Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park
IUCN Category Ib - Wilderness Area
Confluence of Alseks and Tatshenshinis
The Tatshenshini - Alsek Provincial Wilderness Park in the northwest corner of the Canadian province of British Columbia has an area of 9470 km ². It was established in 1993 after an intensive campaign of Canadian and American conservation organizations to stop the mining in the area and to preserve the natural heritage and biodiversity of the area. The park borders the Canadian Kluane National Park and the U.S. Glacier Bay and Wrangell-St Elias National Park. Together with these Tatshenshini - Alsek Provincial Park of is since 1994 part of 1979 created a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Reserve. It is managed in cooperation with the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations.
In the park is a protected area category Ib ( Wilderness Area ).
History
Along the Tatshenshini and Alsek two rivers there were fishing villages of the Tlingit and the Tutchone. The eastern edge of the park follows an ancient trade route that was used by the Chilkat for trade with the Tutchone.
Middle of the 19th century there was the sudden eruption of a huge glacial lake that had been building up over the years, to a seven- meter high tidal wave that swept an entire Tutchone village into the sea at Dry Bay.
Tatshenshini - Alsek was one of the last areas of British Columbia, which has been explored. In the 1960s, first geological explorations took place. Significant copper deposits were found near Windy Craggy Mountain - in the Tatshenshini - region. In the 70s the tourist development for the rafting began. Until the 80s Windy Craggy - was changed to an expanded open pit mine.
As a counter movement was founded in 1991 Tatshenshini International, a collaboration among the 50 largest conservation organizations in North America. Your political campaign was eventually supported by U.S. Vice President Al Gore. Province Premier Michael Harcourt agreed on in an investigation of the resources of the region concerned, and in June 1993 the provincial government of British Columbia decided to establish a protected area. The operators of the Windy Craggy mine - were compensated with 103.8 million CAD.
1999 sheep hunters found the remains and objects of a man at the foot of a glacier. The man well preserved, frozen Died Between 1670 and 1850.
Nature
Within the ecosystem of British Columbia is the area in which the park is located, the Coastal Western Hemlock zone and assigned to the Mountain Hemlock zone.
The Tatshenshini and Alsek rivers flow through the park, where they form a U- shaped valleys. The canyons formed by them can be fresh and moist sea air to penetrate into the deep interior. The rapid cooling of the air, regular floods and avalanches, a complex geology, and large height differences have contributed to a rich biodiversity.
The provincial park has a notable population of grizzly bears and the only Canadian population of the glacier bear, a rare subspecies of black bears on. In addition to Bear Dall sheep, mountain goats, moose, gray wolves, bald eagles, golden eagles, peregrine and gyrfalcon occur.
The Park located in the Alsek Ranges form with Mount Fairweather ( 4,663 meters ) is the highest elevation of the province. Tatshenshini - Alsek is a zone with increased earthquake risk.