The Yukon Teachers' Association is calling for widespread wilderness protection for the Peel River watershed.

In a letter of support delivered to the Yukon Conservation Society last week, the association expresses its support for the results of last summer's public poll. The survey found 70 per cent of Yukoners favoured protection for 65 per cent of the watershed.

"We recognize and join in solidarity with the 70 per cent of Yukoners who responded to your poll and who believe the rich, vital and beautiful wilderness we are privileged to share in the Yukon is worthy of the highest level of conservation and protection,” writes YTA president Katherine Mackwood.

"Industrial development threatens this priceless landscape as three consecutive territorial governments have offered these lands to industry without first completing a land use plan.”

While the Yukon Chamber of Mines is "saddened” and "disappointed” teachers would take such a one-sided view of the issue at hand, the Yukon Conservation Society is elated to have the support from the territory's largest association of professionals.

The debate over the Peel has been passionate and divisive since last January, when the Peel Watershed Planning Commission released the first three planning scenarios for public review and comment.

Based on the input it received, the commission followed up in the spring with a refined draft plan for further public review.

The draft was condemned by both the environmental lobby and industry, and it prompted a huge volume of responses from the general public and governments alike.

Based on the input since last January, the planning commission began deliberating over its final recommendation early this past summer.

The final recommendation to the Yukon government and the four affected first nations is scheduled to be available online later today.

A couple of industry representatives have suggested the public opinion poll conducted by DataPath Systems was slanted in favour of the environmental lobby. The company's owner has said she went the extra distance to ensure the survey was unbiased.

Three of the four first nations whose traditional territory make up the planning area have called for maximum protection.

But at the end of the day, it will largely be up to the Yukon government to accept, reject or alter the commission's final recommendation, as 97 per cent of the planning area is territorial Crown land, and not titled aboriginal settlement land.

Mackwood said the motion to support protection of the Peel was brought forward at the Oct. 3 meeting of the association's central council, a body of approximately 50 teachers from across the territory elected to represent staff from all Yukon schools.

There was, she said, considerable discussion, but the council felt a show of solidarity for the pro-protection movement was important. Though the numbers for and against were not recorded, the motion was passed by the members, Mackwood said.

"As you well know, we are all about the generation coming up,” the president said. "We teach them.

"And we have many programs in our schools that access the pristine wilderness and we felt it was important to have this sort of thing for future generations.”

Karen Baltgailis, the executive director of the conservation society, said support from the association – the territory's second-largest labour organization next to the government's Yukon Employees Union – validates the results of the DataPath survey.

The majority of Yukoners do favour protection in the Peel, and having the support from 750 teachers clearly shows the lobby effort for protection is sound and worthwhile.

"It just indicates that protection of the Peel is not a radical idea,” she said. "It is something that is forward-looking, and it is for the future of our youth and folks who are adults today.

"I think it is very exciting that they endorsed this motion.”

Chamber of mines president Carl Schulze said this morning he is disappointed that public school educators responsible for providing students with a well-rounded view of the world would present such a one-sided position.

"I think it is rather sad that the YTA has done this because what it shows is that you know, this is our education system here, and what they are doing is providing a biased approach, which would suggest what they are teaching to our children would be similarly biased.”

Schulze said he is left wondering who is teaching the value of responsible mining, and how the industry is governed by an extensive regulatory regime which ensures the environment is cared for, from start to finish.

Who is teaching the world's essential need for raw minerals, and the importance the exploration and mining industry is to the Yukon's economy, past and present, he asked.

Schulze said he has taught mineral exploration courses in the Yukon's school, and he said he's been surprised by how little students know about an industry that is so much a part of the territory.

Mackwood, on other hand, said Schulze can be assured the Yukon's teachers do impress upon students the importance of critical thinking and gathering all pertinent information before making a decision.

"We do not teach just one perspective,” Mackwood said. "We teach our students to make up their own minds.”

When asked, Baltgailis said she wouldn't say she's nervous about today's release of the planning commission's final recommendation, but a little excited. Schulze said he was a little edgy.

The pro-protection lobby is being led by the conservation society, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Association and the Tourism Industry Association of Yukon. The organizations maintain the Peel watershed is globally significant as one of the last tracts of pristine wilderness on Earth and must be given maximum protection from industry.

They argue it's impossible to provide adequate protection if there are roads running to mines and oil and gas wells all through the watershed.

The pro-development sector has been led by the chamber of mines and the territory's business community.

They argue the Peel is far too important as a source of natural resources to isolate from development, which they insist can be done responsibly with minimal impact on the environment.

The letter from the teachers' association concludes:

"We wish you every success in your efforts to achieve roadless wildland areas in the watersheds of the Wind and Bonnet Plume Rivers and Territorial Park protection for the Snake River Drainage.”