The focus of this project is the Champagne and Aishihik Traditional Territory (CATT) of the Southwest Yukon. This region includes federal, territorial and settlement lands, as well as adjacent areas of the Kluane National Park and Reserve. The total area covers almost three million hectares. Below is a description of the biophysical, socioeconomic, cultural and policy context necessary to explore the impacts of climate change on environmental and community values of the region's forest resources.

Biophysical

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The landscape of the CATT in the southwest Yukon is extremely diverse and variable and encompasses four Yukon ecoregions: the St. Elias Mountains in the west, the Ruby Range to the North, the Yukon Southern Lakes to the east and the Yukon-Stikine Plateau to the South. Because of its high elevation and proximity to alpine glaciers, the southwest Yukon displays steep environmental gradients.

The region was glaciated during the last ice age, almost 10,000 years ago. Drainage patterns, soils and topography of this region are linked to its glacial history, which still continues. The physical environment is characterized by dynamic natural processes. Landslides, slope instability, microclimates, large changes in riverflows, glacial surges and associated drainage reversals are characteristic of this region. The region is the most seismically active in Canada (ARRC, 2004).

Climate ranges from subarctic to continental. Cold, dry arctic air masses influence the area, as do the warm, moist Pacific air masses that are modified in transit over the St. Elias Mountains. Lying at the boundary between these two major climate systems, the southwest Yukon is believed to be sensitive to even minor environmental changes (Lacourse and Gajewski, 2000). Winters are cold and summers are warm and dry. The low mean annual temperature of -3°C explains the presence of permafrost in the region. The frost-free period in Haines Junction ranges from 16 to 86 days, and strong winds are common in major valleys. Average annual precipitation is 305 mm, of which about half falls as rain (Wahl, 1987).

The CATT is close to the present-day northern extent of the boreal forest. The forest-land classification for the region is 20% forested, 28.8% non-productive for timber, 1.8% not sufficiently regenerated and 42% alpine, with the remaining land classified as either rivers, urban, lake and wetland. Forests are confined to river valleys below 1100 meters and are characterized by low forest productivity, due to climate, soil and topographic constraints on tree growth. This region also has a low forest biodiversity -- there essentially are only 3 tree species, white spruce (86.3%), trembling aspen (13.3%) and balsam poplar (0.3%). Many of the spruce stands are 200-400 years old.

Socio-economic

Forest ecosystems provide a wide range of services to the local and regional community, including use for recreation, subsistence, tourism industry and forest harvest. There is a growing interest in developing and expanding commercial timber operations as a means of providing local employment and community stability.

The largest settlement in this region is Haines Junction (population 794 in 2003), which was established in 1942 during construction of the Alaska Highway. The population of Haines Junction has changed little since the early 1990s. The Champagne and Aishihik First Nation (CAFN) is estimated to be about half of the population. There are proportionately more people in older age groups, reflecting lack of opportunity for the working-age population (Government of Yukon).

The economy of this region is strongly linked to the location of Haines Junction along the Alaska Highway and to its role as access point to Kluane National Park and Reserve, as well as the provision of government services. Kluane is a wilderness park with hiking, skiing and cycling trails. Tourism-related economic activity -- including accommodation and food services and wilderness tourism -- is a major part of community employment. Haines Junction is home to the administrative centre for Kluane National Park and Reserve, a variety of territorial government services, and CAFN government administration, which now encompasses a variety of municipal and social services. Traditional activities also play a role in the economy and lifestyle of Haines Junction, especially for First Nations people. Fur trapping is practiced on both a full-time and part-time basis, and most First Nation community members exercise their subsistence rights to hunt and fish.

Commercial forest operations in the region have provided building materials for road construction, settlement, mining operations and fuelwood. There is optimism about the economic potential of the forest resource.

Cultural

The CAFN traditional territory is the home of the Southern Tutchone people of the southern Yukon region. There are many villages within its land base, such as Champagne, Klukshu, Aishihik and Hootchi. Haines Junction area was a crossroads long before the Alaska highway was constructed. It is located on an early trade route used by the Coastal Tlingit and Chilkat peoples. The Southern Tutchone used it as a temporary staging area for trapping, hunting and fishing.

Hunting, trapping, fishing and the experiential accumulation of knowledge about the land and environment remain an important part of the culture of First Nation peoples today. CAFN signed their land claims and self-government agreements in 1993. The agreements came into effect in 1995. CAFN has a strong Heritage Department, which focuses on archaeology, documentation of oral traditions, and promoting song, dance and the arts of the Southern Tutchone culture.

Policy Context

In 2003, responsibility for forest management in the Yukon devolved from the Government of Canada to the territorial government. The Devolution Transfer Agreement contains a commitment to develop a partnership-based resource legislation working group of Yukon and First Nation governments to make recommendations on the development of new resource legislation for the Yukon. There is no doubt of the need for a comprehensive forest policy framework for the Yukon. Between 1996 and 1998 the YTG Forest Commission conducted extensive public consultation that resulted in the Yukon Forest Strategy. The consistent message throughout all consultation processes has been the desire -- by Government, industry and communities -- for a collaborative approach in forest management decision making. A recent discussion paper prepared by the Government of Yukon (2004) -- in cooperation with First Nation governments, resource councils and other management agencies -- offers the following vision:

"Our vision is to work together so our forest ecosystems continue to provide for all living things, while providing environmental, economic, social and cultural benefits for present and future generations of Yukon people."

In the southwest Yukon, forest resources are co-managed by the Government of Yukon and CAFN (the Core Group). CAFN signed their land claims and self-government agreements in 1993. The agreements came into effect in 1995. Under their land claims agreement, CAFN has a role in the co-management of their traditional territorial lands and any development proceeding on those lands. Established through the settlement of the land claim in the Alsek Renewable Resource Council is mandated with facilitating public participation in the natural resource management planning processes by preparing resource management recommendations for the governments.

Over the past 10 years, a planning team -- consisting of the Core Group plus Parks Canada Agency, the Village of Haines Junction, and stakeholders representing different interests in the community -- have worked together to develop a strategic forest management plan for the region. The four goals of forest management are to maintain functioning forest ecosystems; community sustainability and benefits; cooperative forest management and planning and build local capacity. To view the plan, go to http://www.emr.gov.yk.ca/forestry/info/publications.html.