Yellowknife (Nov 10/06) - The rapid development of Yellowknife is forcing City Hall to take a close look at areas in need of protection.

The city is having an ecological study drafted and many of the selected sites were chosen to safeguard wildlife.

Also, the overall aesthetic value of a site is a factor, according to Yellowknife Mayor Gordon Van Tighem.

"This is an important project," he said. "We have to find out which areas in the city need protecting to protect wildlife in these areas."

Some of the approximately 35 locations listed in the ecological study are Willow Flats, Rat Lake and Tin Can Hill, said Nick Lawson of Jacques Whitford Ltd., the company hired to carry out the study.Once these areas are confirmed, then development projects will have to work around them or stay completely away from them.

Lawson said Jacques Whitford Ltd. has been working extensively on the project since June, and is still gathering information.

"We started with air photos. We also had an open house in July for people to give their input, and have done field work to identify ecologically significant areas in the city," said Lawson.

"We now have a ranking criteria to prioritize the ecological importance of the sites," he added.

The city has not yet released the overall cost of the project, as it is ongoing.