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3TuesdayMarch192013DehchoFirstNationswinbattletoprotectEdehzhieEnvironmentProtectedAreasByMEAGANWOHLBERGThefederalgovernmenthasagreedtocompletethenalstepstopermanentlyprotecttheEdehzhienationalwildlifeareaintheDehchofollowingacourtdecisionearlierthismonthstatingitdidnotconsultwiththeDe-hchoFirstNationsDFNwhenitremovedlandwith-drawalforthesakeofmin-ingin2010.DFNtookCanadatocourtinNovember2010followingwhattheycalledaunilateraldecisionbythefederalgov-ernmenttoterminatepro-tectionforEdehzhiewhichwasintheprocessofgain-ingprotectionthroughtheNWTProtectedAreasStrat-egyPAS.LastweekCanadaagreedinwritingtocompletethenaltwostagesoftheeight-stepPAStoestablishthe14250square-kmareawhichincludestheHornRiverHornPlateauMillsLakeandWillowlakeRivernortheastofFortSimpsonasaco-managedNationalWildlifeAreaNWA.OttawaalsoagreedtopayDFNslegalfeesinexchangeforthewith-drawalofthejudicialre-viewapplication.ItsashamethatwehadtosueCanadatogettheHarpergovernmenttohonouritsob-ligationsbutweareverysat-isedwiththisresultDFNGrandChiefHerbNorwegiansaidinanewsrelease.Canadaallowedthelegalprotectionoftheareatoex-pireonOct.312010toallowforminingexplorationjustafteritcompletedapublicly-fundedmineralassessmentoftheareamadeavailabletoindustry.ThecourtcalledCanadasactionsclearlyquestionableandreinstatedinterimprotec-tionto57percentoftheorig-inal25000square-kmstudyareathatreceivedsurfaceandsubsurfaceprotectionin2002.FollowingdevolutionthedepartmentofEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesENRwillbetakingmoreresponsi-bilityfornegotiatingPASareasintheNWT.ENRMinisterMichaelMiltenbergersaidthiswillnotdisruptongoingtrilateralnegotiationsbetweenthevariousAboriginalgovern-mentsCanadaandtheGNWT.Thefederalgovernmentisgoingtobesteppingtothesideandwearegoingtobeplayingaleadershiprole.WeknowintheDehchothatwearegoingtoconcludeEdehzhieandtheothercandidateareas.Wearegoingtocontinuetoworkwiththecommunitiesandtheotherstakeholdershesaidlastweekinthelegislature.IvehaddiscussionswiththefederalministerofEnvi-ronmentabouttheresourcesthathavebeenidentiedfortheseprocessesandthesenominatedwildlifeareastoensurethatweinfactinheritandcontinuetohavesomeofthatfundingthatwasvotedbythefederalgovernment.Icanclearlycommittotheterritorialgovernmentsourgovernmentscommitmenttothisprocessheadded.Edehzhieorsourcewa-terscontainstheheadwa-tersofthreemajordrainagebasinsandhastraditionallybeenusedasanareaforhuntingtrappingandhar-vestingalongwithculturalandspiritualpractices.Italsocontainsakeynorthernwet-landformigratorybirdsontheCentralandMississippiyways.Thecurrentlandwith-drawalexpiresinMay2013.Thenewboundaryincludesmostimportantconservationareasandex-cludesareasthatmaypro-videeconomicdevelopmentopportunitiesaccordingtothePASwebsite.Thenalareawillbeco-managedbytheCanadianWildlifeServiceDFNandtheTlichogovernment.ItsashamethatwehadtosueCanadatogettheHarpergovernmenttohonouritsobligationsbutweareverysatisedwiththisresult.GrandChiefHerbNorwegianDehchoFirstNationsEdehzhieorsourcewaterscontainstheheadwatersofthreemajordrainagebasins.Continuedfrompage1.AnEKOSpollcommis-sionedbytheNGOAlterna-tivesNorthlastweekasked400randomresidentsovertheageof18intheNWTiftheythoughtthepublicshouldgetavoteonwhetherornottoaccepttheproposeddevolutiondealbeforeitsnalized.Oftherespondents68percentfavouredavote20percentwereopposedand12percentwereuncertainorundecided.McLeodsaidtheterritorydoesnotmakedecisionsthroughreferendaaddingthatapublicvotewouldbenon-bindingandallowtheGNWTtomakethenalde-cisionintheendregardless.Wearetheelectedlead-ersoftheNorthwestTer-ritorieshesaid.WeareheretorepresentthepeopleoftheNorthwestTerrito-ries.Ithinkweshouldstandupandbecounted.Idontthinkweshouldberunningagovernmentbyplebisciteorbyreferendum.HayRiverMLAJaneGroenewegenagreedandrequestedtheconsultationberenamedtoframeitasapublicawarenessprocess.Itsnotaperfectdeal.Itwasnevergoingtobeaper-fectdeal.Itwasnevergoingtohaveabsolutelyevery-thingweaskedfor...Butitisagooddealshesaidofthedevolutionagreement.Wearetheelectedleaders.WehavethemajorityofourelectedAboriginalleaderswhohavecomealongsideandsaidthisisthedirectionwewanttogo.Ithinkthattotrytoundertakeaplebi-scitewouldbegivingper-hapssomepeopleouttherethatarenothappywiththisdeal...thefalsehopethatthisissomethingthatcouldbechangedtoagreatextentandIdontbelievethatsthecase.McLeodsaidpartoftheissueisensuringtheGNWTdoesproperconsultationtoavoidfuturelawsuitswithAboriginalgovernmentsde-spitehisrmbeliefthatthedevolutionagreementdoesnotrequireadutytoconsult.Wehavesignificantamountofnon-abrogationclausesthatensurewedontinfringeonAboriginaltreatyrightsbuttomakesurethatweareverycautioustomakesurewedontmissanythingwewillbedoingourconsultingwithAb-originalgovernmentsandmakingsureweadheretoourdutytoconsultrequire-menthesaid.McLeodsaidtheGNWTwouldspecicallybecon-sultingwiththeAkaitchoandDehchogovernments-theonlyFirstNationsre-mainingoutsidethedeal-butforalimitedtimelikelyayearatmost.Theyrethebestgovern-mentstotellusandmakesurewedontinfringeonanyrightshesaid.ElectedrepresentativestodecideondevolutiondealcabinetdecidesPoliticsDevolutionImageNWTProtectedAreasStrategy