yellowstone to yukon conservation initiativenaturalresourcespolicy.org/docs/hands across...
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YellowstonetoYukonConservationInitiative [email protected] 4036781137www.y2y.netCanada,USSize:500,000sqmile
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Participantsincoordinatingtheongoingtransboundarycooperation:
Overour20+yearsofexistencewehavepartneredwithmorethan300differententities,seeexamplesbelow.
NationalGovernment:• Canada• USA
LocalGovernment:• Stateandprovinciallandandwildlifemanagementagencies• Towngovernments(e.g.,Canmore)
Protectedareaadministration:• USFishandWildlifeService• USForestService• AlbertaParks• ParksCanada• NationalParkService
InternationalNGOs:• WildlifeConservationSociety
NationalNGOs:• CanadianParksandWilderness• DefendersofWildlife• TheWildernessSociety
LocalNGOs:• GreatYellowstoneCoalition• AlbertaWildernessAssociation
Intergovernmentalorganizations:• NAFTA• CEC
Multi-NationalCorporations:• Timbercompanies• Miningcompanies
LocalSmallBusinesses:• Yes,avarietyhavesponsoredourworkovertheyears
Community-basedOrganizations:• RoadWatch• BowValleyNaturalists
Objectives:ProtectandconnecthabitatfromYellowstonetoYukonsothatpeopleandnaturecanthrive.Valuesandimportance:
• Natural-oneofthemostintactmountainecosystemsintheworld.• Socialandcultural–mountaincommunitieswithastrongfabricofindigenous
culturalpresenceandvalues.
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• Economic–Strongeco-tourism,alonghistoryofenergyexportation.• Political–stablebutlotsofboundarieswithinandacrosscountries.• Securityimportance–stablearea.
Aspectsoftransboundarycooperation:Natureconservation;scienceresearchisatooltodirectpriorities
Stageintheprocess:20+yearsintoimplementationwithdemonstratedsuccesses;bottomupcollaborationswithlimitedtop-downformalstructureDateEstablished:1993OfficialProtectedAreaDesignation~21%oftheY2Yregionisnowinprotectedareas
• CanadianNationalParksandReserves• AlbertaWildernessAreas• AlbertaWildernessParks• AlbertaProvincialParks• BCProvincialParks• BCConservancies• BCEcologicalReserves• NWTParcelsofConservationInterest• YukonTerritorialParks• YukonWildernessPreserves• YukonPeelRiverProtectedAreas• USNationalParks• USWilderness• USNationalMonuments
TheCatalyst:Agroupofconservationistsrealizedthatprotectedareaswhilehugelyimportantwhereinsufficienttoprotectoneofthecontinent’smostintactecosystems.ThevisionhasandstillcontinuestocompelpeopletoengagetowardthevisionofaprotectedandconnectedY2Yregion.History
1. Thecollaborativevision“toprotectandconnecthabitatacrossY2Ysothatpeopleandnaturewillthrive.Thepowerofacompellingvisioncannotbeunderestimated.
2. Leadership–themajorleadersatthetimeallunitedaroundthevision.3. Scienceattheinitiationandcontinuestodaytodefinetheplacesthatarethe
biggestpriorities
4. CommunitygroupstointernationalNGOsworkingontangibleconservationissuesacrosstheregionusingasuiteoftoolscontinuestodrivetheinitiativeforward.
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Barriers,challenges,obstacles,orconstraints:1. FearofanewentitythatmightbefromtheUnitedNationsand/ormightbea
land-grabagency.Whilethisstillpopsupfromtimetotime,thesinglebestwaytoaddressthisisthroughactiveengagementofindividualsfromY2Yworkinginpartnershiponsharedpriorities.
2. Enormousandincreasinghumanpopulationssettlinginandaroundthesouthernpartoftheregionandutilizingsignificantamountsoflandthatwereeithernaturalorinlowintensityuseaswellasincreasingpressureonpubliclandsforrecreationthatcanhaveinadvertentimpacts.Y2Yandpartnersareworkinghardtodevelopanddisseminatetoolsandapproachestoaddresstheseissuesandmaintainmountaincommunityidentitiesthatemphasizeco-existencewithwildlifeandnature.
3. Enormousandincreasingpressurearoundnaturalresourceextractionparticularlyfurthernorthintheregionbutubiquitous.KeytoaddressingthisisreframingY2Yasaglobalgemandthatthebestandhighestgoodisconservationsuchthatfornaturalresourceextractiontoadvance,theyneedtorebutthis.
4. Climatechange–fires,floods,fearcanallresultinpoliciesthatthreatenconservationgains.Planningforclimatechangeandresiliencyinnatureandincommunitiesisessential.
TheGovernanceandManagementStructures● Cooperativerelationship:Whilewehavebindingcontractstomoveforward
specificwork,thebroaderpartnershipapproachofY2Ytomoveforwardasharedvisionisvoluntaryengagement.
● Legalbasisforcooperation:n/a
● Governancestructure:AsthepromoteroftheY2Yvisionthatencouragesand
facilitatescollaborations,Y2YCIisanon-profitorganizationinbothCanadaandtheUSandisgovernedbyboardsoneachsideoftheborder.Programandprojectlevelcollaborationsareworkedoutthroughbothformalandinformalmechanisms.
● Cooperativemanagementarrangement:NotsurethisisapplicabletoY2Y.Y2Yis
anon-profitanddoesnotmanagelandsorwildlife.Results
• Inthe20yearssincetheinceptionofthesharedvisionofY2YwasarticulatedtoconnectandprotecthabitatfromtheYellowstonetotheYukonsothatpeopleandnaturecanthrive;protectedareashaveincreasedfrom11to21percentintheregion,almostdoublingtheprotectedareas.
• Intheregion,fewifanydesignatedroadwildlifecrossingstructuresexist.Todayarguablythemostprogresswildlifecrossingstructuresineachcountry(inBanffon
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theConfederatedSalishandKootenaiReservation)nowsitintheY2Yregionandmanyothercrossingstructureshavebeenbuiltorareintheplans.
• VariouslargecarnivoresintheY2Yregionhaveincreasedinpopulations.• Twocountriesagreetoplacecoaloff-limitsintheFlatheadwatershed.• Y2Yhasinspiredotherlargelandscapeeffortsaroundtheworld.• Andsomuchmore.
Whatsustainstheinitiativeisasimple,clearandpowerfulvision.LessonsLearned
• Workingtogethercansynergizetheworkofmultiplegroupstonewlevels• Bottomupandtopdownleversareultimatelyrequiredforlong-termsuccess• Engagementofcommunitywithintheregionandmorebroadlyisessential
ForMoreInformation
Name Title Organization Email Phone
StephenLegault ProgramDirectorAlbertaandNWT
Y2YCI [email protected] 4036092666
CandaceBatycki ProgramdirectorBCandYukon
Y2YCI [email protected] 2503523830
KimTrotter ProgramDirectorUS
Y2YCI [email protected] 208709-1114
BillWeber Co-chairY2Y YaleUniversity [email protected]
2023029697
Majordocumentsandothergeneralinformationareavailableathttp://www.y2y.net