Overall, the draft management plan’s vision statement received positive support during public consultation. There was some confusion about how the vision’s various elements will be put into action and concern over the types of activities allowed throughout the park. While a vision statement provides a broad indication of the desired state of a heritage place in 15 to 20 years, it is the goals and objectives that outline the results managers are working towards achieving over the life of the 10-year plan and inform management actions day to day.

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Goal 1: Dań k’è kwǎnjì’ / The People’s way is alive

Goal 1 was also well-received. Comments reflected a desire for equitable access to the park and additional opportunities for First Nations youth, adults, and elders to engage in traditional activities.

Also evident in the commentary was a need for further education on how both CAFN and KFN’s Final Agreements define the Nations’ constitutionally protected rights to traditional activities, like hunting and harvesting, within KNPR’s boundaries, in addition to how those agreements support economic development and have shaped the park’s cooperative management structure. For example, three zoning changes have been made in the new management plan to support CAFN and KFN’s proposed eco-tourism facilities. These eco-tourism facilities are rooted in the two Final Agreements, which speak to economic benefits for First Nations from the operations and development of the park.

Objectives under Goal 1 of the management plan were revised in response to comments received. For example, several comments were seeking a commitment to connecting elders and youth with the land which is addressed in the description of Goal 1: “Parks Canada, CAFN, and KFN will work together to identify barriers to reconnection and implement solutions.” Additionally, “language” was added to Objective 1.1’s title, and a clear mention of youth and elders was added to the objective’s targets.

Goal 2: Dákeyi ukaanathį̀ jè / All of you watch over our country with your heart

Overall Goal 2 received positive support during public consultation.

Ecological integrity was the most common topic in comments related to Goal 2, with questions around how various activities in the park might impact the health of both plant and animal species. Such comments were often made through the lens of climate change concerns.

Objective 2.4 (“management approaches recognize the impacts of climate change and address potential emerging issues”) was modified to address most comments received for Goal 2. Objective 3.3 of Goal 3 (“manage visitor use to minimize ecological impacts, while maintaining high quality visitor experiences”) also addresses those concerns.

New content was added to Goal 2 to address comments on monitoring and reporting, and an emphasis was made on the primary importance of First Nations knowledge keepers. Additionally, a new target on landscape-level collaboration was included and alternative phrasing was used in place of the term “resilient” to enhance clarity of the targets.

Goal 3: Kwiyaajàl’ / We are happy to welcome you

Goal 3 was somewhat supported during public consultation, though significant comments led to multiple changes for this goal in the final plan.

Some comments conveyed a need for more multi-season access, more inclusive trail infrastructure, improved trailhead information and trail maintenance, and increased accessible recreational opportunities. Other comments reflected concerns about motorized access and impacts to the environment if access to the park was increased.

Comments on visitor experiences and how a changing climate influences visitor activity were also prevalent, and barriers related to the backcountry registration system were noted. Other comments suggested tourism operators and organizations could be more involved in KNPR. There were also calls for increased awareness about First Nations’ history and increasing First Nations’ connections to the park.

As a result of the feedback, language throughout the goal’s description, objectives, and targets were revised for clarity and conciseness.

A new objective (3.1) was added to address comments around balancing different aspects of the park, grounding visitor experience in the natural and cultural values of the park, and enhancing collaborative educational and outreach opportunities to better share park messages and stories.

Objective 3.2 was revised to include a climate change target and the Icefields region visitor safety target was moved to 3.2 to improve clarity and cohesiveness of the objectives and associated targets.

Targets in Objective 3.3 were updated to be more descriptive related to asset management and national priorities around accessibility and inclusion were added. This objective also now better emphasizes “visitors and local residents feel welcome”.

In Objective 3.5, a fourth target was added to expand beyond First Nation harvesting and cultural activities to include governance, stewardship, and involvement in park management to address comments around Indigenous stewardship, harvesting, and access to the park.

Goal 4: Dándāl dákundür hį / We will tell you all our story

Goal 4 received generally strong support during public consultation. Comments made in reference to Goal 4 were primarily focused on local community engagement and knowledge building, where local youth were a focus.

Objectives 3.3 addresses these topics, and Objective 4.1 was rewritten to be more results-based, and to include a target which seeks to increase “collaboration and engagement with local, regional, and national tourism stakeholders.”

Zoning

There were no changes made to the zoning for the park in the final plan. Public survey responses and letters from stakeholders related to zoning were directed mostly towards the management actions of those spaces and not their specific zoning.

Parks Canada management plans are strategic in nature, based on a long-term vision, with clear direction for a 10-year period, including measurable objectives and targets to achieve results. The focus on results allows for flexibility in how results are achieved over the life of the plan.

Where public feedback related to specific actions, those actions were noted by the working group and will inform management decisions in KNPR; the management team is committed to reporting on the implementation of the plan annually.

Additionally, zoning comments related to First Nations-led eco-tourism development and traditional harvesting activities are addressed in Goal 1 and the “Final agreements” and “Cooperative management” sections of the plan.