Naikoon Management Plan

Section Five Natural and Cultural Values Management 33 Protecting Natural Land and Resource and Cultural Values Tenures There are 22 parcels (35 lots) of private Introduction property within the boundaries of Naikoon (see Figure 6). BC Parks may purchase Naikoon was designated by the provincial private inholdings when they become government in 1973 to conserve over 100 available for sale. Purchase is dependent, kilometres of beaches and a large area of the however, on the availability of government Queen Charlotte Lowland Ecoregion land acquisition funds and if the purchase comprising sand dunes, bogs, wetlands, and serves the public interest. coastal temperate rainforest. The central There are no means of controlling or limiting principle in managing the 72,641 hectares of development on private lands except through Naikoon is to conserve the natural and Regional District zoning. The Park Act does cultural environment, ecosystems and not allow roads to be built across park land wilderness character while managing for to provide access to these lots. compatible outdoor recreation activities. This section of the management plan builds Most lots are used for residential purposes or on this central principle by outlining are vacant. A private lot within Naikoon’s objectives and management actions to boundaries holds the Tlell Cemetery and a provide general guidance on how resources couple of lots along Tow Hill Road are used and features should be managed and for commercial establishments such as bed identifying priorities for undertaking detailed and breakfasts. management plans. There are three important themes within this section: Timber values have increased substantially over the past few years and certain individual 1. Activities in Naikoon need to be land owners are interested in logging. compatible with objectives to conserve However, in most cases the land is the natural and cultural values; surrounded by Naikoon and the Park Act prohibits road access to the properties. 2. Management will balance the interests of Purchase of these properties is becoming human use in harmony with the interests unlikely because of the high timber values of conservation; and, and so other strategies to acquire property are being investigated. In one case, BC Parks 3. More information on Naikoon’s natural is interested in exchanging a private and cultural values is needed to better inholding with high timber values with land understand and identify priorities for of comparable value outside of Naikoon. management and protection. This strategy is difficult because of the shortage of Crown land and will likely only be viable in rare cases. Other strategies are needed to deal with this on-going issue. 35 See Figure 6 in the Naikoon Map Folio 36 See Figure 7 in the Naikoon Map Folio 37 See Figure 8 in the Naikoon Map Folio 38 There are also part-time residents and other trapline in the Tlell area but has not been private developments in Naikoon that are active and is not under Park Use Permit. BC under a Park Use Permit where the land is Parks has a general policy of acquiring not privately owned but rather leased from traplines if owners wish to sell and funds are the Crown. The Park Use Permits are available to purchase. Aboriginal rights to renewed as long as the terms and conditions trap, as with other traditional activities, are of the permit are adhered to. honoured in Naikoon. The two Old Masset “Indian Reserves”4 Actions within are both located off the Tow Hill Road. The Hiellen “Reserve” is located at · Attempt to negotiate the purchase of the end of the road and the Yakan Point private inholdings as they are available “Reserve” is just east of Yakan Point. for sale and BC Parks has available Several homes have been built on Yakan funds. Properties are considered for Point. acquisition if they: 1) are planned to be developed for private, commercial or There are two road rights-of-way within industrial uses; 2) have high conservation Naikoon that are maintained by BC values; 3) have high recreation values; Highways. These include portions of the and, 4) the purchase would demonstrate Tow Hill Road and the entire length of efficient use of acquisition funds. Beitush Road. The roads are narrow and the Tow Hill Road is subject to periodic · Examine areas of Naikoon with low flooding. Debate continues about upgrading conservation and recreation values which the roads versus retaining their picturesque may be considered for removal from character. BC Parks continues to encourage Naikoon for the purpose of land road maintenance and upgrading that has exchanges for inholdings of high minimal effect on the scenic qualities of the conservation and recreation values. roadway. Angling guide licences are issued annually by Rose Spit and Tow Hill BC Environment and Park Use Permits are also required for licences issued for Naikoon. Ecological Reserves There are currently no Park Use Permits for this commercial activity. There are also no Ecological reserves are areas set aside to guided hunting territories covering Naikoon. protect representative and special natural ecosystems, plant and animal species, BC Parks issues Park Use Permits for features and phenomena. The principal uses trapline tenures that were established before of ecological reserves are for scientific the designation of Naikoon. A section of one research and educational purposes. They are trapline within Naikoon was purchased by not established or developed for recreation BC Parks in September 1993. There is a use. The two ecological reserves were designated under the Ecological Reserve Act and are not considered part of Naikoon as 4 The Haida consider “Indian Reserves” to be administrative boundaries and have not been party to they are legally separate entities. However, it their designation. The reserves do not reflect the is important to consider them in the Haida’s assertions of ownership over Haida Gwaii. management of Naikoon. Both ecological 39 reserves at Naikoon were designated by the undertaking research, monitoring, and provincial government in 1971 (Figure 9). studies. A higher priority is placed on preparing a plan for the Rose Spit Ecological The Tow Hill Ecological Reserve, situated to Reserve since it is affected by recreational the west of Yakan Point, is 514 hectares. It use more than the Tow Hill reserve. protects a broad expanse of hard sand beach, Ecological reserve management plans will be a wide foreshore, a backshore of dunes and prepared in cooperation with the Haida. In ancient beaches, and low elevation bogs and the interim, prior to these plans being old-growth forests in its interior. The Tow prepared, this management plan provides Hill Road bisects the reserve. general guidance for their management. This management plan and the two ecological The 170 hectare Rose Spit Ecological reserve management plans will be Reserve protects unique plant communities compatible. and rare plants associated with dunes, coastal coniferous forests and bogs. A rare Objectives (blue listed) plant, the sea bluebell (Mertensia maritima) is in the reserve. There · To ensure the ecological reserves are the is also important bird habitat and other best sites and are managed to satisfy the wildlife habitats. A narrow corridor is Ecological Reserve Act. currently identified through the reserve to allow vehicles to travel between North · To ensure the objectives of this Beach and South Beach. Vehicle traffic is management plan complement the not allowed under the Ecological Reserve protection of the Tow Hill and Rose Spit Act and, therefore, this is an issue. Because ecological reserves. of the importance of vehicle use to the local residents, it has been important to allow access while at the same time protecting the Actions reserve’s important values. For the most part, vehicle users are respectful and they · Evaluate Naikoon to determine if there is stay within the identified corridor. a more appropriate site to represent the same features found within the Tow Hill Both of the Ecological Reserves are Ecological Reserve. The current reserve important Haida sites and will be managed in site is bisected by a road and is affected terms of their cultural values as well as their by recreation use. Another site is an ecological values. An important Haida option since this reserve is representative village site was located at Rose Spit (Naii of habitat found elsewhere in Naikoon. Kun - House Point) until near the end of the last century, by which time epidemics had lead to the abandonment of the village. Separate detailed management plans are required for the ecological reserves in order to provide specific strategies for protecting their important ecological, historical, and cultural features and values and for 40 See Figure 9 in the Naikoon Map Folio 41 · Remove the historic access corridor from à establishing exclosures to Rose Spit Ecological Reserve, while monitor natural regeneration of ensuring that the corridor remains part of damaged sites. Naikoon Park. Once part of Naikoon Park, designate the historic corridor for Þ Identify and rank strategies for vehicle access. BC Parks will work with dealing with non-intended uses that the local volunteer group (see may be affecting the reserves. Relationship With Local Residents section) and the four-wheel drive club to Þ In cooperation with the Haida, develop strategies to ensure people keep document cultural and historical to the defined route in order to avoid values of the ecological reserves. damaging sensitive habitat and dune vegetation communities. Water · BC Parks will inform the public of the intent of Ecological Reserves and that Naikoon has numerous freshwater and they are not intended for recreational estuarine features and contains the entire use. watersheds of the Cape Ball, Oeanda, and Hiellen rivers. Mayer Lake is also within · Manage important and sensitive sites Naikoon as are a number of small lakes, and with a high degree of interest for thousands of shallow bog pools.

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