Yukon tourism industry chimes in on call to ban Peel watershed mining

The group that represents the Yukon's tourism industry is adding its voice to a chorus of Yukoners calling for mining and mineral exploration to be banned in parts of the Peel River watershed.

The Tourism Industry Association of the Yukon declared its position on the issue as the Peel River Planning Commission works on its final recommendations for land use in the watershed.

The panel released a draft of its land use plan in late April. Its final recommendations will be forwarded to the Yukon government for action.

The Yukon Chamber of Mines has already blasted the draft plan for placing too many restrictions on the territory's mining industry.

But tourism association chairman Rod Taylor said it's reasonable to put some limits on miners and prospectors.

"We have all this other area — at least 80 per cent of the Yukon — that can be staked," Taylor told CBC News on Wednesday.

"Do we really need at this moment in time to go and disturb what is, again, arguably the most precious piece of wilderness that we have?"

The Peel Watershed Planning Commission proposes that half the watershed — about 67,000 square kilometres of the northeastern Yukon watershed — be put off-limits to mineral staking, and that development should not be allowed in environmentally sensitive areas.

Prospectors and miners have staked nearly 10,000 new claims around the Peel River area over the last five years.

Taylor, an adventure tourism operator, said there is a lot of money in the watershed's mountains and valleys that does not have to be mined.

"We're charging those folks $1,100 per person per day for a 20-day trip, and they don't even blink," Taylor said.

"It's because we're going to an area that we can say is essentially pristine."

Taylor added that Yukoners should be looking at cultural, natural and wildlife values of the land.

The Yukon's largest aboriginal organization, the Council of Yukon First Nations, wants more restrictions put on mining industry access to the watershed.

"I fully support the protection of this area and the comments made by Rod Taylor," Grand Chief Andy Carvill said.

Both Taylor and Carvill are calling on Premier Dennis Fentie to listen to what Yukoners are saying about the issue before deciding what action to take on the Peel River watershed.