RiverswithoutBorders-AlaskaandBritishColumbia
TransboundaryWatershedConservationInitiative
WillPatric [email protected] 360-379-2811
SoutheastAlaskaandnorthwestBritishColumbia
Size:Over100,000squaremilesor26,000hectares.
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Participantsincoordinatingtheongoingtransboundarycooperation:
LocalGovernment:
• Alaska
• SouthEastAlaskanNativeAmericanTribes
• MunicipalGovernment
NationalNGOs:
• SierraClubBC
• MiningWatchCanada
• CanadianParks
• WildernessSociety
• TroutUnlimited
• WildernessCommittee
LocalNGOs:
• RiversWithoutBorders
• SalmonBeyondBorders
• SalmonState
• SoutheastAlaskaConservationCouncil
• SkeenaWild
LocalSmallBusinesses:
• Alaskacommercialfishingassociations
Community-basedOrganizations:
• CanadianandU.S.scientists
Objectives:Theinitiativeisonlygettingstarted.Theobjectiveofourinitiativeisraising
awarenessoftheextraordinaryecologicalandculturalvaluesofthesoutheastAlaska(U.S.)
–northwestBritishColumbia(Canada)transboundarywatershedsandpromoting
ecosystembasedplanningandstewardshiptowardsustainingthosevalues.
Valuesandimportance:Therearesixmajortransboundarywatershedswithheadwaters
innorthwestBritishColumbia.Eachofthesewildandspectacularriversystemscourses
througharangeofdiverseinterconnectedmountains-to-estuaryeco-zones,crossingthe
internationalborderandemptyingintothePacificOceanalongtheAlaskapanhandle.They
areallrelativelyintact,insomecasesvirtuallypristine.Notcoincidentally,hereare
outstandingreservoirsofbiodiversityandsomeofthemostimportantwildsalmonhabitat
anywhere,crucialtotheregion’sfishingeconomy.Indigenouspeopleonbothsidesofthe
bordermaintainstrongculturalconnectionstothesewaterways.
Aspectsoftransboundarycooperation:natureconservation,ecosystembased
management,watershedmanagement,andscientificresearch.
Stageintheprocess:Ourtransboundaryconservationinitiativeisstillinitsearlystages.
ProposedmininginCanadianheadwatershasinspireddownstreaminterestinthe
watershedsandtheirfate,drivenbyconcernsaboutwildsalmon.Downstream(U.S.side)
state,federal,tribal,community,fishingindustry,andNGOcallsforInternationalJoint
Commissionengagement,underauspicesoftheCanada–U.S.BoundaryWaterstreaty,
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haveyettobeembracedbyupstreamCanadiangovernmententities.
OfficialProtectedAreaDesignation:Nodesignationyet.
TheCatalyst:Protectingwildsalmonrunsforbotheconomicandindigenous
cultural/subsistencereasonshasbeenaparticularmotivatorfordownstreaminterests
callingforcoordinatedandcooperativeinternationalwatershedgovernanceforthe
transboundaryregion.
History:Largescaleminingasproposedfortransboundarywatershedheadwatersisnot
seenascompatiblewithsustainingworldclasssalmonfisheries.
Barriers,challenges,obstacles,orconstraints:Thebiggestbarriertothetransboundary
watershedecosystem-basedinternationaldialog,sharedplanning,andstewardshipwe
seekisdifferingregionalvisions.BritishColumbia’scurrentgovernmentispromoting
miningdevelopmentinthetransboundarywatershedheadwaters.Astheregionisvery
remotetherearefewstakeholderspresentotherthanFirstNationswhoseviewsregarding
developmentaremixed.OnthedownstreamAlaskasidetherearemanycommunities,
tribes,andstakeholderspresentandthereisunanimousandrobustsupportforthe
enhancedinternationalwatershedconservationprotocolweseek.
TheGovernanceandManagementStructures
● Cooperativerelationship:Wedonotyethaveaformalizedcooperative
relationship.BritishColumbiaandAlaskaaredraftinganMOU.Downstream
interestsdonotbelievethisapproachsufficientandcontinuepushingfor
InternationalJointCommissionengagement.
● Legalbasisforcooperation:AnMOUisbeingdraftedbutisviewedasan
insufficientstepfallingshortofwatershedstewardshipneedsandithasalmostno
downstreamsupport.
● Governancestructure:Thereisnointernationalgovernancestructureinplace.
● Cooperativemanagementarrangement:Thereisnointernationalgovernance
structureinplace.
Results:Ourinitiativetodatehasraisedahugeamountofwatershedinterestand
awarenessofissues.Thereisrealmomentumforconservation.
LessonsLearned:Thekeylessonistofigureoutvaluesandpoliticaldynamicswithina
watershed,asaccentuatedbyaninternationalboundary,andtotakeadvantageoffactors
thataredriversforconservationbasedonthosedynamics.
ForMoreInformation
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Name
Title
Organization
Email
Phone
Heather
Hardcastle
Director
SalmonBeyond
Borders
heather@salmon
gal.org
907-209-8486
TimBristol
Director
SalmonState
timsalmonstate@
gmail.com
907-321-3291
JillWeitz
Campaigner
TroutUnlimited
[email protected]
907-586-2588
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