CPAWS reps advocate a balanced approach
Derek Neary
Northern News Services
Fort Simpson (Apr 27/01) - Sabine Tamm is now the protected areas coordinator for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society's branch in Fort Simpson.
Tamm, who hails from northwestern Ontario, had been to the NWT before while studying the affects tourism has on communities.
"I've always had my sights on coming back up here," she said.
She has attended the School of Community and Regional Planning at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Her studies focused on community involvement in parks and protected areas. She has also done some consulting for eco-tourism outfits and community groups, as well as a variety of policy work.
"And I really like to get out on the land and get my hands dirty," she said, adding that she has experience in ecological rehabilitation and trail work.
Tamm joins outreach coordinator Heather Passmore in the CPAWS office, which is open each weekday and has a small library of resource materials. Passmore has been with the local branch since it was established a year-and-a-half ago. She is responsible for developing educational materials, such as posters, newsletters and slide shows, to enhance awareness of protected areas.
In the Deh Cho, the Horn Plateau is a candidate for protected area status, which involves eight steps. As a protected area, the Horn Plateau would be off limits to development, but still used for traditional harvesting practices.
"All of this stuff is community driven. The communities make the effort (to protect lands) and we assist them in that capacity," Tamm explained. "People are pretty aware that it's an intense time for making land decisions. So we're here to lend support."
Jobs created through protecting lands are long-term, she noted.
Passmore said an important first step in the protected area strategy is to identify places of value through traditional land-use mapping.
"The elders are really the key players for the knowledge of the land, and the harvesters," she said.
Tamm added, "Protected areas make it more clear where other interests can invest their energies."
Buffer zones can be created around core protected areas where moderate development can take place, Passmore suggested.
"So there's a balanced approach, really, ecological integrity with responsible development," she said.
