Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site Management Plan 2010

Table of contents

• Foreword
• Recommendations
• Executive Summary
• 1.0 Introduction
  • 1.1 An updated management plan for Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site of Canada
  • 1.2 Management plan review process
• 2.0 Importance of the site
• 3.0 Planning context / Current situation
  • 3.1 Renewal within Parks Canada
  • 3.2 Recent site history
  • 3.3 Current situation
  • 3.3.1 Commemorative integrity
  • 3.3.2 Protection of resources
  • 3.3.3 Public education and connection to place
  • 3.3.4 Engagement with local Aboriginal community
  • 3.3.5 Visitor experience
  • 3.3.6 Engagement of others
• 4.0 Vision statement
• 5.0 Key strategies
  • 5.1 In the footsteps of the Stampeders
  • 5.2 Completing the story — A better understanding of the continuing Aboriginal cultural landscape
  • 5.3 Strength through cooperation — Enhanced mandate delivery
  • 5.4 Winter recreation
• 6.0 Area management approach
  • 6.1 Bennett Triangle
• 7.0 Partnership and public engagement
• 8.0 Administration and operations
• 9.0 Monitoring
• 10.0 Strategic environmental assessment
  • 10.1 Introduction
  • 10.2 Approach
  • 10.3 Assessment and findings
  • 10.4 Four key strategies
  • 10.5 Bennett Triangle area management approach
  • 10.6 Administration and operations
  • 10.7 Public engagement
  • 10.8 Conclusions
• Acknowledgements
• References
• Glossary
• Summary of planned actions

Maps: Parks Canada heritage areas in Yukon and northern British Columbia

• Map 1: Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site regional setting
• Map 2: Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site of Canada and Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (U.S.)

© Her Majesty the Queen in the Right of Canada, represented by the Chief Executive Officer of Parks Canada, 2010.

National Library of Canada cataloguing in publication data:

• Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site of Canada Management Plan

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Foreword

Canada’s national historic sites, national parks and national marine conservation areas offer Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast unique opportunities to experience and understand our wonderful country. They are places of learning, recreation and inspiration where Canadians can connect with our past and appreciate the natural, cultural and social forces that shaped Canada.

From our smallest national park to our most visited national historic site to our largest national marine conservation area, each of these places offers Canadians and visitors several experiential opportunities to enjoy Canada’s historic and natural heritage. These places of beauty, wonder and learning are valued by Canadians - they are part of our past, our present and our future.

Our government’s goal is to ensure that Canadians form a lasting connection to this heritage and that our protected places are enjoyed in ways that leave them unimpaired for present and future generations. We see a future in which these special places will further Canadians’ appreciation, understanding and enjoyment of Canada, the economic well-being of communities, and the vitality of our society.

Our government’s vision is to build a culture of heritage conservation in Canada by offering Canadians exceptional opportunities to experience our natural and cultural heritage.

These values form the foundation of the new management plan for Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site of Canada. I offer my appreciation to the many thoughtful Canadians who helped to develop this plan, particularly to our dedicated team from Parks Canada, and to all those local organizations and individuals who have demonstrated their good will, hard work, spirit of co-operation and extraordinary sense of stewardship.

In this same spirit of partnership and responsibility, I am pleased to approve the Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site of Canada management plan.

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Recommendations

Recommended and original signed by

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Executive Summary

Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site of Canada (NHS) invites all Canadians to explore the fascinating human history and spectacular natural beauty of the legendary Chilkoot Trail. First Nations used the Chilkoot Trail for generations as a travel and trade route between coast and interior, and their strong ties to the trail continue today. In 1898 the Klondike Gold Rush made the trail world-famous, when 30,000 stampeders struggled over the trail on their long journey to the Klondike goldfields. This event forever changed the history of Canada and its north, and many reminders of the dramatic stampede still remain on the Chilkoot Trail. Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site of Canada and the U.S. Klondike Gold Rush Historical Park together ensure that the dramatic natural setting of this historic event and the cultural features that tell its story remain treasured elements of our shared heritage.

Every year, a few thousand bold visitors embark on their own Chilkoot Trail adventure to hike in the footsteps of the Klondike stampeders. Hikers on the Chilkoot Trail experience one of North America’s most outstanding wilderness hikes as they explore an ancient mountain trail marked by historic artifacts and the remains of Gold Rush towns. This new management plan builds on the classic wilderness hiking experience to create more diverse opportunities for Canadians to experience and appreciate this national treasure, to attract new audiences to engage in memorable and authentic visitor experiences, and to build stronger connections with Canadians at the local, regional and national levels. Relevant and enriching visitor experiences are key to connecting Canadians with the meaning and history of this national historic site. For Canadians who don’t have the opportunity to visit Chilkoot Trail NHS, strong outreach and education programs provide understanding and enjoyment through off-site learning about Chilkoot Trail NHS. This management plan recognizes the importance of providing meaningful opportunities for Canadians to experience and learn about the Chilkoot Trail, and identifies opportunities for Parks Canada to work closely with First Nations, the U.S. National Park Service, and other partners in the public and private sector to provide a broad range of recreational and learning opportunities to all Canadians. As visitors and off-site audiences are engaged by new facilities, programs, and services in the future, Parks Canada will also ensure the continued protection of the rich cultural resources and landscapes of Chilkoot Trail NHS.

The four key strategies outlined in this management plan describe an integrated approach to Site management. The first key strategy, “In the Footsteps of the Stampeders” focuses on integrating the management of Chilkoot Trail NHS cultural resources and landscapes with an expanded visitor experience offer and increased outreach programming. A wider range of visitor opportunities will continue to offer an outstanding world-class backcountry hike, while providing new opportunities for visitors with diverse interests and abilities. Using social science research to understand visitor needs and interests, new day-use and shorter multi-day experiences will be developed and promoted, inviting new audiences to explore Chilkoot Trail NHS, including school groups, local and regional visitors, and visitors interested in facilitated experiences on the trail. New opportunities for learning and appreciation will be offered to targeted outreach audiences, through an enhanced web presence, school programs, and increased outreach activities. The second key strategy “Completing the Story – A Better Understanding of the Continuing Cultural Landscape” aims to build an even stronger long-term partnership with Carcross Tagish First Nation, to work together to celebrate and communicate the continuing Aboriginal heritage of the Chilkoot Trail. The third key strategy, “Strength Through Cooperation – Enhanced Mandate Delivery” continues to strengthen other existing partnerships, such as partnerships with the U.S. National Park Service and White Pass and Yukon Route Railway, and foster new ones in the private and public sectors, as a means of enhancing visitor experience, education, and protection at Chilkoot Trail NHS. The fourth key strategy “Winter Recreation” will ensure that a variety of winter recreation experiences meets the needs of different winter user groups, through continuing consultation and communication with the Winter Use Stakeholder Group. This strategy builds on the current Winter Recreational Use Management Strategy, which incorporates different winter uses in a complementary manner.

The area management approach, “Bennett Triangle” recognizes the special opportunities presented in this section of Chilkoot Trail NHS, and aims to meet the needs of expanding visitor use in this area. As increasing numbers of visitors arrive at Bennett via the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway there is a growing need for interpretive services and facilities and an interest in a greater range of day-use and overnight experiences. There is also an opportunity to provide new activities that will appeal to local and regional audiences, including the promotion of “All-Canadian” experiences involving shorter hiking routes and multi-day camping trips. To facilitate the development of new visitor experiences in the Bennett portion of the trail, this section of the plan also explores the possibility of working with commercial operators, for example, to provide alternative forms of accomodation that offer greater comfort and convenience to a broader range of visitors.

As a whole, this management plan intends to build stronger and more relevant connections between Chilkoot Trail NHS and a wider Canadian audience. It will result in a greater variety of interpretive materials and programs, more meaningful visitor experiences, greater integration of the site into local community life, an increased public sense of personal connection to Chilkoot Trail NHS, and a stronger overall presence in Canada’s historic landscape.

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Maps: Parks Canada heritage areas in Yukon and northern British Columbia

Map 1: Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site regional setting

 

Map 2: Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site of Canada and Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (U.S.)

 

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1.0 Introduction

1.1 An updated management plan for Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site of Canada

Parks Canada is responsible for administering a national system of protected heritage places, including national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas; special places that help define Canada and Canadians. The Parks Canada mandate has remained essentially unchanged for three quarters of a century:

The Historic Sites and Monuments Act, Canada National Parks Act, Parks Canada Agency Act, and the Parks Canada Guiding Principles and Operational Policies set the context for this responsibility. An important part of Parks Canada’s mandate involves protecting the health and wholeness, or commemorative integrity, of a national historic site. This means preserving the site’s cultural resources, communicating its heritage values and national significance, and ensuring that the site’s heritage values are respected in all decisions and actions that affect the site.

The Klondike Gold Rush captured the imagination of the world and no image better represents this historic event than the endless line of stampeders struggling over the Chilkoot Pass during the winter of 1897-98. Long part of traditional trade and travel routes of First Nations, the Canadian portion of the Chilkoot Trail is within the traditional territories of the Carcross Tagish First Nation and the Taku River Tlingit First Nation. Today, Chilkoot Trail NHS, located in northern British Columbia, and the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in southeast Alaska commemorate these extraordinary journeys (Map 2).

A management plan is the key document that guides decisions and actions in protecting, managing and operating a national historic site. Management plans are a legal requirement for all national historic sites administered by Parks Canada, they are developed with the involvement of the Canadian public, and are formally reviewed every five years.

This is the third management plan for Chilkoot Trail NHS and updates and replaces the 2004 management plan. This third plan builds on the direction set in 1988 (first management plan) and 2004, but looks different, as it follows new national management planning guidelines adopted by Parks Canada in 2008. These guidelines facilitate the integrated delivery of Parks Canada’s mandate - heritage resource protection, facilitating visitor experience opportunities, and providing public outreach education. This integration is apparent in the revised site vision and the use of key strategies that will guide Site management for the coming years. This plan will be reviewed in five years, to ensure it remains relevant and effective for site management.

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1.2 Management plan review process

The management plan review process was conducted in three stages with opportunities for public input at each stage. An internal review of the 2004 management plan, 2005 Commemorative Integrity Evaluation, 2007 Visitor Experience Assessment and recent visitor surveys was conducted, which helped gauge plan implementation and identify key issues. An initial public newsletter in October 2008 provided draft vision elements, current issues, draft key strategies, and called for public input.

Meetings followed with key interested parties, to help draft objectives and actions to realize the key strategies. These were included in a second public newsletter in March 2009 and Open Houses were held in Carcross, Yukon, and Whitehorse, Yukon, in early April 2009.

Consideration of public input and further meetings with interested parties led to the drafting of the management plan, which underwent public review before the final plan was recommended for the Minister’s approval. Especially important was the engagement of the Carcross Tagish First Nation and the local Carcross Tagish First Nation family who have a cabin at Bennett.

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2.0 Importance of the site

The Chilkoot Trail has a colourful history. Stretching 53 kilometres from Pacific tidewater in Alaska through British Columbia to the headwaters of the Yukon River, the trail is best known today for its place in the Klondike Gold Rush. More than 30,000 men, women and children toiled up the Golden Stairs, the last daunting climb to the summit of the pass. Before the stampede of miners, the trail was an important Aboriginal trade and travel route joining the Tlingit of the coast with the Athabaskans of the interior. Today, the region remains their homeland. Parks Canada has managed the area since 1974, joining the United States National Park Service in an international historic park and working with First Nations in Canada to protect and present the cultural values of the trail for all Canadians.

The Chilkoot Trail is a teacher. The long days of a northern summer obscure the passage of time, while the thick rain forest, sinuous windings and steep descents and climbs of the trail make a mockery of any measured distance. Hikers can begin on a warm summer day in the Alaska rain forest and end up on the summit ploughing through thigh-deep snow with icy sleet blowing in their faces. From there they walk through spring near Deep Lake and back to summer at Bennett. Time becomes distance. Distance becomes seasons and in June and July there is no night at all. This delightful absence of regular order encourages the exploration of new ways of experiencing the world around us.

National interest in the Klondike Gold Rush was rekindled in the 1950s and 60s as modern northern development began. Parks Canada looked at Dawson City, the Klondike goldfields and the stampeders’ route into the north to identify places to commemorate the Gold Rush. By the early-1960s the Chilkoot Trail was also being promoted as a recreational route by tourism interests in both Skagway, Alaska and Whitehorse, Yukon. Re-establishment of the trail by inmates was initiated by the Alaska Department of Corrections in 1961, with Yukon government Community and Correctional Services beginning work on the Canadian side of the trail six years later. In 1974 Parks Canada took over the operation of the trail and in 1987 it was declared a national historic site.

The Chilkoot Trail is the cross-border element of an international group of designated heritage sites reaching from Seattle, Washington, through Skagway and Dyea in Alaska and the S.S. Klondike, S.S. Keno, Dawson City Historical Complex and Dredge No. 4 national historic sites to Discovery Claim and Tr’ochëk, in the Yukon, to Eagle, Alaska. As part of the 1998 centennial of the Klondike Gold Rush, Prime Minister Jean Chretien and President Bill Clinton declared the Chilkoot Trail part of the Klondike Gold Rush International Historical Park. There are also numerous other related heritage sites including Tagish Post, Canyon City, the Thirty Mile River and Fort Selkirk. In addition there are numerous persons and events of national historic significance associated with many of these sites. Each element contributes stories about the Yukon and the Klondike Gold Rush.

Chilkoot Trail NHS commemorates the mass movement of people to the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush. To appreciate this message the national historic site highlights stories of the trail and its importance to both Newcomers and Aboriginal peoples. The boundary nature of the trail - between coast and interior, between Tlingit and Tagish, between civilization and wilderness, between the United States and Canada - is an important part of this story. Although the best way to learn these stories is to hike or visit Chilkoot Trail NHS, Parks Canada also communicates these messages through publications, its website and a growing array of other non-personal media.

These Chilkoot Trail stories are best presented by the cultural resources on the trail. The nationally significant resources are understood as a relict cultural landscape, those elements experienced or “left behind” by the mass movement in the late 1890s. These include the linearity and visual sense of containment while moving through the Chilkoot Pass, the relationship between stampede history and the dynamic natural environment, the dramatic viewscapes from the trail and, the trail itself, the historic camping spots, the church at Bennett and the piles of discarded relics marking the stampeders’ passage. In addition to these nationally valued cultural resources of the Gold Rush, Parks Canada management also acknowledges the contemporary values associated with the continuing cultural use of the area by both the Carcross Tagish and Taku River Tlingit First Nations.

Beyond the values of national historic significance, the heritage values associated with Chilkoot Trail NHS include the evolution and character of the area’s natural environment; its history and continuing use as a First Nation trade and travel route and homeland; the pre-rush use of the trail by prospectors exploring the Upper Yukon River basin; post-Gold Rush recreational use; and a range of related values and linkages with the Chilkoot Trail. Included in these related values are the integration of the Chilkoot Trail into the National Historic Sites system, partners and community links, and related heritage places.

The Klondike is currently on Canada’s tentative list (2004) for UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which includes the Chilkoot Trail NHS, Dawson Historical Complex NHS and other related heritage sites in the Yukon and British Columbia. The Klondike is not currently on the United States’ tentative list. Over the life of this management plan, the U.S. National Park Service will investigate the potential for moving ahead on the American side, and Parks Canada will continue discussions with key stakeholders in Canada.

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3.0 Planning Context / Current Situation

3.1 Renewal within Parks Canada

Parks Canada is beginning to renew its work to better serve the needs of Canadians today and in the future. There are many factors influencing Parks Canada - shifts in the cultural make up of our cities, an aging population, Canadians’ changing connection to their history and environment, increasing threats to natural and cultural heritage, and changes in how Canadians spend their leisure time. In order for Parks Canada programs to continue to be relevant, we must take a fresh look at the needs and desires of Canadians.

We are actively seeking new ways to strengthen Canadians’ connection to their natural and historic treasures. At Chilkoot Trail NHS, Parks Canada is seeking innovative ways for visitors to experience the trail. These initiatives may include new or expanded partnerships, and Parks Canada will work closely with partners to meet changing visitor needs and expectations. It will also reach out to other local, regional and national audiences through outreach programs and an enhanced web presence that offers relevant, engaging, and meaningful learning opportunities to all Canadians.

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3.2 Recent site history

Chilkoot Trail NHS protects a unique combination of natural and cultural treasures, and Parks Canada strives to ensure that each of these Site values are respected and supported. Recent capital work on the trail has been carried out in an integrated fashion to protect cultural resources while improving visitor experience and education. In 2001, site hardening and a gravel walkway around St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Bennett was completed to protect pre-contact archaeological resources and provide easier access to the church to visitors. In 2007 the condition of cemeteries along the trail was improved through brush removal and the replacement of degraded grave markers and enclosures. Campground recapitalization along the length of the trail in recent years has included new shelters, bear-proof food caches, and tent platforms. New and replacement exhibits at historic nodes over the past ten years has helped bring the Klondike story and the traditions of the local First Nations to life for visitors. Management decisions also take the trail’s significant natural resources into account, including Species at Risk inventory work for woodland caribou, wolverine, and western toad.

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3.3 Current situation

3.3.1 Commemorative integrity

Summary of 2005 commemorative integrity evaluation:

A commemorative integrity evaluation for Chilkoot Trail NHS completed in 2005 determined that its overall commemorative integrity rating was seven out of ten, which is characterized as having minor impairment. The condition of resources is Fair:

• the geographic character and viewscapes along the trail are unchanged since the time of designation;
• a representative sample of the site’s artifacts is preserved in stable storage conditions;
• and human impact on the on-site cultural resources is being reduced by:
  • the closure of braided trails,
  • the construction of wooden stairways over sandbanks,
  • new wooden tent platforms at campsites,
  • and a successful quota and reservation system.

But natural processes, such as erosion and growth of vegetation, are impacting some trails and archaeological resources. There is a need to review the cultural resource monitoring program and clarify the most appropriate conservation standards for managing the relict landscape, in terms of balancing the protection of historic resources with the natural evolution of the trail environment. Effectiveness of communications is strong overall, but day-use visitors at Bennett are not receiving all of the site’s messages of national significance. In addition, the site’s general values, which include First Nation heritage on the trail, are not being fully communicated.

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3.3.2 Protection of resources

There are several factors to consider in managing Chilkoot Trail NHS:

• the relict landscape with vestiges from the Gold Rush era;
• the continuing Aboriginal landscape;
• and the continued use of the trail as a foundation of meaningful visitor experiences.

The commemorative integrity statement for the site states that Chilkoot Trail NHS will be managed as a “relict cultural landscape”, but the results of the 2005 commemorative integrity evaluation raised questions about the potential ambiguity of this description. The 2004 management plan describes an inventory, monitoring and maintenance regime that focuses on the preservation of archaeological resources and artifacts but this needs to be adapted to fit the complex and dynamic nature of the Trail’s multifaceted heritage values. Some actions are currently being taken to control the growth of vegetation and its impact on the site’s cultural resources e.g., clearing of trees, a fire-smart initiative, and monitoring of cultural resources at specific cultural resource nodes such as the church at Bennett and at the nearby cemetery. In other areas, the vegetation is allowed to grow, and it is accepted that over time, cultural resources will be obscured.

There is a strong need to develop a detailed conservation and management strategy for the Chilkoot Trail NHS cultural resources, one that incorporates the principles and methods of Parks Canada’s Cultural Resource Management Policy, the commemorative integrity statement for Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site, and the realities of site management, which require different management actions in different areas of the trail.

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3.3.3 Public education and connection to place

A critical element of commemorative integrity is the effective communication of the site’s national historic significance. This communication can take many forms, including:

• on-site interpretive programs;
• interpretive exhibits, panels and products;
• school programs;
• web-based resources;
• and other means of communication that reach out to a broad range of Canadian audiences.

In the area of on-site messaging, the commemorative integrity evaluation determined that communication of the reason for designation of this site is strong overall except for visitors arriving at Bennett, a visitor group that has grown significantly in recent years. The partnership between Parks Canada and the U.S. National Parks Service allows an effective communication program to be shared and provided to each person hiking the trail. Hikers are able to experience first-hand the route of the stampeders, and interpretation media and personal service interpretation are provided along the trail and at camping locations. But for day users who take the train to Bennett there are not enough opportunities to learn about messages of national significance, and for both hikers and day users there are gaps in the communication of the site’s other heritage values.

In terms of off-site outreach and education activities, Chilkoot Trail NHS currently has somewhat limited reach. In general there is a need to define the site’s outreach program and focus on building a stronger connection to place at the local, regional, and national levels. Local youth groups do visit the site on an ad-hoc basis but greater integration of the site into local school curriculum and programming may be possible. Some web-based resources are available to teachers, students, and the public, but more relevant and engaging web resources could enhance public awareness and understanding of the site. Community outreach activities currently include involvement in events like the annual Buckwheat Classic ski loppet, avalanche education and Avalanche Awareness Days, which draw community interest and participation from Yukoners and Alaskans. Public consultations during this review process also showed interest in greater promotion of opportunities for school groups and youth volunteer programs that engage and educate local youth.

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3.3.4 Engagement of local Aboriginal community

The Chilkoot Trail is part of a continuing Aboriginal cultural landscape, used before, during and after the Gold Rush era to the present by local First Nations. Continuing use of the trail area by First Nations remains an important part of the heritage of the area. The Canadian portion of the trail is within the traditional territories of the Carcross Tagish First Nation, based in Carcross and Tagish, Yukon, and the Taku River Tlingit First Nation, based in Atlin, British Columbia. Carcross Tagish First Nation signed their Final Agreement related to their traditional territory in the Yukon in 2005. There are no land claims signed for the area in British Columbia that includes the Chilkoot Trail NHS. The entire Canadian section of the Chilkoot Trail lies within the province of British Columbia.

Parks Canada has an on-going relationship with Carcross Tagish First Nation that includes discussions on employment opportunities, interpretation on the trail, staff training with Elders, review of management plans, trips to Bennett with Elders and other First Nation citizens, the commemoration of Skookum Jim as a figure of national historic significance, and on-going dialogue with the Carcross Tagish First Nation resident family. This relationship is addressed in greater detail within key strategy 5.2 Completing the story – A better understanding of the continuing Aboriginal cultural landscape.

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3.3.5 Visitor experience

The Chilkoot Trail stretches from tidewater at Dyea (Alaska) to the headwater lakes of the Yukon River at Bennett, British Columbia. It links the Pacific coast to the Yukon interior and passes through three ecological zones, offering visitors a unique and powerful combination of natural and cultural history. There are several ways for visitors to experience this legendary place. For those who complete the world-class hike, the multiday nature of the experience, the physical challenge of the hike, the striking beauty of the natural landscape, and the opportunity to complete the journey that First Nation traders and Gold Rush stampeders travelled over a hundred years ago, provides opportunities for a truly memorable experience. For those who visit Chilkoot Trail NHS by train it offers a glimpse of a legendary and stunning landscape, once accessible only through great struggle and hardship.

The underpinning of each of these experiences is the relict cultural landscape through which the visitors travel. Visitors walk amongst historic artifacts, camp on Gold Rush period tent platforms, and witness a variety of structural reminders of the stampede, from building foundations to the elaborate stone rock weirs of Bennett. Visitors also witness dramatic ecological transitions and climatic changes as they travel from the Pacific Northwest coastal forest to alpine tundra to subalpine boreal forest. This variety of ecosystems is an integral part of the trail’s value. Many visitors to Chilkoot Trail NHS are attracted by the rich and varied natural experience provided by the wildlife and distinct ecological zones.

Visitor experiences at Chilkoot Trail NHS can be divided into two distinct categories:

• summer experiences
• winter experiences.

Summer visitors can be divided into two main types:

• overnight hikers, the majority of whom hike the whole trail;
• and day users concentrated at Log Cabin and Bennett.

Winter users are primarily local Yukoners and Alaskans who enjoy recreational activities in the Chilkoot Trail area. Considerable social science research over the past decade has helped site managers learn about visitor motivations, opinions, trip satisfaction and use characteristics of site visitors, leading to more responsive management. These studies have included:

• a 2004 Summer Recreational Use Study;
• the 2005 Winter Recreational Use Study;
• the 2007 Visitor Information Program Hiker Survey;
• the 2008 Bennett Day-Use Visitor Study;
• and the 2009 report Comparison of Day Users and Hikers.

Custodial groups also bring an important type of visitor to Chilkoot Trail NHS, and Parks Canada has been working to facilitate their visitor experience at the site. In order to address perceived risk and liability issues that recently resulted in a drop in the number of custodial groups travelling the trail, Parks Canada produced Guidelines for Custodial Groups Hiking the Chilkoot Trail in 2008.

These guidelines have been successful at encouraging and supporting custodial groups to bring youth and students to enjoy their own Chilkoot Trail experiences.

Summer use

Hikers

2,200 to 2,700 visitors hike the whole trail each summer, 75% of whom say the Chilkoot Trail is the main reason for their trip from home (Visitor Information Program Hiker Survey, 2007). These visitors spend an average of four nights on the trail. A successful quota and reservation system was introduced in 1997, which addressed concerns about over-crowding, diminished visitor experiences, and damage to cultural resources. It limits the number of hikers on the trail to 50 people per day crossing the Chilkoot Pass summit, leading to increased visitor enjoyment and greater protection of cultural resources.

2003 was the last year that hiker numbers topped the 3,000 mark with 3,142 visitors finishing the trail. In 2006 the number of hikers reached their lowest number at 2,034, and over the last three years hiker numbers have stabilized at the 2,300 per year level. Results from the site’s 2004 and 2007 visitor surveys indicate that:

• The age of hikers is slowly increasing. Half of hikers are over the age of 45 and at the site for the first time.
• Visitors who hike the Chilkoot Trail are coming to the area with the trail in mind. Almost three quarters of hikers indicated it was the main reason for their trip from home. Visitors spend an average of two weeks away from home and spend an average of four nights on the trail.
• Results suggest visitor expectations were met. The majority of hikers indicated the visit exceeded their expectations and they were ‘very likely to recommend’ a visit to the Chilkoot Trail NHS to friends and family.

Statistics determined from Parks Canada’s reservation system indicated that:

• In 2009, 41% of the hikers were from the United States, 36% from Canada and 23% from other countries.
• 64% of American hikers came from Alaska, and 62% of the Canadian hikers came from the Yukon.

There is also a growing trend in the number of hikers who choose to complete the entire trail hike in one day. In recognition of this distinct user group Chilkoot Trail NHS has recently dedicated a web page targeted at day hikers who experience the trail outside of the traditional three to four day hiking experience.

Day-use at Bennett

A significant, and growing visitor segment is day users to Bennett who arrive via the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway (WP&YR) from Skagway and Carcross. In 2009 it is estimated that approximately 5,500 day users visited Bennett with an average layover time of one and half hours. Visitation breakdown indicates that 85% were American, 9% were Canadian, and 6% were identified as “other.” While this visitor segment has existed for many years, in 2007 these numbers grew to approximately 13,000 due to a partnership between WP&YR and Holland America. The changing needs and associated actions related to this visitor group are described in area management approach 6.1 Bennett Triangle within this management plan.

The 2008 Bennett Day-Use Survey indicated that:

• The majority of day users (90%) stated that the trip to Bennett was a planned stop on a trip to the Yukon/Alaska. Most (60%) of respondents spent between 10 and 30 minutes walking through Bennett. Only a fraction (1%) of visitors spent the entire hour and a half walking around Bennett.
• Visitor satisfaction with experiences including observing scenic beauty, learning about Gold Rush history, experiencing wilderness, observing historic features and artifacts, and learning about natural heritage at Bennett was high. Visitor satisfaction was lowest with the experience of learning about First Nation history and culture.
• Levels of support for future development at Bennett City was highest for enhanced interpretation including additional trail markers, guided interpretive tours of the Bennett area, and additional First Nations cultural interpretation.

The 2009 report Comparison of Day Users and Hikers indicated that:

• Both hikers and day users ranked additional First Nation history and interpretation as the most acceptable type of development.
• Both hikers and day use visitors are most motivated by a desire to observe scenic beauty. Outdoor recreation was a more important motivation than historical motivations for both groups.
• Hikers are more motivated by adventure and a desire to experience peace and tranquility than day users.

Winter use

Chilkoot Trail NHS is shared by a wide range of winter users, from snowmobilers and dog mushers, to snowboarders, backcountry and cross-country skiers, snowshoers, as well as a local trapper. Winter recreation activities are generally centered around the Log Cabin, Bennett, and Lindeman areas. Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 winter users use the site, mostly on weekends. Winter visitors are mostly locals from Whitehorse and Skagway. After conflicts arose in the mid-1990s between motorized and non-motorized users, a consensus-based process with stakeholders led to the introduction of a Winter Recreational Use Management Strategy, which aims to fulfill Parks Canada’s mandated obligations while addressing the needs and interests of various winter users. This strategy has been in effect since 1997.

A 2005 Winter Recreational Use Study found that 91% of surveyed visitors rated their overall satisfaction as very good (62%) or good (29%). Avalanche information was the one area that visitors rated as very important that needed more work. Since that time, avalanche safety information has been improved significantly.

Changing visitor use

National and international tourism trends have an impact on the type and number of visitors to the site. These general trends are influenced by the baby boomers and include:

• an aging and more affluent population; a decrease in American visitation;
• a decrease in backcountry hiking;
• and an increased interest in tourist amenities.

There is a need to better understand the changing visitation patterns and determine ways of adapting the current visitor offer.

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3.3.6 Engagement of others

The principal partner for Chilkoot Trail NHS is theU.S. National Park Service in Skagway, which manages the American side of both the Chilkoot Trail and White Pass. Close cooperation with the U.S. National Park Service enhances the protection of resources and the visitor experience. This relationship is described in greater detail in Key strategy 5.3: Strength through cooperation – Enhanced mandate delivery.

The WP&YR is a vibrant link to Klondike history, providing visitors opportunities to experience the historic railway built at the turn of the last century. The WP&YR has transported hikers off the trail for many years and is now bringing more and more day-use visitors to Bennett. The benefits of working more closely with WP&YR are outlined in Key strategy 5.1: In the footsteps of the Stampeders and the area management approach 6.1 Bennett Triangle.

Involving others was essential in the development and initial implementation of the Winter Recreational Use Management Strategy, and will continue to be important for the future successful implementation of the strategy. Organizations involved include the Klondike Snowmobile Association, Yukon Outdoors Club and Yukon government Department of Highways and Public Works. This important community engagement is described in greater detail in Key strategy 5.4: Winter recreation.

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4.0 Vision Statement

The vision statement for the Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site provides a foundation for the management plan as it describes the future desired state of the site in 15-20 years.

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5.0 Key Strategies

Key strategies are a way of focussing efforts and resources to help achieve the site vision in an integrated fashion. Within a key strategy, objectives provide a more specific description of outcomes (short- to longterm) and key actions state what will be done during the five-year term of the management plan’s implementation. Four key strategies have been developed for Chilkoot Trail NHS:

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5.1 In the footsteps of the Stampeders

Chilkoot Trail NHS offers visitors the opportunity to explore a unique and inspiring combination of natural and cultural treasures. The challenging wilderness environment provides a poignant setting for the rich relict landscape, which brings to life the personal struggles and dramatic human history of the trail. Important features of the visitor experience include the striking natural landscape, the relict landscape of the Gold Rush Stampeders, and the continuing Aboriginal cultural landscape (see Key strategy 5.2). Each of these elements will be recognized and supported as Parks Canada responds to changing visitation patterns and facilitates the evolution of new visitor experiences that engage different users.

This strategy ensures that the Chilkoot Trail’s world-class backcountry hike continues to provide an outstanding visitor experience, while fostering the development of a greater range of opportunities for visitors with diverse interests and abilities. Working with White Pass and Yukon Route Railway, an expanded offer will be available for the increasing numbers of day visitors arriving by train, one that will provide more meaningful day-use experiences. In addition, greater promotion of more accessible, multi-day, All-Canadian experiences will encourage visitors to consider new opportunities at Chilkoot Trail NHS, which may include the involvement of private enterprise offering enhanced services and expanded facilities. As Parks Canada develops new opportunities for visitors to experience Chilkoot Trail NHS it will use social science research to assist in determining appropriate levels and types of service and infrastructure. Use of the Visitor Experience Cycle tool will also ensure Parks Canada addresses each important stage of the complete visitor experience of Chilkoot Trail NHS, including wishing, planning, travelling, arriving, visiting, departing, and remembering.

Increased and current signage will provide the public and visitors with a greater sense of welcome, and assist in orienting them to and around the site. The Yukon Field Unit has begun the installation of a series of updated directional signs for all of its national parks and national historic sites. Parks Canada will continue to implement the Chilkoot Trail NHS portion of the sign plan.

Enhanced interpretation along the trail will enrich the on-site visitor experience and help to ensure that visitors support and respect the integrity of the site’s natural and cultural resources. New media opportunities such as geo-caching will be explored, to further enrich and strengthen the visitor experience. Parks Canada will also continue to work with the Carcross Tagish First Nation to enhance the visitor experience in ways that acknowledge their long association with the trail and area.

Outreach programs will be strengthened, to share stories of the Chilkoot Trail and the Klondike Gold Rush with Canadians who do not visit the site. A volunteer program and a formal education program will be defined, to reach targeted audiences including youth and school groups.

Cultural resource management on the trail will be reviewed, clearly identifying the different approaches needed in various areas of the trail, (e.g., actively removing vegetation in some places like the cemeteries while allowing vegetation to grow in others). The established land-use zoning system will be updated as needed as part of the cultural resource management review, and a monitoring and conservation program will be defined.

The continued use of a quota and reservation system will help to ensure high quality visitor experiences and reduce pressure on cultural and natural resources. The completion of recapitalization of campgrounds will ensure the provision of well-maintained basic facilities.

More details about management direction on the trail between Lindeman and Bennett are found in Chapter 6 (Bennett Triangle).

In the footsteps of the Stampeders: Objectives, targets and actions for 5-year plan implementation

Objective 1:

Manage Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site as a relict cultural landscape.

Targets:

• Maintain Commemorative Integrity rating of 7/10 for 2013 Commemorative Integrity Evaluation.
• Maintain 90% of the historic objects in stored collections in good or fair condition for 2013 Commemorative Integrity Evaluation.

Actions:

1. Complete a strategic synthesis of existing archaeological data and identify gaps where future survey work is required.
2. Collaborate with national office and service centre staff to develop and implement a cultural resource management strategy for the site that clearly articulates management practices for Chilkoot Trail NHS. A central component of this strategy will be a vegetation management plan. This strategy will update the current land-use zoning system, clarify locations of the archaeological preserves and determine cultural resource recording requirements.
3. Develop and implement a monitoring program based on needs identified in the cultural resource management strategy.
4. Conduct research as needed to support conservation and presentation needs at the site.

Objective 2:

A range of recreational and learning opportunities, from day-use around Bennett to the classic multi-day through hike, are provided to visitors with diverse interests and abilities. (Also see Chapter 6 - Bennett Triangle area management approach.)

Targets:

• 85% of visitors consider the site meaningful to them in 2013 Visitor Information Program Survey.
• 60% of visitors consider that they learned about the heritage of the site.

Actions:

1. Conduct and start implementing interpretive planning for the site, which includes renewal of non-personal interpretation along the trail, innovative ways to augment the current program and investigations into the use of new technology and partnerships.
2. Keep public safety planning and training current (e.g., avalanche safety, custodial group guidelines), including updating the bear management plan.
3. Continue to implement the site’s Guidelines for Custodial Groups Hiking the Chilkoot Trail, so that youth and school groups are supported in their use of the site.
4. Define and implement a volunteer program for the site.
5. Expand personal on-site interpretation by Parks Canada.
6. Recapitalize site facilities, e.g., the trail, bridges, cabins.
7. Continue to implement the Chilkoot Trail portion of the Yukon Field Unit Sign Plan for highway and directional signage on the trail.
8. Work with First Nations on at least one new product that will enhance First Nation messaging.

Objective 3:

Current markets continue to enjoy the site and new markets are attracted to visit the site.

Targets:

• 90% of visitors are satisfied, and of those, 50% are very satisfied, with activities, facilities and services provided by the site, based on the results of 2013 Visitor Information Program Survey.
• 90% of visitors surveyed in the 2013 Visitor Information Program enjoyed their visit.
• On average, overall visitation to the site is increased by 6% each year from 2010 to 2012, resulting in a total increase of 18% by 2012.
• There is an increased number of Yukoners visiting the site.

Actions:

1. Identify targeted audiences and strategies for promoting the site, e.g., people who have enjoyed other long-distance hikes, additional regional audiences, Yukon families, youth groups, school groups.
2. Explore the possibility of corporate sponsorship to assist youth groups and students to spend time at Chilkoot Trail NHS.
3. Through the Yukon Department of Education, actively promote Chilkoot Trail NHS as a site for school trips.
4. Work more closely with staff at the Carcross Visitor Centre to better inform people about Chilkoot Trail NHS.
5. Conduct social science research to guide investment, operational and marketing decisions at the site, e.g., determine level of awareness of Chilkoot Trail NHS with Yukoners and Alaskans (key markets) to help inform site promotion.
6. Analyze existing data related to backcountry use, e.g., long-distance backcountry trail use and trends in North America, to help determine future site promotion and offer.
7. Update and expand information and marketing tools associated with the site, e.g., photos, website, Explorer Quotient, social networking.
8. Implement the national Parks Canada branding program locally.
9. Seek out joint marketing opportunities with WP&YR and cruise ship companies (e.g., Holland America), U.S. National Park Service, and town of Skagway.
10. Explore corporate engagement, including companies that operated on the Chilkoot Trail during the Gold Rush.

Objective 4:

Natural ecosystem features of special significance, including Species at Risk, are valued in a manner that reflects the role of Parks Canada as an important environmental steward.

Targets:

• The number of human/bear interactions is reduced.
• There is a plan in place by 2015 to remediate potential risks from contaminated sites.

Actions:

1. Undertake actions to protect Species at Risk and/or their habitat as required by national recovery strategies, e.g., western toad.
2. Implement recommendations from the 2009 report Bear-Human Interactions Along the Chilkoot Trail 2002-2008.
3. Cooperate with other governments and agencies to support Southern Lakes Caribou work.
4. Continue contaminated site work to assess potential risks to the ecosystem and human health, and develop a plan to address any existing risks.

Objective 5:

Targeted outreach audiences off-site learn about Chilkoot Trail NHS.

Targets:

• The percentage of Canadians who understand and appreciate the national significance of the site’s history is increased.
• There is an increase in the number of Yukon students who have contact with stories about the Chilkoot Trail through school programming in the classroom, on-site, or through the internet.

Actions:

1. Identify targeted outreach audiences for the site, including youth and school groups.
2. Develop and implement a site outreach program, focussed on local residents, youth and school groups, and targeted national audiences.
3. Working with the Yukon Department of Education, define, develop and start implementing a school outreach education program for the site.
4. Work with the Yukon government and Carcross Tagish First Nation on school programming and curriculum linked resources.
5. Promote opportunities for youth and school groups on the trail, including volunteer opportunities.
6. Work with groups like Destination Carcross to promote understanding and appreciation of the site.
7. Continually refresh and renew content for an enhanced web presence that provides learning, sharing, and experiential opportunities for Canadians and others so that they can experience the excitement of virtually being there.

Guiding principles

In implementing In the footsteps of the Stampeders strategy, Parks Canada will:

• Continue to work with adjacent land owners/managers to ensure the viewscapes from the summit of the Chilkoot Pass and the historic trail corridor are maintained.
• Continue to recognize multi-day through hikers as a major visitor audience.
• Concentrate on-site interpretation at natural stopping places and historic nodes along the trail and at Log Cabin.
• Continue to provide information, services and facilities based on the principle of visitor self-sufficiency.
• Continue to utilize a quota-based permit system during the summer season, to help ensure high quality visitor experiences and protection of cultural and natural resources along the trail.
• Continue to concentrate day-use activities at Log Cabin and Bennett.
• Continue to charge user fees (where it makes financial sense) to maintain and improve the site’s visitor offer. Members of the tourism industry will be consulted in a timely fashion about fee changes.
• Continue to permit summer camping only in designated areas at Happy Camp, Deep Lake, Lindeman, Bare Loon Lake and Bennett.
• Provide day-use shelters for public safety, currently at the Chilkoot Pass, Happy Camp, Lindeman and Bare Loon Lake.
• Operate the site as fully operational from late May to early September, with staff present on a periodic basis in the winter season.
• Design and development of facilities will be low-key and evoke a period atmosphere.
• Set high environmental standards for all development, operations and activities at the site with the goal of reducing the site’s carbon footprint.
• Use the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) to assess potential impacts of projects before they are undertaken.
• Use the Parks Canada Management Bulletin (2008), Recreational Activity and Special Event Assessments, to assess new or existing activities and events that present significant opportunities and/or areas of concern at the site.

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5.2 Completing the story — A better understanding of the continuing Aboriginal cultural landscape

The Tlingit and Carcross Tagish First Nations have ancient and continuing ties to the Chilkoot Trail, which are part of the other heritage values of the site. First Nations have used the trail since before the Gold Rush, as a link joining families, a trade route for indigenous and imported products, and an area for harvesting the region’s natural resources. Resources associated with this heritage include place names, archaeological remains, historic objects, contemporary camps and a vibrant oral tradition. This ongoing relationship with the trail will be more strongly acknowledged and communicated to visitors, and increased opportunities for local First Nation members to present this heritage will be explored.

Parks Canada will continue to take guidance and direction from Carcross Tagish First Nation on how best to understand and present the continuing cultural landscape of the Chilkoot Trail NHS. Working with the Carcross Tagish First Nation supports their traditional relationship to the trail and area, enriches the visitor experience, and facilitates employment and economic opportunities for the First Nation community and its members. Parks Canada has had an on-going relationship with the Carcross Tagish First Nation for many years, but one that has varied in intensity. Activities with Carcross Tagish First Nation include the annual Elders’ trip to the site, which may be expanded to include culture camps, as well as working with the First Nation to determine their future role in site interpretation. Parks Canada also has an important on-going relationship with a local Carcross Tagish First Nation family, who have a cabin, trapline and small craft sales area within the site.

It will be important to seek opportunities for deeper engagement with the First Nation to help build a long-term partnership that will benefit the First Nation and enhance visitor experience opportunities at Chilkoot Trail NHS. This work may also include assisting the First Nation as the tourism potential of Carcross is developed.

Completing the story — A better understanding of the continuing Aboriginal cultural landscape: Objectives, targets and actions for 5-year plan implementation

Objective 1:

Manage Chilkoot Trail NHS as a continuing Aboriginal cultural landscape.

Targets:

• Continue to hold a minimum of two meetings with Carcross Tagish First Nation annually.
• Continue to hold at least one Elder visit to the site annually.
• At least one First Nation person is hired by Parks Canada to provide interpretation at the site.

Actions:

1. Facilitate and/or support opportunities for local First Nations members to engage in traditional lifestyles in the site.
2. Work with regional First Nations to enhance public understanding of Aboriginal history, traditional knowledge of harvesting and medicines, and contemporary ties to the trail, through the use of interpretive programming and materials including traditional trail markers.
3. Work with Carcross Tagish First Nation to increase opportunities for First Nation interpretation.
4. Work with Carcross Tagish First Nation and U.S. National Park Service to research and determine traditional Aboriginal place names on the trail, and incorporate traditional Aboriginal place names into site interpretation activities.
5. Increase involvement of Carcross Tagish First Nation members in site operations and management.
6. Continue engagement with Carcross Tagish First Nation through events such as annual Elders’ visits.
7. Work with Carcross Tagish First Nation to explore and define future projects such as youth and Elder culture camps.
8. Explore training, employment, and student employment opportunities for Carcross Tagish First Nation members.
9. Invite Carcross Tagish First Nation to attend the Winter Use Stakeholder Group annual meeting where they can share knowledge about impacts of use and appropriate behaviour.

Guiding principles

In implementing Completing the story – A better understanding of the continuing Aboriginal cultural landscape strategy, Parks Canada will:

• Acknowledge and respect First Nation history, cultural and natural values, resources, and harvesting areas in all decisions affecting the site.
• Pending settlement of outstanding land claims, allow traditional First Nation harvesting activities to continue in the site.
• Pending settlement of outstanding land claims in the area, the site will be managed to ensure First Nation rights are protected.
• Keep Carcross Tagish First Nation informed of new economic development opportunities related to the Chilkoot Trail NHS.
• Keep Carcross Tagish First Nation informed of proposed new infrastructure development on the trail, and take Carcross Tagish First Nation concerns and suggestions into consideration as decisions are made.
• Continue to forward applications for Parks Canada research permits to Carcross Tagish First Nation for their review and input, and forward final research reports to Carcross Tagish First Nation.
• Ongoing consultation will continue with Carcross Tagish First Nation and the local family on the trail.

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5.3 Strength through cooperation — Enhanced mandate delivery

Strong partnerships are vital to the successful delivery of the mandate for the Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site. The site is a part of the Carcross Tagish First Nation’s traditional territory; half of the historic trail is in Alaska, administered by the U.S. National Park Service; and the majority of visitors access the site via a privately owned railroad. This strategy recognizes the importance of current partnerships, seeks to expand these partnerships, and foster new ones.

Close cooperation with the U.S. National Park Service in Skagway provides a seamless experience for visitors on both sides of the international border, from a single 1-800 reservation line and registration fee, to a jointly staffed Trail Centre in Skagway, to consistent messaging along the trail and coordinated search and rescue operations. Both agencies also benefit from joint training, sharing of archaeological and historic information, sharing of cultural resource management practices and research findings, and the pursuit of joint projects such as avalanche hazard risk assessment. Future collaborative work may include the re-vamping of non-personal interpretation along the trail and promotion of the International Klondike Gold Rush Historical Park and other Klondike-related sites from Seattle, Washington to Dawson City, Yukon.

The Carcross Tagish First Nation is another key partner for the Chilkoot Trail (see Key strategy 5.2).

Other important partnerships include working with White Pass and Yukon Route Railway. While the focus will be on visitor opportunities at Bennett (see Key strategy 5.1 and area management approach 6.1 Bennett Triangle), WP&YR also has an important role to play in site operations (transport of staff and supplies). Parks Canada will also continue working with various groups and government departments involved with winter recreation on the trail (see Key strategy 5.4) and other aspects of site operation.

New partnerships will also be pursued, particularly in the private sector. Working with new partners will help to promote and expand the range of visitor experiences available at the site and broaden the site’s audiences, both on and away from the trail. Recently, Parks Canada has collaborated with Wildman Productions to create a new video highlighting the trail’s stunning scenic beauty and historic features, and is currently working with Air North – Yukon’s Airline to promote visitor opportunities and public appreciation for Yukon’s national parks and national historic sites. Future work with partners may include developing rustic commercial accommodations at Bennett, and facilitating tour operators as they offer new experiences for visitors at the site.

Strength through cooperation — Enhanced mandate delivery: Objectives, targets and actions for 5-year plan implementation

Objective 1:

Existing partnerships are strengthened and new ones fostered to enhance visitor experience, education and protection.

Targets:

• Visitors report comparable, high-quality services on either side of the border.
• Two cooperative agreements are finalized with partners by 2015.

Actions:

1. Continue to work collaboratively with the U.S. National Park Service in the design and provision of interpretation, visitor services, research, public safety and resource protection. This will include some groundwork related to the possibility of a World Heritage Site nomination for the Klondike.
2. Explore opportunities with WP&YR and others, including interpretation possibilities on trains and cruise ships.
3. Engage in the British Columbia Atlin-Taku planning process to encourage protected area status for the White Pass (adjacent to the U.S. White Pass protected area) and areas around Log Cabin.
4. Continue to pursue cooperative agreements with the Yukon government, province of British Columbia and local First Nations to address the management of lands adjacent to the site, e.g., fire management, maintenance at Log Cabin.
5. Work collaboratively with the private sector to create memorable new visitor experiences and sales items.

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5.4 Winter recreation

One of Chilkoot Trail NHS’s other heritage values is recreational use of the site, and the 2004 management plan encourages outdoor winter recreation activities. Winter users enjoy a variety of activities at the site, including non-motorized activities such as cross-country skiing, telemark or downhill skiing, and backcountry snowboarding, and motorized snowmobile activities. The 2005 Winter Recreational Use Study indicated that on average, about 78% of winter visitors primarily engage in non-motorized recreational activities, and 22% engage in motorized activities. These two distinct user groups have some conflicting needs and interests. In general, encounters with motorized users is found to detract from the recreational experience of non-motorized users. In contrast, encounters with nonmotorized users is found not to effect the recreational experience for motorized users.

This key strategy recognizes that different groups have different needs (e.g., motorized, non-motorized, local trapper) and works to find ways of meeting these needs in a complementary rather than confrontational manner. The site will continue to apply the Winter Recreational Use Management Strategy, which came into effect in 1997.

Many local non-motorized and motorized visitors support the strategy, but there remain diverse views on what activities are appropriate for the site. The Winter Use Stakeholder Group meets at least annually, to review and update the Winter Recreational Use Management Strategy as needed, using a consensus-based approach. This group will continue as the main mechanism through which the Winter Recreational Use Managment Strategy is reviewed and revised. Public safety work includes avalanche awareness through signage and outreach.

Winter recreation: Objectives, targets and actions for 5-year plan implementation

Objective 1:

Visitors enjoy a variety of non-motorized and motorized winter recreation opportunities.

Targets:

• 90% of surveyed visitors rate their overall satisfaction as good or very good in the next Winter Recreational Use Study.
• Site users at Winter Use Stakeholder Group meetings express satisfaction at the balance of recreational opportunities.

Actions:

1. Parks Canada will periodically review the existing process to ensure it is representing winter user views and is accessible to those winter users.
2. Parks Canada will meet annually or as needed with the Winter Use Stakeholder Group to review and update the Winter Recreational Use Management Strategy, using a consensus-based approach.
3. Parks Canada will support the development of a regional recreational winter use map for the area that includes Chilkoot Trail NHS.
4. Provide outreach programming on winter use, e.g., avalanche awareness.
5. Invite Carcross Tagish First Nation to participate in Winter Use Stakeholder Group meetings (see Strategy 5.2).

Guiding principles

In implementing the Winter Recreation strategy, Parks Canada will follow these principles:

• The Winter Recreational Use Management Strategy works to optimize a visitor’s experience.
• Information is provided to help ensure visitor safety, based on the principle of visitor self-sufficiency.
• The Winter Recreational Use Management Strategy will ensure the protection of the site’s cultural and natural resources.
• The Winter Recreational Use Management Strategy will ensure privacy around the trapline holdings in the site and prevent damage to the trapper’s property and trails.

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6.0 Area Management Approach

Associated with the In the footsteps of the Stampeders key strategy is an area management approach for the Bennett Triangle, the area between Log Cabin, Lindeman and Bennett (map 2). While key strategies focus on management approaches affecting the whole site, the area management approach provides more details on how a specific area of the Site will be managed.

6.1 Bennett Triangle

Bennett is located on the shore of Lake Bennett, at the northern end of the Chilkoot Trail. It is not accessible by road. During the Gold Rush it was a bustling tent city of 20,000 people, where the stampeders wintered over as they built the boats they would use for their river-based trip to the Klondike goldfields. Later it became a smaller settled community. Today, there are remnants of this historic period at Bennett, including the WP&YR train station, scattered artifacts, the foundations of old buildings, and the original St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, the last remaining Gold Rush era building along the Chilkoot Trail. The scenic campground at Bennett is located in what was once the heart of the historic townsite. Lindeman, on the shores of Lindeman Lake, was the site where early prospectors built and launched their rafts and boats before the Gold Rush. During the Gold Rush it also became a large tent city. Evidence of this history is abundant at the site today, where artifacts and rock work are found throughout the area. Visitors to Lindeman can choose between two campgrounds at this historic and scenic location. There is also a tent with interpretive displays for visitors to enjoy, and two cabins equipped with wood stoves which provide warmth and shelter to visitors. Log Cabin offers limited facilities including a parking lot, interpretive panels and an outhouse, and is used primarily by people making a short stop on their way along the South Klondike Highway, ending their hike along the trail, or by winter users. Additional non-personal interpretation would improve visitors’ understanding of the area’s history and geographic context. Current resourcing means that minimal work is anticipated in the Log Cabin area during the life of the management plan.

This area management approach looks at the change in visitor patterns, including the recent rise in day-use train passengers to Bennett, and explores the expansion of the Site’s visitor experience opportunities. Based on social science research including visitor surveys and consultations with the public and stakeholders, it will investigate ways to offer a greater variety of activities to a broader audience. It will also ensure that increased visitation and a greater range of services are managed appropriately. While public input suggests there is interest in some experimentation with enhanced services and facilities, it also reflects concern that the characteristic features of the Site must be preserved, including the central hiking experience, the wilderness character, and historic atmosphere.

While Chilkoot Trail NHS offers experienced hikers a unique, challenging, and rewarding adventure, there are other audiences which may not currently have the opportunity to explore this historic place. The results of the 2008 Bennett Day Use Visitor Study suggest that visitors are satisfied with the services and activities currently offered in the Bennett area, but that there is a need to provide a greater variety of activities. Many visitors, including families, school groups, older hikers, and local Yukoners and Alaskans, could benefit from easier ways to experience the spectacular wilderness setting and history of Chilkoot Trail NHS. Shorter hiking loops that facilitate day-trip and overnight hiking opportunities, and an “All-Canadian” hiking and camping experience may attract new audiences to enjoy the Site. Parks Canada will work with White Pass and Yukon Route Railway to facilitate more accessible wilderness opportunities on the trail.

Rustic but comfortable accommodations on the trail, possibly owned and managed by a commercial operator, may also enhance the range of visitor facilities available on the trail. Day users show support for alternative forms of accommodation, such as wall tents or hard-sided accommodation at Bennett, to be managed either by Parks Canada or commercial operator. Hikers show less interest in the development of commercial accommodation at Bennett. The Site will further explore the potential demand for this opportunity, and if feasible, implement alternate accommodation, initially at Bennett and possibly at Lindeman.

Site visitors and stakeholders show high levels of support for enhanced interpretive opportunities at Bennett, expressing interest in guided tours of historic Bennett and the area around it, additional First Nation cultural interpretation, the presence of interpretive staff at Bennett, and more interpretive signage at Bennett. Parks Canada will work toward strengthening each of these areas of the interpretive offer, to provide greater enjoyment and understanding to all site visitors.

Although the 2008 Bennett Day Use Survey indicated that visitors are interested in the possibility of scenic boat and fishing trips on Bennett Lake, most hikers and visitors were not open to motorized access to Lindeman, e.g., motorboats or float-planes. Motorized visitor access to the Site will be confined to Bennett, with the potential exception of future commercial operators who may need periodic motorboat access to support enhanced facilities and services at Lindeman. There is some willingness to allow low-impact commercial activities such as rafting and kayak trips at One Mile Rapids (map 2).

The two public cabins at Lindeman are currently available for day-use in summer and winter. The cabins were constructed in the late 1960s by staff and work crews from the Whitehorse Correctional Centre. They are a testament to the early work re-opening the Trail to hikers and to an innovative community-based rehabilitation program. Now forty years old, they are being reviewed by Federal Heritage Building Review Office for their heritage value. Parks Canada is waiting for a report from Federal Heritage Building Review Office to determine what action, if any, will be taken with the cabins. One cabin may be removed. Public consultations show general acceptance for this shift, although there are some concerns about overcrowding at the site during the summer season.

Operational needs are also changing, so a staff cabin will be built at Bennett to increase staff presence at Bennett and simplify overall operations (see section 8, Administration and operations, for more details).

The Bennett Triangle: Objectives, targets and actions for 5-year plan implementation

Objective 1:

The Bennett Church, the only surviving building from the commemoration period, is protected.

Targets:

• Maintain current commemorative integrity rating as fair in next Commemorative Integrity Evaluation.

Actions:

1. Continue to take measures to protect the Bennett Church from fire and vandalism.
2. Complete Fire Smart work around the Bennett Church.
3. Continue cyclical maintenance and monitoring at the Bennett Church.

Objective 2:

The visitor offer in and between Bennett and Lindeman responds and adapts to changing visitor needs.

Targets:

• 90% of visitors are satisfied, and 50% are very satisfied, with activities, facilities and services provided by the site, based on the results of the 2013 Visitor Information Program Survey.
• On average, overall visitation to the site is increased by 6% each year from 2010 to 2012, resulting in a total increase of 18% by 2012.
• There is an increased number of Yukoners visiting the site.

Actions:

1. Work with WP&YR to explore and promote options for “All-Canadian” experiences, including shorter hiking routes and overnight camping excursions.
2. Develop a marketing strategy to promote Bennett and Chilkoot Trail NHS to targeted audiences, including local and regional audiences.
3. Develop a Site Plan for Bennett that addresses a need for a greater variety of interpretation and day-use activities, manages visitor flow at the Site, and incorporates new staff accommodation.
4. Improve the sense of welcome to the historic site at Bennett across from the train station, e.g., improved signage, benches.
5. Work with WP&YR and Holland America to develop and present a Parks Canada interpretive product at Bennett to train passengers.
6. Revise and augment current non-personal interpretation at Bennett and Lindeman, e.g., improved signage for the cemetery.
7. Investigate use of new technology, e.g., geo-caching.
8. Conclude the Federal Heritage Building Review Office review of the two cabins at Lindeman and conduct a Cultural Resource Management exercise to determine the cultural values of the cabins to determine their future.
9. Work with Carcross Tagish First Nation to provide more First Nation personal interpretation at Bennett.

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7.0 Partnering and public engagement

The support and involvement of stakeholders and partners is essential to Parks Canada’s program delivery and continued relevance. Engagement and partnering activities ensure that Canadians’ needs and priorities are clearly expressed to Parks Canada and that these interests inform and influence Parks Canada’s actions and direction. Working with a variety of stakeholders and partners results in new and expanded opportunities for Canadians to discover and develop a sense of connection to their protected heritage areas.

Parks Canada continues to work closely with the U.S. National Park Service in operational aspects of trail management (visitor services, cultural resource management and public safety).

Parks Canada will continue to work with the Carcross Tagish First Nation to build a partnership that honours their historic and cultural relationship to the Chilkoot Trail, and facilitates and enriches the visitor experience at the Site. Parks Canada will work with the First Nation to learn about and recognize the importance of their long history along the trail. These relationships will build upon the significance of their knowledge and experience of the region and their contemporary use of the trail.

Parks Canada will continue to build a strong working relationship with the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway, one that will enhance visitor opportunities at Bennett. Parks Canada also works closely with the Yukon government – Department of Tourism to promote Chilkoot Trail NHS and there are opportunities to continue to work together including working more closely with staff at the Carcross Visitor Centre to better inform people about Chilkoot Trail NHS. Regular and open communications with these partner agencies will enhance regional coordination of messaging, marketing, and planning activities.

Parks Canada will also continue to work with various groups and government departments involved with winter recreation on the trail. Parks Canada will continue to support the established Winter Recreational Use Management Strategy, and meet regularly with the Winter Use Stakeholder Group to review and update the strategy.

It is also important that Chilkoot Trail NHS ensures the on-going engagement of the communities of Carcross and Whitehorse. When local communities feel a sense of pride and ownership in Chilkoot Trail NHS, and when that relationship is demonstrated through increased visitation by local community members to the Site, and involvement of local residents in volunteer programs, the Chilkoot Trail’s overall connection to place will be greatly enhanced. Greater community interest and involvement in the Site will lead to a greater capacity to achieve the mandate, as the local community becomes a true partner in the protection and recognition of the Site’s importance.

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8.0 Administration and operations

Changing visitor, staff, and conservation needs require that Parks Canada respond and adapt its operations and facilities. The Site’s main operational camp is currently at Lindeman, where operating costs are high due to the costs of transporting material and supplies by helicopter, train, and boat, and significant staff time is spent moving between Bennett and Lindeman by boat. Over time, several factors have also led to an increasing need for staff accommodation at Bennett. Increased day-use at Bennett is providing opportunities for greater communications with visitors, which could be facilitated by a greater staff presence. Increasing fire management and problem wildlife concerns have also necessitated greater staff presence at Bennett in recent years. New operational support infrastructure, including a staff cabin, is now required at Bennett. These changes will also lead to a reduction in the size of the operational camp at Lindeman.

In all of its operations, Parks Canada will seek opportunities to act as a leader in green operations. Over the years, alternate energy systems have been installed on the trail, at the Chilkoot Pass patrol cabin and the Lindeman operational camp, reducing the Site’s dependency on fossil fuels. It will be important to continue these initiatives when planning for refurbished and new infrastructure at all locations, including Bennett. In addition, to help demonstrate leadership in conservation, staff are seeking ways of defining and tracking the Site’s carbon footprint, with the intent of reducing the carbon footprint over time.

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9.0 Monitoring

Parks Canada uses a variety of tools to monitor the state of Chilkoot Trail NHS over time. Cultural resources are monitored through a cyclical maintenance program that includes both in-situ and moveable resources (artifacts, reproductions). Asset management and cultural resources management staff from the field unit conduct regular assessments of the site’s cultural resources. The condition of cultural resources is also assessed every five years through Commemorative Integrity evaluations. In recent years questions have arisen about the purpose of the site’s monitoring program. The development of a new cultural resource management strategy for the Chilkoot Trail NHS will be a key document in shaping the site’s future monitoring program. This strategy will clearly articulate the approach that will be taken to protect the heritage values of the site, with respect to both its component parts and the whole. It will describe the types of monitoring and vegetation control actions that will be taken along the trail, and identify areas where natural processes will be left undisturbed, and it will provide an explanation for these decisions.

Visitor experience and public education opportunities are evaluated in regular Visitor Experience Assessments and Visitor Information Program surveys, and some of the information from these assessments is also examined within the overall Commemorative Integrity Evaluation.

With the approval of the new national Guide to Management Planning (2008), State of the Site Reports are now required for all national historic sites every five years. These reports are intended to become an integral part of the management process, and they will provide measures of the site’s condition and trends in terms of its commemorative integrity and heritage resources protection, public education, facilitation of visitor experiences and people’s connection to place. They will document the implementation and effectiveness of the site’s management plan and identify issues and challenges to be considered in the next management plan review. The State of the Site Report will also contribute to the State of the Protected Heritage Areas Report, which reports on the state of all national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas administered by Parks Canada, and is presented to Parliament and all Canadians every two years.

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10.0 Strategic environmental assessment

10.1 Introduction

This summary briefly documents the strategic environmental assessment approach used to identify and assess the key issues and critical decision-making factors associated with the Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site of Canada management plan. Federal government strategic environmental assessment obligations are defined in a Cabinet Directive, The Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plans and Program Proposals (2004). Consistent with guidance in the directive, the focus of this strategic environmental assessment was to identify strategic considerations at a broad, conceptual level, rather than by assessing in detail individual actions within the plan itself. It is recognized that strategic environmental assessment is part of a tiered approach to assessing and managing impacts. Detailed impact assessment analysis of individual projects and activities will take place after the management plan has been approved and initiatives are considered for implementation.

The nature of Parks Canada’s mandate, and the way it conducts business (partnerships, comprehensive planning processes with public engagement), is strongly aligned with strategic environmental assessment process objectives. A mandate focused on ecological and commemorative integrity, planned and implemented with a high degree of public scrutiny and involvement, helped ensure planning proposal options were assessed by a wide range of interests, and refined as needed. This in concert with a stable, structured regulatory and policy framework, provides Parks Canada a firm foundation for making informed management decisions. The management plan is the key means of documenting Parks Canada’s proposed management approach at Chilkoot Trail NHS for the next 10-15 years.

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10.2 Approach

Management planning is very much a strategic planning exercise and one that supports many key principles of good strategic environmental assessment practice. Both processes are based on strategic analysis in support of informed decision-making. Both typically define a vision, objectives, targets, and means to follow-up or measure success and then apply these findings to make necessary refinements. This degree of fulfilment of strategic environmental assessment requirements during the planning process is acknowledged and wastaken into consideration when deciding on the degree of effort required to conduct a strategic environmental assessment of the management plan.

The 2010 Chilkoot Trail NHS management plan builds upon direction established in previous plans, the most recent of which was approved in 2004. A comparison of the 2004 and 2010 management plans was made to determine the level of consistency between the two documents and to identify key differences. A detailed strategic environmental assessment analysis of each key action was undertaken for the 2004 Chilkoot Trail NHS management plan. The findings of that assessment predicted positive outcomes for the heritage resources as well as increased levels of public understanding and enjoyment. A simpler approach was used to assess the 2010 plan. It was assessed by confirming the impact analysis undertaken in 2004 strategic environmental assessment remains valid, and then focusing on the key differences between the 2004 and 2010 management plans.

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10.3 Assessment and findings

The likely impacts and outcomes associated with management plan key strategies and the Bennett Triangle area concept are briefly assessed in the following sections of the strategic environmental assessment. A comparison of the 2004 and 2010 management plans confirmed they were very similar in nature, both in the objectives they sought to achieve, and in the means to achieve them. It was therefore reasonable to conclude that many of the approaches proposed in the 2010 management plan had already undergone detailed assessment as part of the strategic environmental assessment prepared for the 2004 plan. Please consult the Screening Report for Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site Management Plan (Parks Canada), for full documentation of the strategic environmental assessment approach used to assess the 2004 management plan.

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10.4 Four key strategies

Management plan key strategies are the means by which Parks Canada focuses effort and resources on the key issues requiring attention to enable realization of the site vision. The Chilkoot Trail NHS management plan is structured around four key strategies. These are:

Key strategies are implemented by means of specific key actions intended to achieve Parks Canada’s goals and objectives for the long-term management of the national historic site. Most key actions have targets associated with them to help with program effectiveness monitoring, evaluation and reporting.

In the footsteps of the Stampeders

Actions proposed in this section of the management plan build on existing direction. Backpackers traversing the historic trail corridor will continue to be the main visitor audience. Day-use of the trail will still be based at nodes at Log Cabin and Bennett. The management plan specifies additional strategies and plans will be developed to respond to key areas requiring attention. For example, a cultural resource management strategy will be developed for the site to clearly describe how resources will be managed to achieve site targets and objectives. A vegetation management plan will be a central component of the cultural resource management strategy. The vegetation plan will balance the needs of the natural environment, including species at risk habitat, and the cultural landscape, with the need to preserve in situ cultural resources and provide memorable visitor experiences. The plan contains numerous actions focussed on enhancing the range of recreational and learning opportunities at the site. Targeted marketing and outreach efforts that support realising this objective are presented. All actions in this portion of the plan respond to outstanding issues of high priority. Successful resolution or improvement in these areas will help the site come closer to realising prescribed targets and objectives. Existing management mechanisms will be used to make informed decisions on proposed new events or activities at Chilkoot Trail NHS. For example the Parks Canada Management Bulletin, Recreational Activity and Special Event Assessments, will be used to assess, and then assist making decisions on whether to approve, new events or activities proposed for the site. Plans will be assessed for strategic impacts as they are developed. Some projects or activities arising from these actions may trigger the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.

Completing the story – A better understanding of the continuing Aboriginal cultural landscape

The main objective of this strategy is to manage the Chilkoot Trail as a continuing Aboriginal landscape. This means acknowledging and celebrating the past and present Aboriginal cultural connections with the Chilkoot Trail landscape. Tlingit and Carcross Tagish First Nations have a rich legacy in the area that continues to the present day. Actions proposed in the management plan focus on assisting local First Nations members to enhance their traditional connection with the lands in Chilkoot Trail NHS, increasing involvement of First Nation members in the management of the site, and increasing levels of public understanding of the Aboriginal history and present use of these lands. Means of accomplishing this include undertaking research, exploring employment opportunities, and enhancing collaboration between Parks Canada and First Nations related to many aspects of site management. The expected outcome is enhanced levels of collaboration between Parks Canada and local First Nations, and increased public understanding of the role of First Nations in the area.

Strength through cooperation - Enhanced mandate delivery

Parks Canada recognizes successful delivery of its mandated responsibilities is contingent upon a high level of partnering and public engagement. The management planning review and development cycle provided numerous opportunities to engage people with a wide range of interests in the management of the site. Groups involved in the review and management of Chilkoot Trail NHS include local First Nations, Winter Use Stakeholder Group, Yukon government, U.S. National Parks Service, White Pass and Yukon Route Railway, Holland America, local communities and Canadians from all parts of the country. The plan states new partnerships with the private sector will be pursued for both promotion and delivery of an expanded range of visitor experiences. Provision of simple, commercial accommodations, by private sector suppliers may occur at Bennett. This, as well as proposed new recreational activities, will undergo a policy compatibility and impact assessment review prior to decisions being made on whether to approve them. Anticipated outcomes from these initiatives are a broader range of visitor experiences, enhanced levels of education, and improved protection of heritage resources. Development of new partnerships, and enhancement of existing ones, is the means by which strategy objectives are expected to be met.

Winter recreation

The objective of this strategy is to offer a variety of winter recreational opportunities that provide optimal visitor experiences. A Winter Use Stakeholder Group has been in place for several years. The group has been found to be an effective means of reviewing and updating the Winter Recreational Use Management Strategy. The strategy guides the management approach for a range of winter recreational activities that take place within Chilkoot Trail NHS. Annual meetings of the group provide an opportunity to review and make appropriate changes to the management of winter activities. In addition to annual meetings, the group convenes when issues requiring resolution arise. This is a good example of adaptive management. The management plan endorses continuing the role this group is playing. No significant adverse environmental effects are anticipated from these actions. Enhanced levels of visitor satisfaction are the primary expected outcome.

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10.5 Bennett Triangle area management approach

The management plan contains one area management approach, the Bennett Triangle. This area between Log Cabin, Bennett, and Lindeman, is located near the northern terminus of the trail and receives a heavy amount of use from multi-day hiking groups (most groups hike from south to north and end their trip here), as well as the highest levels of day-use in the national historic site.

Key objectives for this area call for continued protection of the historic Bennett Church, and adapting the visitor offer in response to changing visitor needs. Emerging visitor needs stem from a marked increase in day-use activity levels in the Bennett area, and expressed desires for additional visitor opportunities. Current means of access, activities, and facilities would for the most part remain unchanged. Refinements such as enhancing the interpretive offer at Bennett, potential construction and operation of rustic accommodation (wall tents or similar facility) at Bennett and possibly Lindeman, construction of short loop trails for day users, potential use of motorboats to support operation of enhanced facilities and services based out of Lindeman, are possible means of fulfilling these needs. One of two day-use public cabins at Lindeman may be removed following a review by the Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office regarding heritage status. The anticipated outcome of these actions is a visitor service offer that provides new opportunities and enhanced levels of visitor satisfaction, while maintaining or improving the condition of heritage resources. As with other management plan proposals, Parks Canada’s existing policy and legislated framework will be used to assess the impacts of these initiatives before decisions are made regarding their approval.

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10.6 Administration and operations

The management plan proposes several courses of action to respond to changes in visitation patterns, and heritage resource conservation issues. The majority of these are located in the Bennett, Lindeman, and Log Cabin area and have been addressed through the area management plan as discussed above. Presently the majority of Parks Canada operations are based out of Lindeman. Moving staff and goods to and from Lindeman is costly and requires use of motorboats, helicopters, and the train. The plan proposes increased facilities (new staff accommodation building) and operational presence in Bennett with a consequent reduction in presence and operations at Lindeman. Cost savings are expected from reduced fuel consumption, aircraft use, and boat operation. Ultimately this should reduce the environmental footprint of Parks Canada’s operational activities at Chilkoot Trail NHS. In addition to cost savings and environmental benefits, these changes are expected to facilitate greater levels of interaction between Parks Canada staff and site visitors resulting in enhanced communications plus greater ability to respond to problem wildlife issues. These actions may result in fewer problem wildlife encounters, and associated management actions (aversive conditioning, immobilization and relocation, wildlife mortality).

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10.7 Public engagement

The management plan review process offered considerable opportunity for public input, including consultation with regional Aboriginal groups. Public and expert review during plan development resulted in a strengthened final management plan clearly focused on delivery of Parks Canada’s integrated mandate. The plan recognizes effective public education is essential to Canadians understanding why the Site is of national significance, and the importance of Parks Canada’s work as steward of these heritage resources. Increased levels of public knowledge, understanding and support for Parks Canada, and the Chilkoot Trail NHS, are expected.

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10.8 Conclusions

The objectives in the management plan directly support the intended goal of enhanced delivery of Parks Canada’s integrated mandate. Actions focus on reducing or eliminating stressors acting on heritage resources, or on capitalizing on available opportunities for improved program delivery. Management plan implementation is likely to result in many positive effects for the state of heritage resources, levels of visitor satisfaction, and result in stronger working relationships between Parks Canada and local First Nations. It is anticipated that plan implementation will result in positive outcomes for the condition of heritage resources issues identified in the Commemorative Integrity Evaluation (2004), and the management plan review process. The condition of cultural and natural resources is expected to be maintained or improved.

This management plan is largely a confirmation of existing direction from the 1988 and 2004 management plans. It responds to the need to restructure management plans to meet new guidelines and to focus requirements on delivery of Parks Canada’s integrated mandate (heritage resource protection; facilitation of visitor experience opportunities; and enhanced public outreach and education), as well as on emerging issues identified through monitoring and reporting. This revised approach should be considered a minor refinement rather than a significant change of direction for Parks Canada planning processes. Key issues identified in the 2004 report, Chilkoot Trail NHS evaluation of the State of Commemorative Integrity, were incorporated into the management planning process and are addressed in the 2010 management plan. Existing Parks Canada monitoring and reporting mechanisms will be used to measure and report on the degree of success obtaining these goals.

The management planning process is itself a participatory, iterative, and risk aversive approach focused on continuous improvement. This is achieved by periodic review and updates of management plans, monitoring and reporting on progress in attaining goals, development of other supportive plans as needed following approval of the site management plan (e.g., vegetation management plan), and opportunities for additional assessment of likely impacts from program implementation (e.g., assessment of project proposals under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act subsequent to plan approval). This iterative approach provides a solid foundation for Parks Canada making informed decisions and realising its integrated mandate goals at Chilkoot Trail NHS. Impact analysis and management decision-making related to management plan implementation should be based in the initial analysis completed during management plan development and its associated strategic environmental assessment review, and a more thorough analysis via detailing planning or project planning once essential details are developed. The intent is for the strategic environmental assessment to inform the subsequent review stages of individual undertakings as they are planned and implemented. This iterative approach provides the necessary checks and balances to minimise the chance of overlooking key issues when managing and making decisions. In conclusion, the 2010 management plan is expected to achieve the desired results for commemorative integrity, natural resources, and visitor experience in Chilkoot Trail NHS. The management plan is not expected to result in any adverse cumulative effects.

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Acknowledgements

Management planning team:

Anne Landry, Robert Lewis, Barry Troke, Dan Verhalle

Parks Canada contributors and editors:

Christine Aikens, Kate Alexander, Heather Callaghan, James De Jonge, Tom Elliot, Andrée Gaulin, TJ Hammer, Dale Hansen, Paula Hassard, Christine Hedgecock, Lynda Hutcheson, Cathy McFadyen, Anne Morin, Joleene Murphy, David Neufeld, Steve Oates, Michael Prochazka, René Rivard, Rebecca Rothgeb, Jeni Rudisill, Rob Scoble, Pippa Shepherd, John Smarch, Rob Storeshaw, Sharon Thomson, Nicola Walch, Carmen Wong, Hillarie Zimmermann

Other important contributors:

• Carcross Tagish First Nation Land Use Team
• Colleagues at the U.S. National Park Service, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park
• Winter Use Stakeholder Group
• Michael Brandt from White Pass and Yukon Route Railway
• Philip Stoker, Master’s candidate at the School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University

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References

• Cooley, Rachel, Parks Canada Western and Northern Service Centre, The Visitor Experience Assessment, Chilkoot Trail and S.S. Klondike National Historic Sites, A Look at Potential and Existing Visitors (internal presentation), October 2007.

• Cooley, Rachel, Parks Canada Western and Northern Service Centre, Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site of Canada 2007 Visitor Survey, February 2008.

• Haider, Wolfgang, and Stoker, Philip, School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Prepared for Parks Canada, Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site of Canada: 2008 Bennett Day Use Visitor Study, 2009.

• Haider, Wolfgang, and Stoker, Philip, School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Prepared for Parks Canada, Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site of Canada Comparison of Day Users and Hikers, 2009.

• Légaré, Anne-Marie, School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site of Canada 2004 Summer Recreational Use Study, 2005.

• MacDougall, Sandra, Red Deer College, Red Deer, Alberta, Bear-Human Interactions Along the Chilkoot Trail 2002-2008, June 2009.

• Morris, Randy P., School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site Winter Recreational Use Study 2005, March 2006.

• Parks Canada Agency, Parks Canada Guiding Principles and Operational Policies, 1994.

• Parks Canada Agency, Commemorative Integrity Statements, National Historic Sites of the Yukon Field Unit Parks Canada, 1997.

• Parks Canada Agency, Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site of Canada 2005 Commemorative Integrity Evaluation, 2005.

• Parks Canada Agency, Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site of Canada Management Plan, 2004.

• Parks Canada Agency, Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site of Canada 2007 Visitor Information Program Hiker Survey, 2007.

• Parks Canada Agency, Parks Canada Guide to Management Planning, 2008.

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Glossary

Commemorative integrity:

A concept used for national historic sites to describe the site’s health and wholeness. A national historic site may be said to possess commemorative integrity when: the resources that symbolize or represent its importance are not impaired or under threat; the reasons for its significance are effectively communicated to the public; and the heritage values of the place are respected.

Connection to place:

A concept that reflects the relevance and importance of protected heritage places to Canadians. It expresses the emotional, intellectual, and spiritual attachment Canadians and visitors feel toward natural and cultural heritage places. Parks Canada works to foster this sense of attachment through meaningful opportunities for enjoyment and learning provided on-site and through public outreach education. Respecting, understanding, and facilitating the relationship between heritage places and Canadians, including Aboriginal peoples, visitors, partners and stakeholders help promote a shared sense of responsibility for heritage places and engage minds and hearts to support their protection and presentation now and for future generations.

Continuing Aboriginal cultural landscape:

The continuing Aboriginal cultural landscape tells stories of continuing First Nation presence on the land.

Cultural resource:

A human work or a place, which gives evidence of human activity or has spiritual or cultural meaning, and which has been determined to have historic value.

Cultural resource management:

Generally accepted practices for the conservation and presentation of cultural resources, founded on principles and carried out in a practice that integrates professional, technical and administrative activities so that the historic value of cultural resources is taken into account in actions that might affect them. In Parks Canada, Cultural Resource Management encompasses the presentation and use, as well as the conservation of cultural resources.

Historic value:

Historic value is a value or values assigned to a resource, whereby it is recognized as a cultural resource. These values can be physical and/or associative.

National historic site:

Any place declared to be of national historic interest or significance by the Minister responsible for Parks Canada.

Public outreach education:

Public outreach education is reaching Canadians at home, at leisure, at school and in their communities through effective and relevant learning opportunities designed to increase understanding and appreciation of the natural and historical heritage of Parks Canada places, and to encourage individuals and communities to support and become engaged in their protection and presentation.

Relict landscape:

A relict cultural landscape is one containing reminders of an event from a time in the past. In the case of the Chilkoot Trail, the relict cultural landscape tells the stories of the Gold Rush passage.

Species at risk:

Species at Risk are extirpated, endangered or threatened species or a species of special concern. “Extirpated species,” means a wildlife species that no longer exists in the wild in Canada, but exists elsewhere in the wild. “Endangered species,” means a wildlife species that is facing imminent extirpation or extinction. “Threatened species,” means a wildlife species that is likely to become an endangered species if nothing is done to reverse the factors leading to its extirpation or extinction. “Species of special concern,” means a wildlife species that may become a threatened or an endangered species because of a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats.

Visitor experience:

Visitor experience is the sum total of a visitor’s personal interaction with heritage places and/or people that awakens their senses, affects their emotions, stimulates their mind and leaves them with a sense of attachment to these places.

Yukon Field Unit:

An administrative unit of Parks Canada, based in the Yukon, responsible for the management of the following heritage places: Chilkoot Trail NHS; S.S. Klondike NHS; S.S. Keno NHS; Dawson Historical Complex NHS; Dredge No. 4 NHS; Kluane National Park and Reserve and Vuntut National Park.

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Summary of planned actions

Key strategy 1: In the footsteps of the Stampeders

Manage Chilkoot Trail NHS as a relict cultural landscape.

• Complete a strategic synthesis of existing archaeological data and identify gaps where future survey work is required.
• Collaborate with national office and service centre staff to develop and implement a cultural resource management strategy for the site that clearly articulates management practices for Chilkoot Trail NHS.
• Develop and implement a monitoring program based on needs identified in the cultural resource management strategy.
• Conduct research as needed to support conservation and presentation needs at the site.

A range of recreational and learning opportunities, from day-use around Bennett to the classic multi-day hike, are provided to visitors with diverse interests and abilities.

• Conduct and start implementing interpretive planning for the site, which includes renewal of non-personal interpretation along the trail, innovative ways to augment the current program and investigations into the use of new technology and partnerships.
• Keep public safety planning and training current (e.g., avalanche safety, custodial group guidelines), including updating the bear management plan.
• Continue to implement the site’s Guidelines for Custodial Groups Hiking the Chilkoot Trail, so that youth and school groups are supported in their use of the site.
• Define and implement a volunteer program for the site.
• Expand personal on-site interpretation by Parks Canada.
• Recapitalize site facilities, e.g., the trail, bridges, cabins.
• Continue to implement the Chilkoot Trail portion of the Yukon Field Unit Sign Plan.
• Work with First Nations on at least one new product that will enhance First Nation messaging.

Current markets continue to enjoy the site and new markets are attracted to visit the site.

• Identify targeted audiences and strategies for promoting the site.
• Explore the possibility of corporate sponsorship to assist youth groups and students to spend time at Chilkoot Trail NHS.
• Through the Yukon Department of Education, actively promote Chilkoot Trail NHS as a site for school trips.
• Work more closely with staff at the Carcross Visitor Centre to better inform people about Chilkoot Trail NHS.
• Conduct social science research to guide investment, operational and marketing decisions at the site.
• Analyze existing data related to backcountry use trends to help determine future site promotion and offer.
• Update and expand information and marketing tools associated with the site.
• Implement the national Parks Canada branding program locally.
• Seek out joint marketing opportunities with WP&YR and cruise ship companies (e.g., Holland America), U.S. National Park Service, and town of Skagway.
• Explore corporate engagement, including companies that operated on the Chilkoot Trail during the Gold Rush.

Natural ecosystem features of special significance, including Species at Risk, are valued in a manner that reflects the role of Parks Canada as an important environmental steward.

• Undertake actions to protect Species at Risk and/or their habitat as required by national recovery strategies, e.g., western toad.
• Implement recommendations from the 2009 report Bear-Human Interactions Along the Chilkoot Trail 2002-2008.
• Cooperate with other governments and agencies to support Southern Lakes Caribou work.
• Continue contaminated site work to assess potential risks to the ecosystem and human health, and develop a plan to address any existing risks.

Targeted outreach audiences off-site learn about Chilkoot Trail NHS.

• Identify targeted outreach audiences for the site, including youth and school groups.
• Develop and implement a site outreach program, focussed on local residents, youth and school groups, and targeted national audiences.
• Work with the Yukon government and Carcross Tagish First Nation on school programming and curriculum linked resources.
• Promote opportunities for youth and school groups on the trail, including volunteer opportunities.
• Work with groups like Destination Carcross to promote understanding and appreciation of the site.
• Continually refresh and renew content for an enhanced web presence that provides learning, sharing, and experiential opportunities for Canadians and others.

Key strategy 2: Completing the story – A better understanding of the continuing Aboriginal cultural landscape

Manage Chilkoot Trail NHS as a continuing Aboriginal cultural landscape.

• Facilitate and/or support opportunities for local First Nations members to engage in traditional lifestyles in the site.
• Work with regional First Nations to enhance public understanding of Aboriginal history, traditional knowledge of harvesting and medicines, and contemporary ties to the trail, through the use of interpretive programming and materials including traditional trail markers.
• Work with Carcross Tagish First Nation to increase opportunities for First Nation interpretation.
• Work with Carcross Tagish First Nation and U.S. National Park Service to research and determine traditional Aboriginal place names on the trail, and incorporate traditional Aboriginal place names into site interpretation activities.
• Increase involvement of Carcross Tagish First Nation members in site operations and management.
• Continue engagement with Carcross Tagish First Nation through events such as annual Elders’ visits.
• Work with Carcross Tagish First Nation to explore and define future projects such as youth and Elder culture camps.
• Explore training, employment, and student employment opportunities for Carcross Tagish First Nation citizens.
• Invite Carcross Tagish First Nation to attend the Winter Use Stakeholder Group annual meeting where they can share knowledge about impacts of use and appropriate behaviour.

Key strategy 3: Strength through cooperation - Enhanced mandate delivery

Existing partnerships are strengthened and new ones fostered to enhance visitor experience, education and protection.

• Continue to work collaboratively with the U.S. National Park Service in the design and provision of interpretation, visitor services, research, public safety and resource protection. This will include some groundwork related to the possibility of a World Heritage Site nomination for the Klondike.
• Explore opportunities with WP&YR and others, including interpretation possibilities on trains and cruise ships.
• Engage in the British Columbia Atlin-Taku planning process to encourage protected area status for the White Pass (adjacent to the U.S. White Pass protected area) and areas around Log Cabin.
• Continue to pursue cooperative agreements with the Yukon government, province of British Columbia and local First Nations to address the management of lands adjacent to the site, e.g., fire management, maintenance at Log Cabin.
• Work collaboratively with the private sector to create memorable new visitor experiences and sales items.

Winter recreation

Visitors enjoy a variety of non-motorized and motorized winter recreation opportunities.

• Parks Canada will periodically review the existing process to ensure it is representing winter user views and is accessible to those winter users.
• Parks Canada will meet annually or as needed with the Winter Use Stakeholder Group to review and update the Winter Recreational Use Management Strategy, using a consensus-based approach.
• Parks Canada will support the development of a regional recreational winter use map for the area that includes Chilkoot Trail NHS.
• Provide outreach programming on winter use, e.g., avalanche awareness.
• Invite Carcross Tagish First Nation to participate in Winter Use Stakeholder Group meetings.

Area management approach: The Bennett Triangle

The Bennett Church, the only surviving building from the commemoration period, is protected.

• Continue to take measures to protect the Bennett Church from fire and vandalism.
• Complete Fire Smart work around the Bennett Church.
• Continue cyclical maintenance and monitoring at the Bennett Church.

The visitor offer in and between Bennett and Lindeman responds and adapts to changing visitor needs.

• Work with WP&YR to explore options for “All-Canadian” experiences at Bennett, including shorter hiking routes and overnight camping excursions.
• Develop a marketing strategy to promote Bennett and Chilkoot Trail NHS to targeted audiences, including local and regional audiences.
• Develop a Site Plan for Bennett that addresses a need for a greater variety of interpretation and day-use activities, manages visitor flow at the site, and incorporates new staff accommodation.
• Improve the sense of welcome to the historic site at Bennett across from the train station, e.g., improved signage, benches.
• Work with WP&YR and Holland America to develop and present a Parks Canada interpretive product at Bennett to train passengers.
• Revise and augment current non-personal interpretation at Bennett and Lindeman, e.g., improved signage for the cemetery.
• Investigate use of new technology, e.g., geo-caching.
• Conclude the Federal Heritage Building Review Office review of the two cabins at Lindeman and conduct a cultural resource management exercise to determine the cultural values of the cabins to determine their future.
• Work with Carcross Tagish First Nation to provide more First Nation personal interpretation at Bennett.

Administration and operations

Visitors enjoy a variety of non-motorized and motorized winter recreation opportunities.

• Construct a simple, low maintenance, energy efficient cabin, for staff operational use at Bennett.
• Review operational infrastructure needs at Lindeman with the goal of reducing the size of the operation at Lindeman.