Caribou cross over a patch of land near the east arm of Great Slave Lake. Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation and the federal government have been in negotiations to turn this area into Thaidene Nene National Park. But after devolution the territorial government is aiming to reduce the amount of land transferred back to the federal government. - NNSL file photo

LUTSEL K'E/SNOWDRIFT
The territorial government and the mining sector are pushing for a "significantly smaller" national park reserve within the Thaidene Nene study area, say the territory's environment minister and the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines.

"The GNWT has stated that it supports a national park that is significantly smaller than the current area under withdrawal," Environment and Natural Resources Minister Michael Miltenberger stated in an e-mail to News/North.

The current study area for the proposed park is about 33,500 square kilometres. The area, which includes the east arm of Great Slave Lake, boreal forest and tundra, is considered the homeland of the Lutsel K'e Denesoline.

The federal government would administer the national park portion of Thaidene Nene.

But the territorial government and the LKDFN are working to develop territorial designations for the areas that fall outside of the national park reserve portion, Miltenberger said.

"Northern Tools means GNWT laws, regulations and policies that can be used to address Northern interests," Miltenberger stated in the e-mail. "For example, we could use or amend the Territorial Parks Act to allow for the creation of a territorial park. GNWT's view is that if an area of Thaidene Nene is designated territorial park, that mineral development in that area would not occur."

While development would not be permitted in land designated as either a national or territorial park, development could still take place in areas that receive other territorial designations.

"It will not be allowed in the national park portion, it will not be allowed in the territorial park portion, but there is a possibility it could happen if there are other Northern tools used in any other part of Thaidene Nene," Roya Grinsted, communications officer with the cabinet communications division of the GNWT stated in a follow up e-mail to News/North on behalf of Miltenberger.

"All of this is being done in conjunction with Lutsel K'e, so they are aware of that and have a say in what is being used in what area of Thaidene Nene."

It is unclear exactly how much of the study area will be national park reserve and how much could receive territorial designations, but Miltenberger stated in an e-mail that an announcement could come this summer.

"That will be up to Parks Canada to announce, but the GNWT would like to see an announcement on a federal boundary option this summer," he stated.

The LKDFN want to establish a cultural tourism industry in the park, providing jobs and training opportunities to LKDFN members and providing an alternate source of revenue to resource extraction.

The Mineral and Energy Resource Assessment (MERA) for Thaidene Nene was completed in 2013 and noted mineral deposits, including kimberlite-hosted diamonds, found on or just outside of the proposed park's boundary.

Gold deposits were also noted within the area of interest, as well as uranium and copper.

But Tom Hoefer, executive director of the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines, said Thaidene Nene's MERA is incomplete.

In a submission to the territorial government, the chamber noted that funding for the MERA was about $1.5 million, which the chamber said was insufficient to thoroughly survey the area.

"The total budget to assess an area the size of Vancouver Island was only about $1.5 million, which is not sufficient for its large size and geological complexity," the submission stated.

In addition, the mineral deposits found in and around the study area indicate the potential for more.

"This is a good indicator that strong mineral potential is more widespread," the submission stated.

Geoscience data is minimal in the Thaidene Nene, in part because the original study area was withdrawn in 1970, Hoefer said.

"The core area was withdrawn way back in the 70's," he said. "Nobody's been able to work that area for a long, long time."

Hoefer added that the MERA failed to investigate other forms of energy possibilities, such as the hydropower generation potential of the Lockhart River system.

"It was totally ignored in the MERA, but if an engineer could pick a place to construct a very rich hydropower site, it would be on that river," he said.

The chamber's submission noted that while the LKDFN and other groups had expressed concern about a hydropower site, a national park would abolish any potential for a project in the future.

"We are aware that the Lockhart River holds great cultural significance to the people of Lutsel K'e, however it may also be technically feasible to protect the river and to use it to generate power for the benefit of the NWT and the community," the submission stated. "A national park would forever eliminate that option."

Permanent protection would also block access to development areas in the southeastern part of the territory, another area where Hoefer said geoscience data is weak.

"The proposed Thaidene Nene Park boundary encompasses the entire shoreline of the east arm of Great Slave Lake, and compromises access to an even larger region beyond," the submission stated. "Currently, there is no consideration for transportation or power transmission access. Without access concessions, the proposed park boundary would effectively stymie mining development opportunities in much of the southeastern corner of the NWT."

Hoefer said the chamber is pushing to reduce the overall size of the national park, including removing all areas of moderate and high mineral potential. The same method was used with Naats'ihch'oh National Park Reserve, Hoefer said.

"Lets not hand all of the land back to the federal government," he said.

Other land use management tools could be used to protect areas of Thaidene Nene, which could be reviewed and modified in the future to allow for potential development, Hoefer said.

"The national park tool is kind of a sledgehammer. That's a really powerful tool. It doesn't leave you options in the future to develop new technologies," he said. "With a national park, you can't revisit it every five years and make changes, you're locked in."

The study area is under an interim land withdrawal until April 1, 2016.

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