Environment Minister Terry Lake and staff from BC Parks joined the Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations in Port Hardy today to sign several agreements and renew the commitment to continue to work together in the management of protected areas.

Over the past five years, BC Parks has worked closely with the Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations to develop five Conservancy Management Plans. These management plans outline how conservancies in the Nations' traditional territories are to be managed. They take into consideration the interests of the Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations, as well as BC Parks.

The five conservancies included in the conservancy management plans are:

• Cape Caution-Blunden Bay (Ugwiwa'/Cape Caution and Ugwiwa')

• Deserters Walker (Mahpahkum-Ahkwuna)

• Nekite Estuary (Neg?i?)

• Smokehouse (Tsa-Latl')

• Seymour Estuary (?a?ley (W?aw?a?))

An Enhanced Access to Economic Opportunities Agreement was also signed today, which helps achieve future economic opportunities for the Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations within the conservancies. This agreement includes how permit applications received by BC Parks for commercial activities within the conservancies will be considered; ensuring First Nations economic interests in protected areas are also taken into consideration.

This is consistent with the Reconciliation Protocol Agreement between Nanwakolas Council and the Province. Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw is a member nation of the Nanwakolas Council.

The Province's Collaborative Management Agreement with the Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations has helped to guide the parties to this successful outcome.

Quotes:

Terry Lake, Minister of Environment -

"I'd like to thank the Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations and Nanwakolas Council and BC Parks' staff for their commitment and determination in bringing these agreements to fruition. I recognize it has been a long journey but we have now come together and agreed upon these mutually beneficial plans."

Chief Paddy Walkus, Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations -

"It is important that we work with government to manage our homelands. These agreements ensure that we will be able to protect these beautiful lands and also be able to pursue sustainable economic development that fits with the co-management plans we jointly developed."

Dallas Smith, Nanwakolas Council president -

"We are pleased to continue to help facilitate evolving government to government relationships between our members and the Province. Over the last six years we have been able to get some common land use visions that will lead to much needed economic development in the region."

Quick Facts:

• Along with protecting natural environments and allowing for appropriate recreation, conservancies explicitly recognize the importance of the area to First Nations for social, ceremonial and cultural uses.

• Part of the Kwakwaka'wakw First Nations, the Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations is comprised of about 500 on-reserve community members, with about 350 band members living off-reserve near Port Hardy.

• The Nanwakolas Council Society is a group of Kwakwaka'wakw First Nations on northern Vancouver Island and the mid-coast who joined in 2007 to work collaboratively on land and marine resource use, management and planning issues, and responses to provincial government resource development referrals.

Learn More:

To find out more about past agreements, please visit: www.newrelationship.gov.bc.ca/agreements_and_leg/reconciliation.html

For more information on the Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations, please visit: www.gwanak.info

For more information on the Nanwakolas First Nation, please visit: www.nanwakolas.com

A backgrounder follows.

Contact:

Media Relations
Ministry of Environment
250 953-3834

BACKGROUNDER

Details on the five conservancies

Ugwiwa'/Cape Caution Conservancy, Ugwiwa'/Cape Caution - Blunden Bay Conservancy and Allison Harbour Marine Park Management Plan

FN Traditional Territory: Includes both the Gwa'sala and 'Nakwaxda'xw Traditional Territory

Size: Together the three protected areas cover over 10,000 ha

Significance:

• Includes key village sites, harvesting areas and cultural/ceremonial locations, including the area of the coast that served as the meeting place for these two First Nations.
• Protects approximately 60 kilometres of coastline and special features that are important for ecological processes and recreational interest, such as long sandy beaches, globally significant tidal rapids, old-growth coastal forest, wetlands, and marine feeding areas.
• Important recreational travel corridor and safe anchorage for boaters travelling the Inside Passage.

Key Activities:

• Kayaking, nature viewing and camping

Neg?i?/Nekite Estuary Conservancy

FN Traditional Territory: Gwa'sala

Size: Approximately 481 hectares in total

Significance:

• Protects culturally significant sites and traditional use areas including a former Gwa'sala village site and an important seasonal resource harvest area.

• Protects valuable habitat for species of importance on the coast, such as the grizzly bear, as well as a variety of fish and coastal bird species.

Contributes to ecosystem representation and landscape connectivity, situated adjacent to Lockhart - Gordon Conservancy (24,501 hectares) and to the Neg?i?/Nekite Estuary West Biodiversity, Tourism and Mining Area (322 hectares).

Key Activities:

• Wilderness, wildlife viewing and sport fishing

Tsa-Latl /Smokehouse Conservancy

FN Traditional Territory: Gwa'sala

Size: 37,886 hectares

Significance:

• Seasonal resource harvesting and processing area that is associated with three important former Gwa'sala village sites.

• Second largest conservancy on the southern central coast.

• Protects a complete watershed.

• Includes a diverse range of ecosystems from estuary to old-growth coastal forests and alpine tundra.

• Protects important grizzly bear/sockeye salmon interactions and habitat for other regionally important and/or at-risk species.

Key Activities:

• Currently, very low level of recreational activity, such as angling.

• Some opportunities for canoeing, kayaking, nature appreciation and viewing, as well as camping and hiking.

W?aw?a?/Seymour Estuary Conservancy

FN Traditional Territory: 'Nakwaxda'xw

Size: 326 hectares in total

Significance:

• Protects culturally significant sites and traditional use areas, including a former 'Nakwaxda'xw village site, seasonal resource harvesting area, salmon fishing and processing sites and estuarine gardens cultivated by 'Nakwaxda'xw families.

• Protects the estuary wetland complex and associated fish and wildlife habitats. Offers visitors a remote recreation experience in a scenic and biologically diverse estuarine environment.

Key Activities:

• Recreational fishing and wildlife viewing.

Mahpahkum-Ahkwuna/Deserters-Walker Conservancy

FN Traditional Territory: 'Nakwaxda'xw

Size: Total land area of these islands is 931 hectares

Significance:

• Protects numerous culturally important sites, traditional use areas and culturally significant species.

• Provides opportunities for marine-oriented recreational activities and protects a strategically important safe anchorage.

• Protects a complete island group, sea cliffs, rocky intertidal and sheltered marine areas and seabird breeding colonies.

Key Activities:

• Kayaking, scuba diving, nature viewing and pleasure boating.

Contact:

Media Relations
Ministry of Environment
250 953-3834