News Release - September 11, 2014

VANCOUVER - The Wilderness Committee's office in Vancouver broke into wild cheers as reports appeared today about the upcoming designation of a new tribal park in Tsilhqot’in Nation territory.

"This is incredible news," said Joe Foy, Wilderness Committee National Campaign Director.

Foy was referring to a news report today describing the designation of the Dasiqox Tribal Park in Tsilhqot'in territory, located west of Williams Lake, BC.

"This is an extremely important wild area, and its protection will have a long-lasting positive impact on the conservation of BC's fish and wildlife," Foy said. "The Tsilhqot'in government has done a great service to all British Columbians."

The new tribal park encompasses the site of the controversial proposed New Prosperity mine at Fish Lake. Opponents of the proposed mine have long argued that the mine's impacts would be too environmentally risky for the project to proceed. The federal government has agreed, and has twice turned down the mine proposal.

The vast area included in the new tribal park provides important habitat for grizzly bear, moose and fish, and links other protected areas together to create a much-needed corridor for wildlife.

"The designation of the 3,120-square kilometre tribal park means that grizzly bears in the region will have a much better chance to survive and thrive," said Foy.

For decades, First Nations in BC have used the tribal park designation to successfully preserve important cultural and ecological landscapes within their territories. In the 1980s the Stein Valley, Gwaii Hanaas and Meares Island in Clayoquot Sound were all declared tribal parks by First Nation governments, and were successfully protected from being degraded by industrial activity.

Other well-known natural areas protected by tribal park declarations in the 1990s include the Elaho and Sims valleys in Squamish Nation territory, and Chilco Lake in Tsilhqot'in territory. More recently, the Doig First Nation in northeast BC designated the 90,000 hectare K’ih tsaa?dze Tribal Park, which spans the BC/Alberta border.

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For more information, please contact:

Joe Foy | National Campaign Director, Wilderness Committee
(604) 880-2580