The territory's chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) is calling on the territorial government to protect the Yukon's Peel watershed.

During a press conference held Nov. 8, CPAWS officials said Premier Dennis Fentie and his Yukon Party have done little to protect the territory's natural areas. They called on the premier to legislate the protection of the Peel watershed.

The watershed is located north of Dawson and includes the Three Rivers area of the Snake, Wind and Bonnet Plume Rivers.

The Peel area is approximately 77,000 square kilometres, with the Three Rivers area making up nearly half of that area.

In a public statement, Jim Pojar, the executive director of the CPAWS Yukon chapter, said his organization is not happy with the way the government has handled wilderness protection and is forwarding protection recommendations to the Peel Watershed Regional Planning Commission.

The commission is a body made up of government and first nations officials currently developing land use plans for the Peel region.

The recommendations for protection, according to CPAWS, included the creation of a recognized wilderness area in the Three Rivers watersheds.

That includes territorial park protection for the Snake River drainage as well as conservation zones elsewhere in the Peel watershed to protect critical wetlands, sensitive river corridors and other important biological and cultural features.

Juri Peepre, CPAWS' Three Rivers Project co-ordinator, said he believes the government has ignored calls from Yukoners to protect our natural environment.

'For too long, the Yukon Party government has ignored what many Yukoners value most clean water, plentiful wildlife and protection of our magnificent wildlands.

'Day after day, we hear only about grandiose schemes for more roads, railways and pipelines but on the topics of conservation and protected areas, so vital to our economic future and well-being, the government is still silent,' Peepre said.

He said it's important to protect the Peel area because it contains 25 per cent of the world's remaining grizzly bear population and is the nesting ground for 25 per cent of the territory's peregrine falcons.

Pojar said he felt CPAWS' recommendations represent the values of Yukoners. He called on the government to put public opinion above development concerns.

'Yukoners value free-ranging caribou, the majestic grizzly bear, and the privilege of living in the midst of one of the world's great remaining wild places, and we need the foresight to protect entire watersheds such as the Wind, Snake and Bonnet Plume,' Pojar said.

'Successive governments have sold off resource development rights in the Peel region at bargain-basement prices, all in advance of land use planning.'