Environmental and socio-economic effects assessment ensures that the effects of development activities are considered before they happen and that significant adverse effects will be mitigated. Dr. Amelie Janin, NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Mine Life Cycle at Yukon College taught this course over the Winter 2017. Through discussions with a series of guest speakers and with the instructor, the students were tasked to reflect on the environmental assessment process in Yukon and to write short essays. The essays have been compiled under one document.
The revegetation needs in the Yukon are projected to grow in the next few years as new mining projects go through the environmental assessment process, and plans for the revegetation of large-scale abandoned mines begin to take shape. Revegetation strategies and needs vary within the Yukon, but when dispersing seed or using seedlings, the use of native species that are locally produced is considered best practice. The lack of a clear source for this type of material was indicated as a barrier to the implementation of these best practices in the Yukon. To explore this topic further, industry, consultants, and experts involved in seed collection, storing, sourcing, and propagation initiatives were interviewed. This report is based on those interviews and examines the state of revegetation in the Yukon, current options for native seed sourcing, and potential future options that would increase access to native seeds in the territory. These options include the development of seed collection, banking, and propagation initiatives, as well as educational programming to support these initiatives. Several case studies are included, both covering local initiatives and initiatives in other jurisdictions that are relevant to the Yukon and could be used as a model for local seed and plant sourcing initiatives.
