Managing Nahanni

The role of Canada's system of national parks is to protect representative natural areas of Canadian significance. Today, this system includes 42 national parks and national park reserves. Parks Canada is also responsible for commemorating Canada's cultural heritage and includes a system of over 900 national historic sites, numerous heritage rivers, heritage canals and heritage railway stations.

National parks and historic sites characterize our country and define who we are as Canadians. They are also important beyond our nation's boundaries by helping Canada fulfill international agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the World Heritage Convention.

National parks belong to the people of Canada, and Canadians have a right to determine the management of these special places. This right is enshrined in the Canada National Parks Act .

The primary opportunity for Canadians to express their views on the future of the parks and sites is through the preparation of park management plans. Park management plans set the overall direction for a specific park and provide a framework for action over a 15-year period, with reviews every five years. When completed, park management plans are approved by the Minister responsible for national parks and tabled in Parliament. In 2010, a new management plan was completed for Nahanni National Park Reserve of Canada.

Dehcho First Nations and Canada have been involved in self-governance and land/resource planning negotiations for several years. The negotiations are known as the Dehcho Process. Through the Dehcho Process, in June 2000, Parks Canada and the Dehcho First Nations created the Nahʔą  Dehé Consensus Team. The Nahʔą  Dehé Consensus Team was given four primary tasks, and these included:

1. prepare an Ecological Integrity Statement,
2. complete a review of the Park Management Plan,
3. prepare an Interim Park Management Arrangement, and
4. prepare a Memorandum of Understanding Respecting Park Expansion.

When these tasks were completed in 2003, the role of the Nahʔą  Dehé Consensus Team shifted and this group is now dedicated to the ongoing cooperative management issues associated with the Interim Park Management Arrangement.

The public will be given various opportunities to provide input to the future direction of Nahanni National Park Reserve. These opportunities will extend to local, regional and national venues.

If you are interested in reviewing the management plan, please contact us.

National Parks Policy | Panel on Ecological Integrity of Canada's National Parks | Information on the Yukon to Yellowstone Initiative