The Northwest Territories Protected Areas Strategy (NWT PAS) was created to help NWT communities protect special natural and cultural areas of land for the long term. The NWT PAS was established in 1999 as an overall framework and set of criteria to guide the work of identifying and establishing protected areas in the NWT. It was developed by regional Aboriginal organizations, the federal and territorial governments, environmental non-governmental organizations, and industry. These groups worked in partnership to develop the PAS so that communities lead the process and are able to benefit from both development and conservation. The NWT PAS is a partnership program.