British Columbia: Nine new conservancies to Haida Nation?
The spirit of North American indigenous resistance and survival, their
lands, their culture, and perhaps their more most successful stronghold has
been the Haida Nation. The peoples of the Haida Gwaii four years back
blockaded and shut down Weyerhauser logging operations during an
Election year. The outcome of that effort is periodic announcments
such as the one enclosed below. –Editor, Forest Policy Research
British Columbia government has established nine new conservancies and
made two additions to an existing conservancy on Haida Gwaii, for a
total of 111,054 hectares of additional legal protection, Environment
Minister Barry Penner announced today. This follows several years of
intensive planning and public processes jointly hosted by B.C. and the
Haida Nation. The “conservancy” designations coincide with areas
previously designated as “protected areas” by the Haida Nation. “By
completing the establishment of these new conservancies as recommended
by the Haida Gwaii Strategic Land Use Agreement, our government has
followed through on commitments made to the Haida Nation in
government-to-government negotiations,” said Penner. “The conservancy
status provides a high level of protection to spectacular features of
these lands, but it also recognizes the importance of these areas to
the Haida people.” “This goes a long way towards reconciling B.C.’s
land-use policies with those of the Haida Nation,” said Guujaaw,
president of the Haida Nation. “Our people have long protected these
areas because of their natural, cultural, and spiritual values. Now,
with the provincial government, we have collaborated to build a more
stable platform upon which we design a sustainable future for Haida
Gwaii.” The nine new conservancies are: 1) Daawuuxusda – 70,293
hectares; 2) Damaxyaa – 822 hectares; 3) Kamdis – 1,896 hectares; 4)
Kunxalas – 3,344 hectares; 5) Nang Xaldangaas – 6,897 hectares; 6)
Ñ’uuna Gwaay – 1,756 hectares; 7) SGaay Taaw Siiwaay K’adjuu – 597
hectares 8) Tlall – 16,214 hectares; 9) Yaaguun Gandlaay – 2,493 hectares
The two additions to the existing Duu Guusd Conservancy are Langara
Island (3,037 hectares) and Rennell Sound (3,756 hectares). The total
size of Duu Guusd Conservancy will now be 143,496 hectares. The nine
new conservancies and the two additions total 111,054 hectares. The
total area of all 11 Haida Gwaii conservancies will be 255,727
hectares. British Columbia and the Haida Nation will collaboratively
manage these areas. Media contact: Kate Thompson, Media Relations
(250)953-4577
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