When the subject of environmental protection comes up, it's often associated with industrial activity, major population centres or large-scale polluters. Here in the Yukon, an industry that prides itself on being low-impact is taking its commitment to environmental protection a step further.

Recognizing that protective measures are required to protect not only the environment, but the economic well-being of their industry, Yukon's tourism community has been actively involved in establishing legislative tools that regulate their own activities.

Many businesses are wary of soliciting more rules. But in the case of Yukon wilderness tourism operators, they lobbied for the establishment of the Yukon Wilderness Tourism Licensing Act because it can help protect their livelihoods and the resources they depend on.

"In the Yukon, we still have pristine environments and intact ecosystems, and it's critical for our industry to maintain that integrity," says Blaine Walden. "If visitors see garbage and cut trees, they'll conclude we don't have anything different than Alberta or Ontario."

Walden is a longtime mushing and canoeing tour operator, and a director of the Wilderness Tourism Association of the Yukon (WTAY).

"The Act has become a much more useful tool than any of us would have thought in the beginning," he says.

It's been nearly four years since the Act was adopted. In addition to requiring licences and setting standards related to safety, first aid and insurance, the Act established requirements for low impact camping and waste disposal. Operators can be fined for offences under the Act, which is enforced by Yukon Department of Environment officers.

The Wilderness Tourism Licensing Act also requires all wilderness operators and equipment rental businesses to submit trip reports. The data gleaned from the reporting is creating a picture of tourism that was not previously understood or well documented. In addition to gathering statistical information, they can monitor areas that might be showing signs of overuse and address problems related to the carrying capacity of the environment.

"Most rivers are okay now, except perhaps some fly-in lakes where people concentrate. On some rivers we would want to see a lower carrying capacity than others. The Act provides mechanisms to act on these matters, like setting quotas, limits or departure dates."

"We're still at the monitoring stage, but it should be clear if a particular corridor is getting too much use. Rivers are particularly fragile," he adds.

From the beginning, environmental protection was at the top of their list, says YTG tourism planner Cathryn Paish of the wilderness tourism operators.

"They also have a concern now about the push in the territory for resource development, and what's going to happen to wilderness tourism as a result," she adds. "They want to know how to make sure their businesses can be sustained."

Walden agrees. "We're lobbying for a more collective approach between all resource sectors. Tourism is perhaps the least impacting, but we want be part of looking at things in a cumulative way."

Paish, Walden and other tourism professionals are involved in land use planning and working with resource development sectors to make sure tourism interests are protected. Thanks to information collected over the past four years through the Act's reporting requirements, they've started mapping tourism interests and activities.

"We're plotting them on 1:250,000 maps, and it puts an economic picture onto the landscape so we can respond to resource sector proposals," explains Paish. "We can tie this to our other research, like product inventories or surveys."

The operators' collective commitment to protecting the environment goes beyond the scope of the legislation. WTAY recently adopted a Code of Conduct.

"The Code takes it to the next level," explains Walden. "These are things we would like to see responsible operators abide by, like shopping and hiring locally, supporting conservation initiatives or practicing Leave No Trace camping." And now that commercial operators are on-side with the Act, WTAY hopes that more effort will be made to educate self-guided travelers about environmental protection.

"After just a couple of years we're already seeing improvement on some rivers, like the Big Salmon," says Walden. "Looking back, the most contentious part of the Act was in fact the toilet paper issue. (Under the Act operators are required to burn it or haul it out). Many operators just didn't know how to handle this with their clients."

Walden laughs and notes it all got sorted out. "Stricter insurance and first aid requirements didn't really phase anyone -- but no one likes to deal with TP!"

For information on the Yukon Wilderness Tourism Licensing Act, contact Environment Yukon at (867) 667-5648, or the Wilderness Tourism Association of the Yukon at (867) 668-3369.