Draft management plan

Objective 1.1

Revitalize Southern Tutchone culture and traditions.

Targets

• Dän are practicing and living their culture in the park – carrying out traditional activities such as camping, harvesting and holding cultural camps, reconnecting to cultural areas, and teaching new generations.
• A cultural resource management approach that includes an inventory of known resources, management objectives, and actions, has been completed within five years.
• Parks Canada, CAFN and KFN work together to establish a Guardian program in the park.

Objective 1.2

Parks Canada, CAFN, and KFN collaborate to meet obligations set out in the Final Agreements.

Targets

• The history, culture and rights of First Nations are recognized in the operations of the park.
• Parks Canada has facilitated economic and employment opportunities related to the management of the park, including the establishment of the proposed CAFN and KFN eco-tourism facilities.
• Indigenous and scientific knowledge are interwoven, and guide park management.

Objective 2.1

Dásìa keyi ukaanáthį̀ jè/You look after our grandfathers’ country from your heart.

Targets

• A fire management plan that provides strategic direction on fire management activities, including the use of fire for cultural, ecological and risk reduction purposes, has been developed within five years. The plan outlines planning and operational priorities and incorporates traditional practices into the following core elements: wildfire prevention, wildfire risk reduction, wildfire preparedness, wildfire management and response, and prescribed fire implementation.
• Agreements with neighbouring governments to manage and minimize the impact of wildland fire on resources in and outside of the park are in place within three years.
• A management strategy to address potential adverse environmental and cultural impacts of wood bison has been developed within five years. The management strategy considers options to mitigate and reduce the risk of expansion of the population.
• There is no expansion of new and existing terrestrial invasive species in the park.
• Monitoring of the Duke River moose population is providing useful information on the health of the herd.
• A landscape management unit approach, which minimizes cumulative disturbance to grizzly bears has been implemented within five years. This approach includes a strategy to assess and manage aerial disturbance and landings in the park.

Objective 2.2

Chu ukaanáthį̀ jè/You look after the water from your heart.

Targets

• Awareness of Dän cultural values toward water management, including ceremonial aspects, has increased.
• Understanding of kokanee salmon has improved, and their population is resilient.
• Lake trout populations in Mush, Bates and Mät’àtäna/Kathleen lakes remain resilient (i.e. within +/-1 standard deviation of the baseline catch-per-unit effort).
• Shadahäla Chù/Dezadeash River water quality remains high.
• There are no aquatic invasive species or diseases in the park.
• 70% of park anglers demonstrate awareness of their role in preventing the spread of invasive species.

Objective 2.3

Species at risk are looked after.

Targets

• An inventory of the distribution of newly listed species at risk in the park has been completed.
• A multi-species site analysis has been completed within two years.

Objective 2.4

Management approaches recognize the impacts of climate change and address potential emerging issues.

Targets

• Vulnerability and risk assessment tools are being used to identify impacts and prioritize adaptation options.
• Greenhouse gas emissions from park facilities (i.e. heating fuel and electricity consumption) and vehicles (i.e. fuel consumption) will be tracked and reduced from 2020 levels, in-line with Parks Canada’s national commitment.
• Non-climatic stressors have been reduced to increase species’ resilience to climate change; in particular sheep mortality along the Alaska Highway is reduced within five years.
• There is greater collaboration with partners and researchers to tackle complex problems and emerging issues, and to increase public awareness.
• Youth have been involved in at least one monitoring activity every year.

Objective 2.5

The values upon which the park’s World Heritage Site (WHS) and Canadian Heritage River System (CHRS) status are based, are intact.

Targets

• Collaboration and communication amongst WHS and CHRS partners has improved.
• The 10-year monitoring report for the Alsek River has been completed within eight years.
• First Nations history, culture and rights are highlighted in information about the WHS and CHRS designations.

Objective 3.1

Improve understanding of current and future park visitors.

Targets

• The types of current visitors and their activities are known as a result of improved tracking systems.
• Strategic target markets and tourism development opportunities have been identified.

Objective 3.2

Provide visitors with opportunities for high quality experiences that are tied to target markets’ needs and desires.

Targets

• Partnerships with tourism organizations, stakeholders and businesses, to promote the park and explore new visitor opportunities, have expanded.
• Visitors and local residents feel welcome and their interests are reflected in the review of new recreational activities and access points.
• Park users have access to information about avalanche exposure and other risks to help them make informed decisions about where to recreate, within three years.

Objective 3.3

Manage visitor use to minimize ecological impacts, while maintaining high quality visitor experiences.

Targets

• The impacts of backcountry visitor use, including those from biking, hiking and aircraft, are monitored, assessed and mitigated.
• Visitor management approaches for the ’A’ä̧y Chù’/Slim’s River Valley have been revised as part of an overall visitor use plan.
• Access to mountaineering opportunities in the Icefields region is strictly controlled in order to maximize the safety of visitors and staff and minimize the likelihood of rescue.

Objective 3.4

Maintain or increase visitor satisfaction.

Targets

• Visitors with a range of abilities, interests and identities at the two key points of contact (Thechàl Dhâl’ and Haines Junction) report general enjoyment and satisfaction with their visitor experience.
• Interpretive exhibits and signage have been refreshed and incorporate traditional names.
• An asset management strategic plan is developed by 2025.

Objective 3.5

Dän cultural values and belief systems are integrated into the visitor offer.

Targets

• Parks Canada, KFN and CAFN are working together to appropriately share Dän stories.
• Dän are in the park, sharing their stories and traditions with park staff and visitors.
• Signs and visitor materials contain Southern Tutchone and opportunities for park staff to learn Southern Tutchone language have increased.
• Visitor awareness of the importance of Dän harvesting and cultural activities has increased.

Objective 4.1

Increase awareness of and connection to the park at local, national and international levels.

Targets

• The virtual reach of Kluane NPR has increased by 25% (through website, social media and emerging technology).
• Youth engagement, through school and community programs, has increased.
• The local communities are engaged and feel connected to the park.
• CAFN, KFN and Parks Canada are working in partnership to build awareness of Southern Tutchone culture and cooperative management.

Zone I — Special Preservation

(seven in Kluane NPR)

Zone I lands and waters deserve special preservation because they contain or support unique, threatened or endangered natural or cultural features, or are among the best examples of the features that represent a natural region. Preservation is the key consideration. Motorized access is not permitted. In Kluane NPR, in all Zone I areas, public access is prohibited and motorized access is permitted only for park management purposes.

Environmentally Sensitive Areas

(seven in Kluane NPR)

In some cases, areas may warrant special protection and management but do not fit the zoning designations. Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) allow for protection of the full range of valued resources and complement the zoning system. Management plans can include the guidelines necessary for the protection and use of such areas. Motorized access is not allowed except for park management purposes and strictly controlled public aircraft access.

Zone II — Wilderness

(85% of Kluane NPR)

Zone II lands contain extensive areas that are good representations of the natural region and are conserved in a wilderness state. The perpetuation of ecosystems with minimal human interference is the key consideration. Zone II areas offer opportunities for visitors to experience firsthand the park’s ecosystems and require few, if any, rudimentary services and facilities. In much of Zone II, visitors have the opportunity to experience remoteness and solitude. Motorized access is not allowed except for park management purposes and strictly controlled public aircraft access.

Zone III — Natural Environment

(eight in Kluane NPR)

Zone III areas are managed as natural environments, and provide opportunities for visitors to experience a park's natural and cultural heritage values through outdoor recreation activities requiring minimal services and facilities of a rustic nature. Strictly controlled motorized access is allowed.

Zone IV — Outdoor Recreation

(six in Kluane NPR)

Zone IV areas are capable of accommodating a broad range of opportunities for understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the park's heritage values and related essential services and facilities, in ways that impact the ecological integrity of the park to the smallest extent possible, and whose defining feature is direct access by motorized vehicles.

Zone I – Special Preservation

Fraser Creek Fen Zone I

Fraser Creek Fen is an important wetland complex. Lowland and marsh habitat is limited within the park due to the nature of the terrain and a lack of recent fire activity, which limits early succession vegetation. The Fraser Creek Fen is one of only a few areas in the park identified as exceptional habitat for moose.

Logan Nunatak Zone I

Nunataks are islands of life surrounded by the inhospitable environment of icefields. Logan Nunatak is the largest nunatak in the park. The western portion of the nunatak lies in Alaska and is protected by Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The extreme environment on the nunatak creates conditions for unique and rare alpine and Arctic plants.

Gyų’ Aan Nji/Steele Creek Alpine Zone I

Gyų’ Aan Nji/Steele Creek Alpine area is the best representation of near-arctic alpine ecosystems (Northern Alpine Ecosystem) within the park. Protection of this representative alpine area also ensures the preservation of several species of rare plants that are located here. Alpine areas are particularly sensitive to a variety of impacts.

Sockeye Lake and River Zone I

This area provides critical spawning grounds for kokanee salmon, the freshwater form of sockeye salmon. This population is one of only two wild populations in Yukon; the other population in Frederick Lake is now thought to be extirpated. The population of annual spawning kokanee, monitored since 1976, averaged 3,660 fish until the early 2000s when the population crashed and reached an all-time low of 20 fish in 2009. The population showed remarkable signs of recovery in 2015, but was followed by another crash, to 400 fish, in 2018. Preservation of the spawning beds is critical because the fish are vulnerable during spawning season, and because the boom-bust nature of the population is intolerant to disturbance. Spawners are also an important source of protein for wolves, grizzly bears and eagles. Sockeye Creek is recognized as important spring and summer habitat for moose cows and calves.

Tthe Dats’aala Chù’/Bullion Creek Dunes Zone I

Tthe Dats’aala Chù’/Bullion Creek Dunes are a 3-sq. km feature formed by winds off the Kaskawulsh Glacier that redistribute sand from river sources. The dunes are largely unvegetated and susceptible to disturbance. It is one of the few sites in Yukon hosting the pale comandra, a rare plant. It is also one of the few sites in North America in which the dune tachinid fly is found, a species which is listed as “Special Concern” under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). The ’A’ä̧y Chù’ (Slim's River) West hiking trail skirts the base of the sand dunes. Interpretative signs explaining the significance of the dunes will be posted, along with signs prohibiting access and camping

Lower Alsek Dunes Zone I

Lower Alsek Dunes Zone I, and the upper Alsek Dunes protected in an ESA, contain the largest and most secure populations of Baikal sedge in Canada, a species which is listed as “Special Concern” under SARA. The dunes are also habitat for the dune tachinid fly.

Thechàl Dhâl’ Zone I

The wind-swept south-facing slopes of Thechàl Dhâl’ are one of the best year-round habitats for Dall’s sheep in the park and support 300 to 400 sheep. The area is critical for winter range and spring lambing. Thechàl Dhâl’ is also important for golden eagles that breed in this area, or migrate past every spring and fall in high concentrations. The loess (wind-blown glacial silt and dust) slopes are very sensitive to disturbance and are home to a mosaic of unique plants with origins to Beringia, the Great Plains and coastal ecosystems, including endemic and near-endemic species.

Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA)

Thechàl Dhâl’ ESA

Thechàl Dhâl’ ESA surrounds Thechàl Dhâl’ Zone I, and in conjunction with ’A’ä̧y Chù’ Delta ESA and the area outside of the park around Man Chètį’äya Chù’/Silver Creek, is a hotspot of biodiversity. These areas combined host over 891 species, including a quarter of the vascular plants known to occur in Yukon.

Since the last management plan, increasing visitation to the area raises concerns about human activity in bear travel corridors. Sheep-Bullion Plateau has been identified as significant grizzly bear habitat, particularly for family groups of grizzly bears. A camping restriction has been in place since 1998, resulting in a significant decrease in human-bear interactions in the area.

• In Thechàl Dhâl ESA, the following apply:
• Hiking Thechàl Dhâl’ Ridge Route is prohibited during lambing season (May 1 to June 16).
• Camping is restricted along Thechàl Chù’/Sheep Creek and the Dats’aala Chù’/Bullion Creek trails and on Sheep Bullion Plateau. In the northern portion of Sheep Bullion Plateau, camping is allowed for one night in the designated area.
• Hiking is allowed on the route to Shepherd’s Knoll and Soldier’s Summit. Access is not permitted to the south-facing slopes, which are Zone I.

’A’ä̧y Chù’ Delta ESA

’A’ä̧y Chù’ Delta ESA is a flood plain at the base of Thechàl Dhâl’, a unique ecosystem characterized by plant species that have adapted to the cycle of flooding and saline soil conditions. ’A’ä̧y Chù’ Delta ESA, in conjunction with Thechàl Dhâl’ ESA and the area outside of the park around Man Chètį’äya Chù’/Silver Creek, is a hotspot of biodiversity. These areas combined host over 891 species, including a quarter of the vascular plants known to occur in Yukon.

Since the last management plan, increasing visitation to the area raises concerns about human activity in bear travel corridors.

• In ’A’ä̧y Chù’ Delta ESA, the following applies:
• Access to ’A’ä̧y Chù’ River Delta ESA is only through the existing ’A’ä̧y Chù’ (Slim’s) West and East trailheads.

Shar Tǎgà’/Grizzly Creek ESA

Shar Tǎgà’/Grizzly Creek ESA protects a sensitive ecosystem. It has recently been identified as possible habitat for undocumented plant species unique to the area.

Lower Alsek River ESA

As a Canadian Heritage River, the Alsek River is nationally recognized for its outstanding heritage and recreational rafting values. This area of the park is influenced by a coastal climate, resulting in plant and animal communities not common to Yukon.

Goatherd Mountain ESA

The alpine area of Goatherd Mountain is the best representation of the coastal alpine ecosystem in the park. It also provides significant habitat with good escape terrain for mountain goats. A goat population of approximately 100 animals, representing 12% of the entire Yukon population, is present year round in this range. The ESA recognizes existing recreational activities (i.e. day hiking by rafters, backpacking of the Goatherd overland route, and pack-rafters hiking to Bates Lake from the Alsek River).

• In Goatherd Mountain ESA, the following apply:
• All activity is prohibited on the face of Goatherd Mountain, other than hiking on the established access route.
• Camping is limited to two nights.

Alsek, Dusty, Disappointment and Kaskawulsh ESA

This area harbours the densest grizzly bear population in the park and possibly in Canada. The park itself is the second largest protected area in North America that lies within grizzly bear range. The primary management objective of this ESA is to minimize human disturbance to grizzly bears (see objective 2.1 regarding landscape management units). Grizzly bears need large areas that are free of human and aircraft disturbance; the average female home range in the park is 300 sq. km. Denning areas are found high in the alpine, and the valleys provide the diversity of habitats and food to support grizzly bears year-round. The ESA designation also recognizes the valuable habitat for Dall’s sheep and mountain goats. The dunes at the confluence of Shadhäla Chù/Dezadeash and Kaskawulsh rivers protect the largest population of Baikal sedge in Canada, which is a federally listed species at risk.

• In Alsek, Dusty, Disappointment and Kaskawulsh ESA, the following apply:
• Random camping is prohibited; camping is restricted to designated sites.
• Visitor registration is mandatory for day and overnight rafting.

Dän Zhǜr/Donjek – Mt. Hoge ESA

The assemblage of animal and plant communities here are significant in the national parks system. The area supports over 1,000 Dall’s sheep. Hoge and Atlas alpine passes are particularly important in the summer, containing up to 40% of the Dall sheep subpopulation. A wolf den in the valley has been in use since the 1980s. The alpine also protects some of the most northern mountain goats in Canada, caribou and collared pika, a species listed as “Special Concern” under SARA. The valley ponds provide breeding habitat for several SARA -protected birds, such as horned grebes and red-necked phalaropes, and the grasslands contain a sage endemic to Yukon.

• In Dän Zhǜr/Donjek – Mt. Hoge ESA, the following apply:
• Camping in Hoge Pass is prohibited.
• Parks Canada will work with aircraft operators and local pilots to minimize impacts associated with flights through Hoge and Atlas passes. Restrictions may be established to minimize disturbance from hiking and aircraft to the wolf den in the area.

Zone II – Wilderness

The majority of Kluane NPR is Zone II – Wilderness (85%). This includes Bates, Louise and Sockeye lakes, which remain non-motorized except for park management purposes.

Zone III – Natural Environment

Four park access roads are Zone III. These are Mush Lake Road, Alsek Road, ’A’ä̧y Chù’ (Slim’s River) East Road and ’A’ä̧y Chù’ (Slim’s River) West Road. Road access into Kluane NPR is limited by seasonal closures, short-term or long-term closures related to bears, and the requirement for four-wheel drive vehicles. There has been a low level of motorized use on these roads since park establishment. Other Zone III areas are Mush Lake and campsite area, ’A’ä̧y Chù’ (Slim’s River) West trailhead, the abandoned pipeline right-of-way between Dakwäkäda/Haines Junction and Titl’àt Mǟn/Dezadeash Lake, and the Dezadeash River from the park boundary to Serpentine Creek.

The management approach in past management plans has been to use Superintendent’s Orders to allow recreational snowmobiling in certain Zone III and IV areas. Snowmobiling will continue on the Mät’àtäna Män/Kathleen Lake Access Road, the Mät’àtäna Män/Kathleen Lake Day Use Area parking lot, the surface of Mät’àtäna Män/Kathleen Lake, and along the pipeline right-of way between Dakwäkäda/Haines Junction and Titl’at Män/Dezadeash Lake. To minimize vulnerability of moose to wolf predation resulting from snowmobile-compacted travel routes, public snowmobile use will not be permitted on the Mush Lake Road. Under special permits and formal agreements, snowmobiles may be used to track set cross-country ski trails on the Mush Lake Road, but only as far as Alder Creek. Any new proposed snowmobile access points along Zone III roads will be carefully considered and would only be enabled if strict ecological protection and visitor experience objectives can be met and maintained.

Zone IV – Outdoor Recreation

Zone IV offers a broad range of opportunities for understanding and enjoying the park’s heritage and related essential services and facilities. The park’s six Zone IV areas are:

• Mät’àtäna Män/Kathleen Lake
• Mät’àtäna Män/Kathleen Lake Day Use Area, access road and campground
• Thechàl Dhâl’ Visitor Centre
• Proposed KFN -owned and operated eco-tourism facility at Bighorn Lake
• Two proposed CAFN -owned and operated mountain camps located on high points, one between Mush and Bates lakes and one between Sockeye and Johobo lakes.