Edéhzhíe
Establishment agreement
The Dehcho First Nations and the Government of Canada will co-manage Edéhzhíe Protected Area. Under the 2018 Edéhzhíe Agreement, these parties agreed to act in the best interests of Edéhzhíe, and to both be responsible for its management and operation.
“At the Dehcho Annual Assembly in July of 2018, the Dehcho First Nations passed the Dehcho Protected Area Law. It recognizes the designation of Edéhzhíe as a permanently protected area to be managed by Dehcho Dene under their inherent rights and powers as a self-governing nation.”
Complementing the Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area designation, Edéhzhíe will be designated a National Wildlife Area (NWA) in 2020, under federal authority. NWAs are protected and managed according to the Wildlife Area Regulations under the Canada Wildlife Act.
These designations will allow the Dehcho First Nations and the Government of Canada to protect the ecological integrity of Edéhzhíe from future development.