YESAB has slammed the door shut on the controversial application for a five-year permit to continue advanced mineral exploration inside Tombstone Territorial Park.

An 80-page recommendation to reject the application was sent to the Yukon government Thursday.

The Department of Energy, Mines and Resources now has 30 days to accept, reject or alter the recommendation from the Dawson City's designated office of the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB).

The assessment by the designated office found the proposed project would have negative impacts on several fronts – ramifications which could not be reduced to acceptable.

Wildlife, the heritage and culture tied to the region, and the inherent value of a wilderness park would be trodded upon with no way to repair the damage done, says the decision by assessment officer Shelby Jordan.

The recommendation to the government on the application comes after a pro-protection campaign last month resulted in several hundred pieces of 11th-hour correspondence denouncing the proposal by Canadian United Minerals Ltd.

It's the most correspondence YESAB has received for a single application in the four-plus years it's been operating.

Canadian United obtained its first five-year permit for adanced exploration work in 2000, renewed it in 2005 and filed an application for its third extended permit in April.

YESAB was not up and running when the last renewal was issued by the government.

"Well, I guess we have to wait for the government's decision,” company owner Joel White said this morning in a telephone interview.

"And I guess the worst-case scenario is I would have to operate at a lower threshold.”

White said he will not just walk away from the claims that have been controversial since the day they were staked back in 1997.

He did say, however, that if approached by the government, he would sit down and negotiate an agreement for him to relinquish the 18 quartz claims.

So far, White estimated, he has invested more than $1 million in the property.

In its submission to YESAB, the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources suggested it did not have any problem with the application provided the company carries out the standard mitigating measures.

Canadian United was applying for a class three land use permit. Of the five classes of land use permits, only class one involving minimal disturbance does not require a review by the assessment board.

The company applied for permission to drill up to 20 different holes over the next five years, with transportation of personnel and supplies by helicopter in the summer and by a type of wide-track snowmachine in the winter.

It was also asking it be allowed to freight out up to 250 tonnes of sample ore during the winter.

In submissions to the assessment office, according to the recomendation, it was noted the company has done no work to speak of in the previous five years, and that the site was not being maintained in an acceptable manner, with fuel barrels and broken-down equipment strewn about.

In addition to the truck load of correspondence from the public, the three aboriginal chiefs whose traditional territories include portions of the park sent a joint letter at the very beginning of the public comment process in June calling for rejection of the application.

To reinforce the aboriginal opposition to the project, Chief Eddie Taylor of Dawson City's Tr'ondek Hwech'in Han First Nation sent a last-minute letter reminding the assessment of how important the area is to First Nations.

"Canadian United Minerals has certain rights in the Park, but the bottom line is that the Horn claims are part of the Park and must be managed in accordance with the Objectives of Schedule A,” wrote the chief, referring to management principles for the park.

"Any damage whatsoever is unacceptable. Any and all activities undertaken by Canadian United Minerals in the Park must be free of any risk to the natural and cultural resources. These must be protected for all time.”

In its decision, the Dawson office found the level of helicopter and other activity at the exploration site would have a negative impact on the sensitive population in the area.

It was noted because the application was for work inside the park, there were heightened values to consider.

The was not acceptable ecologically or socially, the assessment office found.

YESAB spokesman Rob Yeomans said under its operating procedures, the board will resist conducting an assessment of a new application for the same project unless there are significant changes to the proposal.

Canadian United has been accused of staking the claims in 1997 to be nothing more than a pain in the side, just before a moratorium throughout the area was imposed to allow for planning of the Tombstone Territorial Park. At the highest political levels, the Horn claims were described as nuisance claims.

There were calls on governments in the late 1990s and early 2000s to buyout the claims. White maintained during those years he was not interested in a buyout, as the claims showed solid potential for a viable gold deposit.

Through fierce public criticism, White and company stood their ground.

And the company was successful in defeating legal challenges by the Tr'ondek Hwech'in, in both the Yukon Supreme Court and later the Court of Appeal.