The Taku River Tlingit First Nation has come out with a very strong conservation declaration for the Taku, as announced in the 1/20/23 article in the Globe & Mail. This is great news for the watershed and conservation, as the First Nation takes an inspired position very much in keeping with the Taku’s outstanding ecological and cultural values.
As the article points out, the Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area, and British Columbia government’s acceptance of it, are two different things, so it remains to be seen how this will play out. But that the Taku River Tlingit First Nation is thinking big and visionary about its Territory’s continental significance relative to biodiversity, wild salmon, and climate change, along with its cultural importance, is huge.
In the meantime, key to keeping the Taku wild and thriving is getting the long abandoned and polluting Tulsequah Chief mine closed and cleaned up. And slowly but surely that goal is drawing near, with one hurdle after another getting cleared as we press for remediation action as well as protection for the Taku from both sides of the border.
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