See also:

Seismic lines and roads
 
Calving ground distribution
 
Aircraft flights
 
Dempster Highway traffic

Arctic Borderlands Ecological Knowledge Co-op

What is happening?

• This graph provides a summary of the amount of land the Yukon government has assigned to companies granting them subsurface rights to explore for oil or gas. Companies are still required to negotiate surface rights (e.g. if they need to build a road) and obtain permits through environmental screenings for their specific activities.
• The two areas of interest in the last few years have been the Eagle Plains basin and the Peel plateau.
• The tallest bars in each year show the running total or cumulative amount of land that has been assigned for exploration.

Why is it important?

• In areas such as Eagle Plains and the Peel plateau seismic lines and roads must be cut through forested areas and this may allow easier access for hunters and predators.
• Extensive networks of roads and industrial development can contribute to habitat fragmentation.

Technical Notes

• These data were obtained from the Yukon Government Dept. of Economic Development website.
• The lands that appear in the graph in 1987 are located along the Yukon North Slope and may have been allocated prior to 1987.