In a long awaited move, the Canadian government this week announced an impressive expansion of the Nahanni National Park Reserve boundaries from 5,000 square kilometres to more than 30,000 square kilometres.
The expansion is equal in size to the state of Maine and three times the size of Yellowstone National Park.
The new boundaries allow for the protection of the majority of the land within the Greater Nahanni Ecosystem. The land will now be withdrawn from any kind of further development. Protected areas include mineral hot springs, limestone formations with international geological significance, and important grizzly bear, woodland caribou and Dall’s sheep habitat. The Government said it will consult with the Deh Cho First Nations and other stakeholders to determine land-use policies that will ensure the long-term protection of the park.
Nahanni was named a National Park Reserve in 1972, and a massive expansion in the works since it was proposed by then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in 1971.
Nahanni National Park Reserve was designated as UNESCO’s first World Heritage site in 1978 and the section of the South Nahanni River that includes the renowned Virginia Falls was designated a Canadian Heritage River by the Canadian Heritage Rivers Board in 1987.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, said, "Canada is blessed with magnificent geography from coast to coast to coast, but none more spectacular than Nahanni Park. Today’s announcement will ensure that more of this precious land, and the unique wildlife populations it sustains, will be protected for future generations."
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