Agreement helps pave way for Torngat Mountains National Park

Premier Brian Tobin today confirmed that the provincial government and the Labrador Inuit Association (LIA) have reached agreement on a memorandum of understanding on interim measures to protect lands for a proposed national park reserve in the Torngat Mountains area. The premier will be signing the MOU shortly.

"This agreement is a significant step forward in negotiations with the Labrador Inuit Association," said Premier Brian Tobin. "The area we are proposing has long been considered for a national park site. This understanding between government and the LIA shows that both sides are committed to the resolution of land claim and self-government agreements."

The Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation will assume administrative control of the site until a national park has been established. A federal-provincial land transfer agreement will be negotiated between the department and Parks Canada. The national park will ensure the ecological integrity and maximum public use of the area.

"The Torngat Mountains are not only a shining example of the pristine beauty we enjoy in this province, but also an area of ecological significance," said Tourism Minister Charles Furey. "The proposed park area is home to vegetation and animal life which is unique to that area of the province. Both levels of government, along with the LIA, plan to protect this significant natural resource and will work together to establish a national park which can be enjoyed for generations."

Wally Andersen, MHA - Torngat Mountains, welcomes the special management area as a step forward for land claim agreements between government and the LIA and as a potential tourist destination. "I�m very pleased that the province and the LIA are taking significant steps together to work out mutually beneficial arrangements," said Andersen. "Environmentally and economically, it is a good decision to propose such a beautiful area as the Torngat Mountains as a national park site."

The signing of the agreement means that there will be no commercial, industrial or mineral development within proposed park boundaries. The province will protect the lands with special management area status and is willing to settle mineral interests in the area through the Department of Mines and Energy.

The proposed Torngat Mountains National Park would extend from Saglek Bay to Killinek Island near Cape Chidley at the northern tip of Labrador. When established, the park will be larger than the Terra Nova and Gros Morne National Parks combined. This new agreement will continue to allow the managed use of renewable resources such as fish and game within proposed park boundaries.

Media contact: Heidi Bonnell, Office of the Premier, (709) 729-3564.

Fact Sheet
Torngat Mountains National Park

In 1996, Cabinet directed that negotiations begin with the federal government and the Labrador Inuit Association to establish a national park in the Torngat Mountains.

The proposed park area was exempted from further mineral claim under the Mineral Act in December 1998. Cabinet simultaneously directed that a moratorium be established on the acceptance of Crown land applications.

The proposed creation of a national park reserve in the Torngat Mountains fulfills a requirement of the initialed Labrador Inuit Agreement in Principle which states the Final Agreement will provide for such a park.

The proposal for the Torngat Mountains National Park underwent a feasibility study in 1996 by Parks Canada, Newfoundland Parks and Natural Areas Division and the LIA. The next step in the process is to begin discussions and negotiations for a federal-provincial agreement on land transfer.

The area is an excellent representation of the Northern Labrador Mountains Natural Region, one of 39 terrestrial natural regions of Canada. It is the objective of the federal government to include a representative portion of each natural region in a national park.

At the provincial level, the proposed reserve will encompass representative portions of two ecoregions, namely, the Low Arctic Tundra and the Low Arctic Alpine. It will be an important contribution to the province�s objective of ensuring adequate protection of representative portions of its 19 ecoregions.

The Torngats are the highest and most rugged mountains in eastern Canada. They contain remnant glaciers and exhibit some of the finest examples of fiord coastline and seascapes in the world.

The establishment of a national park will significantly raise the profile of the area on the national and international scale; the province can expect to gain significant economic value through the travel adventure and ecotourism opportunities that will be available to the private sector, and the requirement for services through gateway communities such as Nain and Goose Bay.

The proposed Torngat Mountains National Park will be larger in area than the Gros Morne and Terra Nova National Parks combined. Its proposed boundaries extend from Killinek Island at the northern tip of Labrador to Saglek Bay.

The proposed park area will be designated as a Special Management Area. The Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation will be responsible for the administration of the Special Management Area.

The Department of Mines and Energy will negotiate settlements of mineral claims on an individual basis.

Activities involving the use of traditional activities, such as fishing and hunting, will still be allowed within the park�s proposed boundaries.

2000 06 14                     4:55 p.m.