March 2005

Government of Canada
Parks Canada Agency
National Parks

Expansion of Nahanni National Park Reserve of Canada

Parks Canada continues to work on the expansion of Nahanni National Park Reserve to enhance protection of its ecological integrity and to better represent the Mackenzie Mountains Natural Region in the National Parks System. In 2004 the Nahanni Expansion Working Group was created to guide the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between Parks Canada and the Dehcho First Nations to expand the Nahanni National Park Reserve. This working group has two members appointed by the Dehcho First Nations and two by Parks Canada.

The area of interest for the completion of Nahanni National Park Reserve includes the Greater Park Ecosystem as defined in the park management plan. This is the entire watershed of the South Nahanni River and the area of karst lands to the southeast. While most of the area of interest lies within the Deh Cho, the headwater area of the South Nahanni River lies in the Sahtu. The Sahtu preliminary draft land use plan calls for the protection of the headwaters and the Tulita Dene Band Council passed a motion for the land to be withdrawn in May 2004. Supporting letters have also come from other Sahtu organizations. Parks Canada will act as the sponsoring agency through the process set out in the NWT Protected Areas Strategy (also see article here).

The Nahanni Expansion Working Group is directing several research projects relating to conservation values. Field work in 2004 included studies of grizzly bears, woodland caribou and bull trout, investigations of some of the karst areas, and a reconnaissance of third party interests. Projects to map vegetation and land cover, studies of the glaciers, and the creation of a digital elevation model for the area are under way, and a new bibliography of literature relating to the larger area has been completed. Further research on caribou, grizzlies, Dall sheep, bull trout and other wildlife will be conducted in 2005. A Mineral and Energy Resource Assessment (MERA) was started in 2004 for that part of the area of interest not already studied in the 2003 MERA.
The MERA, wildlife and other expansion related research programs will continue through 2005 and the results are expected to be available by April 2006. Public and stakeholder consultations will follow.

Greater Nahanni Ecosystem

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