The Kaska Nation has spent years creating a imaginative and prescient for a proposed Indigenous Protected and Conserved Space (IPCA) in Northwest British Columbia referred to as Dene Ok’éh Kusān, which suggests All the time Will Be There within the Kaska language. This awe-inspiring 7.6-million-acre space is B.C.’s largest intact piece of wilderness—bigger than the U.S. state of Massachusetts! It’s house to historic forests and rivers which can be vital habitat for lots of of species of migratory birds together with long-distance vacationers like Lesser Yellowlegs, Wilson’s Warbler, Golden-crowned Sparrow, and Widespread Nighthawk to not point out grizzly bears, caribou, and different species-at-risk. You may be taught extra concerning the birds of this area here.
Defending this huge space means parts of ten main watersheds in addition to vital habitat for tens of millions of birds and different wildlife will stay protected from dangerous industrial improvement. It additionally fulfills the Kaska Nation’s imaginative and prescient of wholesome lands supporting wholesome folks and communities for generations to come back. Plus, the area acts as a pure local weather answer storing tonnes of carbon in its peatlands, forests, and wetlands.
Proper now, the B.C. authorities is deciding whether or not or to not defend this spectacular wilderness in Canada. They’re asking for enter from the general public earlier than August 4, 2026. It is a uncommon alternative to assist Indigenous-led conservation in Canada for the good thing about folks, birds and the planet. You may participate in the survey here.
Ideas for taking the survey:
The very first thing chances are you’ll discover is that there are many maps and different data to learn by—don’t worry about this! Be happy to skim by and push the blue “Subsequent” button 3 times to land on the primary query, which is:
Is there particular suggestions you wish to share regarding the stability between conservation and useful resource improvement in Kaska Ancestral Territory?
Prompt response (be happy to customise!)
I absolutely assist defending Dene Ok’éh Kusān in its entirety. This safety is crucial to profitable conservation outcomes for migratory birds and different wildlife. The boundaries of Dene Ok’éh Kusān had been strategically drawn to incorporate areas the place conservation values are excessive and industrial potential is low. That makes it a low-conflict alternative to guard nature with minimal affect on trade.
The stability between conservation and useful resource improvement in Kaska Ancestral Territory ought to stay weighted in the direction of the long-term safety of ecosystems and Kaska cultural heritage. Dene Ok’éh Kusān is how that stability will be achieved.
Push “Subsequent” once more to achieve query two:
Is there particular suggestions you wish to share regarding imaginative and prescient for a conservation financial system in Dene Ok’éh Kusān?
Prompt response (be happy to customise!)
I am happy that Dene Ok’éh Kusān will probably be shielded from industrial actions like mining, forestry, and oil and fuel. I assist Dene Ok’éh Kusān turning into a world-class protected space for all folks to discover and luxuriate in. It opens up thrilling financial alternatives for Kaska to welcome out of doors fans who will come to fish, hunt, hike, and camp within the new conservancy. I assist a conservation financial system that’s fastidiously deliberate and managed — one which lets folks expertise true wildness, sustains an abundance of wildlife within the face of local weather change, and protects these values for future generations.
It is encouraging to see the conservation financial system valued as a part of B.C.’s financial future, not simply useful resource extraction. A nature-based, out of doors financial system is a vital a part of the province’s long-term technique.
Push “Subsequent” once more to reply the third query:
Is there another suggestions that you simply wish to share with the undertaking workforce concerning the proposed Dene Ok’éh Kusān?
Prompt response (be happy to customise!)
Negotiations between B.C. and Kaska have already lowered the dimensions of Dene Ok’éh Kusān by roughly 20%. I am calling for no additional reductions, and I strongly assist defending each space throughout the present proposed boundaries, which fortuitously nonetheless captures many of the highest precedence conservation values.
Dene Ok’éh Kusān is among the final main intact, unprotected landscapes in North America. Now’s the time for B.C. to prioritize conservation and finalize this undertaking earlier than the top of 2026. Defending areas adjoining to Dene Ok’éh Kusān should even be thought of throughout the broader community of northern land-use plans to take care of vital wildlife connectivity corridors throughout the panorama.
The scale of Dene Ok’éh Kusān is roughly 3% of B.C.’s whole land space. This safety is vital to assembly the province’s aim of defending 30% of its land and water by 2030.
Upon getting crammed in all three questions in Half 1, you possibly can skip forward to Half 3 by pushing the blue “Subsequent” button 9 extra occasions, or till you see the part labelled “Half 3 – About you”
Rapidly fill in some demographic data—when you reside within the U.S. you possibly can go away the Postal Code and Province/Area clean. And with that you’re completed. You’ve gotten simply helped defend one of many greatest, wildest locations in BC! Thanks!
