The Yukon government is inviting Yukoners to fill out a questionnaire about a proposed framework for addressing potential conflicts related to mining.
In a release, the proposed mineral staking and development framework for planned and zoned communities is intended to ensure that the process “promotes sustainable development, respects community values and minimizes land-use conflict” when mineral staking and development is undertaken in communities.
The framework is meant to suggest approaches toward preventing and resolving conflicts between mining operations and Yukon communities, improving coordination between municipal and unincorporated community land-use planning and mineral regulatory processes, and finding ways for mining activities to respect community values and interests.
For example, conflict and uncertainty around developing existing mineral claims within community boundaries has led to court cases in Dawson City and Whitehorse.
The input will be analyzed and posted in a summary online after the questionnaire closes on Oct. 14.
After the responses are organized, a framework document will be drafted and submitted to cabinet for approval.
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The Yukon government is also seeking input from the mining industry and other interested groups about its target for placer and quartz mining intensity-based emissions.
People can participate by reading the discussion document, which outlines proposed approach, and providing input by email before Oct. 3.
The discussion document proposes the mining sector’s target to reduce 45 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions per unit of production by 2035, with the goal of net-zero by 2050.
The target for all other sectors and industries, with the exception of mining, is a greenhouse gas reduction goal of 45 per cent by 2030.
In the document, intensity-based targets, as opposed to an absolute greenhouse gas reduction target, sets out a desired level of emissions per unit of material produced or volume of activity to encourage more efficient operations, “regardless of how many or how few mines” are operating at a given time.
The results will be published in a “what we heard” report.
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com