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TuesdayDecember1620147ENVIRONMENTPROTECTEDAREASFirstNationwantsWoodBuffaloNationalParklistedasworldheritagesiteindangerByMEAGANWOHLBERGThirtyyearsafterWoodBuffaloNationalParkwasnamedaUNESCONaturalWorldHeritagesiteFirstNationspeoplewhoinhabitthedeltaitsurroundsarecallingforaddedprotectionfortheareatheysayisbeingputindangerbyupstreamhydroandoilsandsdevelopment.TheMikisewCreeFirstNationlaunchedapetitionlastweekcallingforUNESCOtoplacetheparkonitslistofheritagesitesindangerhopingthenewdesignationwillspurtheactionsrequiredtomitigatenega-tivechangesalreadybeingseenthrough-outthesensitivePeace-AthabascaDeltaecosystem.ItwouldputalotofpressureonthestateinthiscaseCanadatotakecorrectivemea-suresMelodyLepinedirectorofgovern-mentandindustryrelationsforMikisewsaidoftherequestedchangeindesignation.Itsourhome.Itstheplacewhereweexer-ciseourcultureandourtreatyandAborigi-nalrightsshesaid.Wejustseeitchanging.ThecommunityisconcernedandtheMiki-sewCreefeltwehavetobringittotheworldstageandhavethataudiencesincetheyvealreadyrecognizeditasaprettyimportantplace.Wewanttobringittotheirattentionthattheveryplacetheylistedasaworldheri-tagesiteisbeingthreatened.Theparkwasgiveninternationalrecog-nitionin1983duetoitsstatusasthelarg-estborealfreshwaterdeltaintheworldwithmanyuniqueecologicalandculturalfeaturesfromthenestinggroundsoftheendangeredwhoopingcranestothebalancedrelation-shipbetweenwolvesandbisontountouchedindigenousgrasslands.ButdammingonthePeaceRiverandoilsandsactivitiesontheAthabascahaveimpactedwaterquantityandqualityLep-inesaidaffectingwildlifesuchasmigratorybirdsshandmammalslikemuskratsalongwiththeAboriginalpeoplewholivethere.ChangesinwaterlevelscausedbyupstreamhydroonthePeacebeganinthe1960swiththeWACBennettDamaccordingtotheFirstNationandhavedrasticallychangedthedeltaenvironment.AlotoftheperchedbasinsarenolongergettingtheoodingasaresultoftheicejamsonthePeaceRiverLepinesaid.TherearemanyplaceslikeEggLakethatareliter-allyjustdryingup.Themuskratandalotoffur-bearinganimalsthatrelyonthewaterareexperiencingsignicanthabitatloss.SolossofwaterisIthinkrstandforemostthebiggestissue.Thesecondissueshesaidiswaterqual-ity.ContaminantsfromtheoilsandscomingdownstreamviatheAthabascahaveresultedinincreasedlevelsofheavymetalsthathaveforcedthecommunitytolimittheirconsump-tionofwildfoods.Thequalityofthewaterisdenitelyhav-inganimpactontheecosystemandonpeo-pleLepinesaid.NowwiththerecentapprovalofBCHydrosthirdhydroprojectonthePeacetheSiteCdamandconstantmininganddrillingpro-posalsintheoilsandsregionLepinesaidtheFirstNationislookingforotheravenuestodefendtheecologicallyimportantareaout-sideofthehearingsprocess.Mikisewfoundoutabouttheoptiontohavetheparkre-designatedunderUNESCOanddecidedtolaunchintoworkontheinitiativeoverthesummerwithassistancefromtheCanadianParksandWildernessSocietysCPAWSnorthernAlbertachapter.CPAWSdoesworkwithnationalparksandwepartneredwiththem10yearsagosowehavearelationshipwiththem.WefeltitwasagoodtLepinesaid.ThepetitiontotheWorldHeritageCom-mitteeoutlinesanumberofrecommendedac-tionsincludingtheestablishmentofabufferzonearoundtheparktoaddressanumberofencroachingpiecesofdevelopmentinclud-ingTeckResourcesproposedFrontieropenpitoilsandsmine.Italsoasksthecommitteetoconsidercar-ryingoutitsownassessmentofSiteCsim-pactsonthePeace-AthabascaDeltaandtoaidinestablishingacrediblemonitoringandmanagementplanfortheparkasMiki-sew-alongwithallotherAboriginalparties-recentlywithdrewfromthegovernmentsJointOilSandsMonitoringprogramcit-ingalackofmeaningfulengagementwithFirstNations.LepinehopesCanadawillseethemoveasanoffertoworkcooperativelywiththeFirstNationonmitigatingnegativeimpactsplacedonthepark.PhotoJohnMcKinnonParksCanadaWoodBuffaloNationalParkwasnamedaUNESCONaturalWorldHeritageSitein1983duetoitsstatusasthelargestborealfreshwaterdeltaintheworld.FirstNationwelcomescourtactionbyCanadaonfnancialdisclosureByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationACFNissayingbringitontoCanadaafterfederalAboriginalAffairsMinisterBernardValcourtrecentlythreatenedthebandwithlegalactionoveritsrefusaltocomplywithnewfederallegislationon-nancialdisclosure.ACFNisoneofsixFirstNationspossiblyfacingcourtactionfortheirnon-compliancewiththecontroversialFirstNationsFinancialTransparencyActFNFTAwhichcameintoforceinAugustandrequiresbandsacrossCanadatosubmitauditednancialinfor-mationincludingsalariesandFirstNation-ownedbusinessearningstobepostedonlinefortheCanadianpublic.ChiefAllanAdamwhopostedthebandsnancialinformationonACFNsownweb-sitetobeviewedbyhismembershipsaidhecontinuestomaintainhispositionagainstthenewlegislationwhichhecalledanattempttoundermineFirstNationsleadershipandrightstoself-determination.Itsbecausewebelieveintransparencyandaccountabilitythatwewelcometheop-portunitytodefendourselvesincourtagainstthisunfairandunconstitutionallegislationandthiscompletelyunaccountablegovern-mentAdamchargedlastweekinresponsetoValcourt.Just48of582FirstNationsinCanadahavenotcompliedbutACFNalongwiththeThun-derchildOchapowaceOnionLakeSawridgeandColdLakeFirstNationsaretheonlysixtoexplicitlystatethattheydonotintendtocomplywiththenewlegislation.AlongwiththethreatofcourtactionVal-courthasindicatednon-compliantFirstNa-tionswillhavenon-essentialfundingfromthefederalgovernmentwithhelduntiltheinformationisprovided.ThislawwasputinplacetoensurethatFirstNationbandmembershaveaccesstotheinformationtheyrequireanddeserveaboutbasicnancialmanagementpracticesoftheirChiefandCouncilandtoempowerthemtoensurebandrevenuesarebeingusedfortheirbenetreadsastatementfromValcourtsofceemailedtoTheJournal.ItappliesthesameprinciplesoftransparencyandaccountabilitytoFirstNationsgovern-mentsthatalreadyexistforothergovern-mentsinCanada.ACFNhasntsignedcontributionagree-mentswiththefederalgovernmentsince2012duetothefederalgovernmentsinclusionofprovisionsthatpreventtheFirstNationfromopposingcertainlegislationincludingamendmentsmadeinrecentyearstoenvi-ronmentallawsandassessmentregulations.WhileACFNreceivessomeindirectfundingforessentialserviceslikesocialassistancehealthandeducationthroughtheAthabascaTribalCouncilithasnotacceptedanyfund-ingforbandadministrationincludingsala-riesfromthefederalgovernmentsince2011.RatherAdamsaidACFNreliesonbusi-nessrevenuestofunction-businessesthatpaytaxestotheCanadiangovernment.Theministeriswellawareofthefactthatournationhasrefusedtoacceptfederalfund-ingorsignagreementsforbandadministra-tionforclosetothreeyearsAdamsaidwithrespecttoValcourt.Wehaverunourofcesandprovidedmanyservicestoourmemberswithourownrev-enues.Weareproudofthefactthatwepro-videfulldisclosuresonouradministrationandbusinessestothemembersofourFirstNationbutwerefusetoacceptthatCanadacandemandaccountabilityfromuswhenwegetnoaccountabilityfromthisgovern-menthesaid.PhotoMeaganWohlbergACFNChiefAllanAdamhaspostedhissalaryandotherbandfinancesonlinebutrefusestosharethatinformationwiththefederalgovernment.POLITICSFIRSTNATIONS