Tahltan Nation to develop stewardship protection programs from $3.9 million in Federal funding

The area surrounding Telegraph Creek, Dease Lake
and Iskut will benefit from yesterday's funding
from the federal government

The Tahltan Central Government will be putting close to four million dollars in federal funding to use, as they prepare to create protected areas of their territory as part of a conversation program to be introduced.

A program that comes as the First Nation of the Northwest sees increasing levels of resource development, which at times have made for headlines across the region.

The funding  that was announced on Monday comes as part of a 175 million dollar fund that the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change has introduced towards developing a network of protected and conserved areas across Canada.

The scope of Monday's Announcement for the Tahltan Nation can be found below:

Minister McKenna announced $3.9 million in federal funding to help the Tahltan Central Government work with its members and other stakeholders on a land-use planning process that provides further clarity and certainty across their territory in northwestern British Columbia.

The Tahltan Nation have been leaders in working with British Columbia to advance environmental stewardship and protection along with strong economic development focused on mining and its related business.

The Tahltan Nation's territory is home to various species at risk and culturally significant boreal forest watershed and wetland habitat. Conservation efforts in the region would enhance connectivity with the Yellowstone to Yukon corridor, the Great Bear Rainforest, and other protected areas.

The background to the Ministry's announcement is available here.

In their own announcement, the Tahltan Central Government provided a glimpse as to what their focus would be when it comes to putting the Federal funding to work.

Over the last two decades, Tahltan territory has seen unprecedented levels of resource development and exploration. The process of creating the Tahltan Indigenous Protected and Conserved areas will allow the Tahltan Central Government to further define and enact Tahltan Stewardship in Tahltan territory, decrease uncertainty for resource partners, industry, business and government agencies while assisting in advancing protection an conservation measures to ensure that areas of importance to Tahltan including key habitat for species at risk including Woodland Caribou and Pacific Salmon, are maintained for future generations.

The full announcement can be reviewed here.

More notes related to federal initiatives in the northwest can be found through our House of Commons archive page.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.