Project underway to protect 7.57 million acres of land in northwest BC

The draft land use plan for the Dene K’éh Kusān region is now open for comment.

An untouched natural area in northern BC roughly the size of Vancouver Island is a step closer to legal protection after reaching a key milestone in the planning process. The region, known as Dene K’éh Kusān, means “Always Will Be There” in Kaska, the language of the Kaska Dena, who have acted as stewards of the area since time immemorial. The Kaska Dena have been working since 2018 to protect the region, with the planning pilot project launching in June 2025.

The nation has now submitted the draft Kaska BC land-use plan, which is open for public review and comment. The proposed protected area covers about 7.57 million acres, or 30,651 square kilometres, spanning the spine of the Rocky Mountains. It encompasses about four per cent of BC's landmass and a significant portion of the Yellowstone to Yukon region.

The area remains completely undeveloped, with no roads or other infrastructure. It is home to grizzly bears, sheep, moose, millions of migratory birds and seven caribou herds. If approved, the protections would also contribute to the province's and the international goal of protecting 30 per cent of Earth's lands and waters by 2030.

Protecting Dene K’éh Kusān would move British Columbia about three per cent closer to that goal. The Kaska Dena are working with the BC government and the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) to establish the area as an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA). “I think this is the greatest conservation opportunity in North America,” Tim Burkhart, Y2Y's director of landscape protection, said.

“It's a once-in-a-generation chance to protect landscape and wildlife at a scale that really works for nature and future generations.” Burkhart explained that an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area provides an overarching vision rather than a specific legal designation. “An IPCA is almost an aspirational tool,” Burkhart said.

“There is no Crown legal framework in Canada for an IPCA. First Nations propose or declare them, and then governments work with them to determine which existing land-use designation best matches that vision.” The Kaska Dena are proposing that the area be designated as a conservancy under BC's Park Act.

“Conservancies are a type of park in British Columbia,” Burkhart said. “They're created through an order-in-council and managed by BC Parks. Under an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area, there would also be co-management and co-governance with the Kaska.”

With the draft Kaska BC land-use plan now open for public comment, Burkhart told The Citizen the process has reached a critical stage. “We're in a 30-day public engagement period on the initial draft,” Burkhart said. “After that, the plan will be refined, followed by another round of engagement before a final recommendation goes to cabinet in December.

If approved, the conservancy could be established early in the new year.” He said the proposal has been refined in collaboration with the BC government to balance conservation with economic interests, particularly mining and forestry. “The initial plan covered a slightly larger area,” Burkhart said.

“Over the past year, it has been reduced by about 10 per cent. Some areas with high mineral potential but lower conservation value were removed, while other boundary changes were made to reflect local community interests and existing land-use policies.” If approved, the protected area is also intended to support a conservation- and tourism-based economy for the Kaska Dena.

“They've looked after this landscape for time immemorial,” Burkhart said. “This will protect wildlife and cultural values while providing a foundation for opportunities such as guide outfitting, hunting, adventure tourism and ecotourism.” The proposed conservancy designation would provide permanent legal protection while allowing greater Indigenous participation in managing the land.

“A conservancy under the Park Act is a really flexible tool,” Burkhart said. “It provides permanent protection from mining and industrial development while allowing the province and First Nations to co-manage the area. That flexibility also allows for activities such as hunting that would be much more restricted in a provincial or national park.”

Burkhart has visited Dene K’éh Kusān himself and said its scale and intact wilderness are unlike almost anywhere else in North America. “This is one of the last intact roadless landscapes in North America at this scale,” Burkhart said. “It's hard to convey just how remarkable it is.

The ecological values are extraordinary. You can fly over lakes and see 20 moose at a time. That's something you simply don't see in many other places.”

Those wishing to comment on the draft land-use plan can do so at https://feedback.engage.gov.bc.ca/911662.