Human activities

Although population density in the NWT is very low, many communities report increasing disturbance over entire regions as a result of greater human activity. This focal point provides indicators on human activities, including human travel, that may cause short term disturbances to the environment. Changes in human activity trends can be used to look at changes in short-term disturbance to wildlife and people.

Air traffic © GNWT

Indicators related to direct effects of human activities on wildlife populations are in the WILDLIFE focal point. Indicators related to medium and long-term effects from human activities on the environment are in the LANDSCAPE CHANGES focal point.

7.1. Trends in air traffic

This indicator tracks changes in the daily number of aircraft takeoffs and landings averaged per year at each airport in each ecozone. Not all air traffic disturbs people or wildlife, but if even a small percentage does, then an increase in air traffic may result in an increase in disturbance. In this indicator, air traffic information is presented per airport for local aircraft types (helicopters, piston and turboprops) that, due to their short flight range and relatively low altitude flying, are considered most likely to be associated with local air traffic disturbance to people or wildlife. Jet movements are available but are not tracked in this indicator as, in the NWT; they almost never fly at the low altitudes most associated with ground disturbance of wildlife. Jet landings and takeoffs may however be the cause of disturbance near airports.

This information is summarized from annual reports published by Statistics Canada, who compile information from NAV Canada, Transport Canada, and regional airport personnel reporting to the Aviation Statistics

NWT Focus

NWT residents have noticed an increase in air traffic in the past few decades. This observation is corroborated by aircraft movement statistics from airports. Not all air traffic disturbs people or wildlife, but if even a small percentage does, then an increase in air traffic may result in an increase may result in an increase in disturbance.

Current view: status and trend

Northern Arctic

Southern Arctic

Aviation statistics show lower daily local air traffic (i.e., for helicopters, turboprops, and piston aircraft) in 2003-2005 followed by increases in 2006-2007 at some airports in the Northern and Southern Arctic. Data prior to 2000 is not readily available for these airports.

Taiga Plains

Taiga Shield

Local air traffic at two regional airports in the NWT, Inuvik (northern edge of Taiga Plains), Norman Wells (western edge of the Taiga Plains), had seen slight increase  until 2008, when a decline occurred. These airports serve as transportation hubs for a wide range of human activities including exploration, mine or oil-gas development, tourism, hunting, fishing, and others. Most aircraft used for these activities are helicopters, turboprops and piston aircrafts.The timing of the declines in airport activities correlates with the global economic downturn and reduced exploration in the NWT.

Looking around

The highest average daily rate of helicopter traffic in the NWT was 17 per day measured in 2007 in Yellowknife⁸. This is twice the helicopter traffic observed in Whitehorse, Yukon, and makes Yellowknife the fourth busiest area for helicopter traffic in western Canada, after Vancouver (about 70 per day), Calgary⁴⁰, Edmonton⁴⁰, and Abbotsford^40,11.

Find more

• Find out more about air traffic statistics at http://www.tc.gc.ca/

Other focal points

• See Demography focal point for information on the number of people in the NWT.

Technical Notes 

Major airports in the NWT have either a control tower (Yellowknife) or a Flight Service Station (Inuvik and Norman Wells) where all aircraft landings and takeoffs are recorded every day. Airport personnel take note of aircraft movements at all other airports for most days. Lost data for some days with low traffic can occur, so data was not used if air traffic was recorded for less than 100 days during a given year at a specific airport. Some historical data were not readily available. 

Local aircraft: helicopters, turboprops, and piston aircraft only. Source: Information from annual reports TP577⁹ by Statistics Canada, Transport Canada, and Aviation Statistics Centre.

7.2. Trends in road traffic

This indicator tracks vehicle kilometres traveled, which is defined by the total number of vehicles for a specific road segment multiplied by the length of the highway. This indicator also tracks the average average daily traffic (ADT) on winter roads in each of the NWT’s ecozones. Finally, the indicator provides a measure of total truck traffic along selected winter roads in the NWT.

The indicator tracks trends in road use as an index of short-term disturbances due to land-based traffic. Not all road use creates disturbances for people or wildlife, but if even a small percentage does, then an increase in road traffic may be translated into an increase in disturbance. Increased road traffic, and the associated increase in noise and human activity, can be linked to a reduction in effective habitat availability for some wildlife species. Increased road traffic is also linked to increased wildlife collisions and mortality. This kind of mortality can have a significant impact on some wildlife populations such as small slow-moving species like snakes and amphibians, and species attracted to the road surface, such cranes and some shorebirds. Efforts to reduce travel speed, to modify the availability of forage near roads that attract large herbivores, and to increase driver awareness of the possible presence of wildlife, can greatly reduce the rate of wildlife mortality.

An indicator in the WILDLIFE focal point tracks wildlife collisions for some large herbivores.
The total length of road per ecozone is measured by an indicator in the LANDSCAPE focal point.

This information is summarized from Highway Traffic Annual Reports¹ published by GNWT Department of Transportation

NWT Focus

Roads outside NWT communities can be classified into four types: highways (paved or gravel), access roads, winter roads, and private roads. Information on traffic along these roads is available for all except private roads. The type of potential disturbances caused by traffic can differ with the type of road. Disturbances along paved highways may include noise and increased stress to wildlife from high-speed vehicle traffic. Dust deposition along untreated gravel highways and access highways may be an additional disturbance. Disturbances along the NWT’s winter roads are restricted to one season but may include noise effects on fish populations and increased human access for other activities in areas that are remote in the summer. Most private roads in the NWT were constructed at mine sites and are not accessible to the public. The amount of road traffic along these roads is not known.

Highways located in each ecozone: Taiga Plains - Highways 1 (Mackenzie Highway to Wrigley), 2 (Hay River Highway), 3 (part) (Yellowknife Highway), 5 (Fort Smith Highway), 6 (Fort Resolution Highway), 7 (Liard Highway), and 8 (Dempster Highway). Taiga Shield – Highways 3 (part) (Yellowknife Highway) and 4 (Ingraham Trail).

Current view: status and trend

Road traffic, as measured by Vehicle Kilometres Traveled, is increasing on highways 1, 3 (between Behchokö and Yellowknife), 5 and 8. Traffic is heaviest near larger communities such as Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith and Inuvik. The average daily number of vehicles can reach 1000+ on the Ingraham Trail, Highway 3 to Behchokö, and near Hay River, where many people commute every day.

Travel as estimated by vehicle-kilometres-traveled on NWT highways. Reproduced from Department of Transportation's Highway Traffic Annual Report 2008. Figure 4.

Road-related indicators (population, registered vehicles, licensed drivers, and travel as estimated by vehicle-kilometres-traveled) on NWT highways. Reproduced from the Department of Transportation's Highway Traffic Annual Report 2008, Figure 5.

Road travel and the number of registered vehicles are increasing faster than the NWT population and the number of registered drivers.

Seasonal truck traffic along the Tibbitt to Contwoyto winter road has increased substantially. This road is an extension of the Ingraham Trail (Hgw 4) and serves the diamond mines north of Yellowknife. The increase in truck traffic on the Tibbitt to Contwoyto winter road occurred in four phases: (a) BHP Billiton diamond mine went into production in October 1998, (b) Diavik Diamond Mine began construction in 2000, (c) DeBeers Ltd. Snap Lake mine began construction in 2004, and (d), the very short winter season in 2006 resulted in more loaded trucks in the 2007 season. In contrast, point (e) of the figure shows the decline in traffic in 2008 associated with the economic slowdown. 

Find more

• Find out more about road traffic statistics at http://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/_live/pages/wpPages/home.aspx

Other focal points

• See WILDLIFE for anindicator on collisions with wildlife along NWT’s roads.
• See LANDSCAPE CHANGES for an indicator on road access in NWT’s ecozones.

Technical notes

Average annual daily traffic (AADT), an estimate of the mean daily traffic for a period of one year, was tracked as an indicator for this report in 2009. Details for this indicator are available from Highway Traffic Annual Reports. The Department of Transportation has developed a set of indicators on road traffic and these are adopted for the State of the Environment report as of 2011.

Updated: 01 April 2011

7.3. Trends in shipping in the Northwest Passage and the Beaufort Sea

This indicator tracks the number of complete transits made by ship through the Northwest Passage and the number of ships working in the Beaufort Sea each year.

The type of ship and the reason for each passage is identified to provide information on differences with respect to potential impacts to ice and the environment. Small boats and yachts (less than 20 m long) may have considerably less environmentalimpact than larger vessels. Passages made by icebreakers are noted as these ships can navigate in more difficult conditions using more northern routes, and can open leads in the sea ice.

The information is compiled from NORDREG, Iqaluit⁶, with additional details from research done on Arctic Tourism¹⁰, and information publicly available on the Internet, complemented by information from Transport Canada, Marine Safety, Prairie and Northern Region⁵.

Zones of marine activity (map) - From ArcticData Download by Arctic Council CAFF/PAME.(Downloaded 19 May 2011) ⁴.

NWT Focus

This indicator tracks changes in the level of human activity in fragile Arctic waterways, including the Beaufort Sea. Shipping in Arctic waters is predicted to increase due to climate change and the rapid melt of sea ice. Ships usually enter the western portion of the Northwest Passage from the east through a southern route along the main coast – the Amundsen Gulf – or through two northern routes, either north of Banks Island or south-east of Banks Island. Potential environmental effects of increased shipping activities in the Northwest Passage and the Beaufort Sea include higher risk of oil or waste spills, changes in ice conditions due to leads caused by ship wakes, and impacts on wildlife and marine species⁹.

Current view: status and trend

Transits through the Northwest Passage

A record number of vessels transited through the Northwest Passage in 2010.

Since the first crossing of the Northwest Passage by Amundsen in 1906, few ships (less than 1 every 10 years on average) had successfully completed the full passage until 1969, when the oil tanker SS Manhattan, refitted with an ice-breaker bow, crossed the Passage from east to west, and thenreturned east. That trip resulted in ten transits being recordedthat summer, as four icebreakers escorted the oil tanker. The number of completed trips through the Arctic Ocean increased in the late 1970s, mostly due to the availability of icebreakers and other ships capable of navigating in difficult northern waters. This is particularly the case for Arctic tourism¹⁰.

More recently, there has been an increase in ship-based research in the Northwest Passage and the Beaufort Sea, attributable to concern over the effects of climate change in arctic marine ecosystems, culminating in more research efforts during the International Polar Year⁷.

From the 1980s on, voyages through the Passage have become an annual event. The number of transits increased from 4 per year in the 1980s to 20 per year in 2009-2010. These transits are mostly completed by icebreakers on coast guard and research duties, passenger ships offering Arctic tourism opportunities, and tug and supply vessels, some with barges. Other types of ships completing the passage include oil/fuel tankers, drill ships, seismic vessels, cable vessels, and buoy tenders. The greatest portion of the increase in transits since the late 1980s is due to an increase in shipping activities by tug-supply vessels - half of them with icebreaking capacity - involved in the oil and gas industry in the Beaufort Sea.

The vast majority of ships making the trip through the Northwest Passage take one of the southern routes, all filing though Admundsen Gulf close to the Arctic mainland. Only 11% of transits enter/leave the Beaufort Sea through the northern routes around Banks Island. The only northern transits through the difficult ice--choked M’Clure Strait (Route ) occurred in 1993 (twice), 1998, and 1999, all by an icebreaker, the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. Saint-Laurent. Two of the four large cruise ships operating in the Arctic tourism industry today are icebreakers, and are capable of navigating the easier alternative northern route east around Banks Island.

Transits through the Northwest Passage by type of ship. Source : NORDREG; Data complete for 2010.

No detailed information on shipping activities is readily available for the Beaufort Sea. In general, the number of ships navigating in the Beaufort Sea without completing the Northwest Passage has averaged about 1-3 per year for exploration, barging and community service purposes⁵. In addition, Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers have been navigatingthe Beaufort Sea on an annual basis since 2002, providing navigational aid and conducting research. Four Canadian Coast Guard ships (CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Louis St-Laurent, Amundsen, Nahidik) were in the Beaufort Sea in 2007-2008 for conducting research as part of the International Polar Year. The CCGS Amundsen, spent the entire winter of 2003-2004 and again in 2007-2008 in the Beaufort Sea to conduct environmental and physical studies^2,7.

Looking Forward

Annual commercial use of the Northwest Passage by tug/supply and tourism ships that have icebreaking capacity or that are escorted by icebreakers has been a reality since the 1980s. So far, this type of annual commercial use, in addition to Arctic tourism, is increasing rapidly.

A further increase in shipping, especially for commercial use, is predicted as the open water season extends and Arctic sea ice shrinks (See THE BIG PICTURE: A CHANGING PLANET focal point). How this may occur is still uncertain. The Canadian Ice Service (Environment Canada¹²) warns that predicting a rapid increase in shipping in the Northwest Passage should be done with caution:

• “…predictions of an ice-free Arctic may lead many into a false sense of optimism regarding the ease of future shipping. Sea ice is highly variable and there will still be summers of occasional heavy ice conditions. Future navigation in the Northwest Passage may see a blockage of routes by the southern shift in pack ice and an increase in drifting Old Ice creating choke points in narrow channels and navigation hazards...”
  

Quote from Shipping in the Canadian Arctic Other Possible Climate Change Scenarios¹²:

• "Even if relatively ice-free in late summer, the Northwest Passage and the Beaufort Sea remain difficult to navigate with their unmarked shallow areas, shifting sand-gravel bars, fog, and dangerous weather. Increasing shipping in the region would require a high preparedness for potential environmental incidents."

In 2009, the Arctic Council developed a first Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment and made several recommendations to ensure marine safety and marine environmental protection in fragile Arctic waters, including Canadian Arctic waters.  Canada, as part of the Arctic Council, endorsed the assessment. The Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment Findings are:

1] From an environmental point of view, Arctic shipping poses a threat to the region’s unique ecosystems. This threat can be effectively mitigated through careful planning and effective regulation in areas of high risk.

2] Release of oil into the Arctic marine environment, either through accidental release, or illegal discharge, is the most significant threat from shipping activity.

3] Ship strikes of whales and other marine mammals are of concern in areas where shipping routes coincide with seasonal migration and areas of aggregation.

4] The introduction of invasive species into the Arctic marine environment from shipping can occur and the risk may be enhanced due to changing climate, possibly making conditions more favorable to some species. The most risk exists where a transfer of organisms from ecosystems of similar latitudes and conditions can occur. Of particular future concern is the transfer of organisms across the Arctic Ocean from the North Pacific to the North Atlantic or vice versa.

5] There are certain areas in the Arctic region that are of heightened ecological significance, many of which will be at risk from current and/or increased shipping. Many of these areas are located in geographically restrictive locations or chokepoints where much shipping activity also occurs, such as the Bering Strait, Hudson Strait, Lancaster Sound, Pechora Sea and the Kara Port.

6] Migratory marine mammals such as bowhead, beluga, narwhal and walrus have wintering areas in the southern extent of the sea ice and spring migration routes into the Arctic through systems of leads and polynyas also used by many seabirds, ducks and other marine birds during spring migration. These migration corridors correspond broadly to the current main shipping routes and travel through geographic chokepoints.

7] The black carbon emitted from shipping in the Arctic could have significant regional impacts by accelerating ice melt.

8) Ship emissions including greenhouse gases (GHGs), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Sulfur Oxides (SOx) and Particulate Matter (PM) may have negative effects on the Arctic environment and will increase in the Arctic region proportionately with increased shipping activity. Effective reduction of ship emissions can be achieved through the application of feasible and best available technologies, through air emissions reduction techniques and, most importantly, through effective implementation of relevant IMO regulations.

9] Sound is of vital biological importance to marine mammals and anthropogenic noise produced through shipping and other vessel activity can have various adverse effects on Arctic species.

10] Subarctic seas support some of the richest fisheries in the world in the Bering Sea and the Barents Sea. These two areas are also the location of the heaviest shipping traffic now occurring in the Arctic region. A potential accidental spill of oil or other hazardous and noxious substances in these areas could have large economic, social and environmental impacts.

11] Environmental effects on marine mammals, seabirds and fisheries from ship sourced disturbances, noise, or potential accidental/illegal release of oil and other hazardous and noxious substances may impact culturally and economically significant subsistence harvests of these animals.

12] The most immediate impacts of climate change in the Arctic will be the reduction of summer sea ice, longer open water seasons in the fall and the reduction of the year-round presence of multi-year ice. These changes may have far reaching implications for Arctic ecosystems and will also result in the lengthening of the current shipping season. Shipping in the future may be occurring much later into the fall and possibly earlier in the spring, thereby increasing the possibility of interaction between migrating and calving species and ships.

Quote from Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment Report 2009³:

We must also recognize that “The future increase in human activity in the Arctic, including Arctic marine shipping and the continued overflight of the Arctic region by commercial aircraft, will place increasing demands on the SAR infrastructure.”

In May 2011, the Arctic Council signed the first International treaty on Search and Rescue in the Arctic.

Looking Around

The number of ships navigating in eastern Arctic waters, especially in Baffin Bay is higher (6-7 ships per year) than in the western Arctic Ocean⁵. Many of these ships are part of medium to large cruise ship tourism operations.

Find out more

• To find out more about IPY activities go to http://www.ipycanada.ca/
• To find out more on Arctic Shipping regulations and programs, go to Transport Canada at http:www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/debs-arctic-menu-303.htm
• To find out more about the Arctic Council, go to http://www.arctic-council.org/

Other focal points

• See indicators on sea ice extent in the THE BIG PICTURE: A CHANGING PLANET focal point.

Reference List

• Ref 1: 2006. Northwest Territories Highway Traffic, 2006.    NWT Transportation.
• Ref 2: 2008. Arctic Net. Web Site . 
• Ref 3: Arctic Council,.2009. Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment 2009 Report.
• Ref 4: CAFF.  2010. invasive_shipping.png. Arctic Biodiversity Trends 2010 - Selected indicators of change.CAFF International Secretariat, Akureyri, Iceland.May 2010.- Lassuy, D.& Lewis, P.N., Indicator #7 Invasive species (human-induced) page 47.    Arctic Council.
• Ref 5: Capt.Narendra Mathur,personal communication.
• Ref 6: NORDREG.  2008. Passages du Nord-Ouest. Officier responsable Centre SCTM/Nordreg Canada Iqaluit NU . 
• Ref 7: Robert Fudge.  2008. Canadian Contribution to the Integrated Arctic Observing System (iAOOS) Cluster. Presentation at AOSB, ASSW 2008 - Syktyvkar, Komi Republic, Russia.   Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
• Ref 8: Statistics Canada,.2007. Aircraft Movement Statistics: NAV Canada and Flight Service Stations: Annual Report .
• Ref 9: Stewart E. J., Draper D., Johnston M. E.2005. A review of tourism research in the Polar regions. Arctic 58:383-394
• Ref 10:  Stewart E. J., Howell S. E. L., Draper D., Yackel J., Tivy A.2007. Sea Ice in Canada's Arctic: Implications for cruise tourism. Arctic 60:370-380
• Ref 11: Transport Canada, Aviation Statistics Centre, Statistics Canada,.2006. Aircraft movement Statistics TP577 , Statistics Canada.
• Ref 12:  Wilson K. J., Falkingham J., Melling H., De Abreu R.2008. Shipping in the Canadian Arctic  Other Possible Climate Change Scenarios. Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium Proceedings. 2004 IEEE International Volume 3, Issue , 20-24 Sept. 2004:1853-1856

7.4. Trends in development activities requiring a permit in the NWT

This indicator tracks the annual land allocation for general activities related to mineral and oil-gas development. It also tracks activities related to any land use requiring a permit in the NWT.

This indicator identifies activity levels associated with each activity, providing information on the level of potential disturbance that may result from the activity. Some of these activities result in changes to the landscape resulting in footprints of various sizes. This may in turn fragment the landscape and associated wildlife habitat. Development related footprints are tracked using other indicators in the LANDSCAPE CHANGES focal point.

Land tenure for mineral and oil-gas development

Information on the total annual amount of land rights issued for mineral and oil-gas development activities in the NWT is compiled using several types of permits and licences. These include:

For Mineral Development – from least to greatest potential for environmental disturbance:

• prospecting permits,
• mineral claims,
• mineral leases.

For Oil-gas Development – from least to greatest potential for environmental disturbance:

• oil-gas exploration licences
• significant discovery licences
• production licences.

Additional information on seismic activities is also tracked.

Data on the land rights issued for mineral and associated activities was obtained from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, Northwest Territories Region, Mining Recorder’s Office and SID Online⁴, as reproduced in “Mining and Exploration Northwest Territories” annual overviews⁷. Data on oil and gas development was obtained from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, Northern Oil and Gas Directorate, Oil and Gas Annual reports⁵. The data includes Nunavut prior to 1999, except where noted.

Land use activities

Information on the annual number of permits issued for a variety of land uses is grouped into two categories: Industrial and Non-industrial. Industrial activities performed within lands permitted for mineral or oil and gas development are also included in the list of land use permits. For example, if seismic activities that take place on land allocated under an oil and gas exploration licence require a land use permit, they will be included as an activity in the land use information.

Activities requiring a permit have varying potential for causing disturbance to the environment. Enough information for each type of activity is provided to assess potential impact levels, but the actual levels themselves are not recorded. If the “end results” of each activity have a medium or long-term footprint (such as the seismic lines that result from seismic activities), they are included in indicators on LANDSCAPE CHANGES..

For the NWT south of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (here called the Mackenzie Valley), data on land use permits were obtained from the Online Registry – Land and Water Boards of the Mackenzie Valley⁶. Data on land use for the Inuvialuit Settlement Region is obtained from the Environmental Impact Screening Committee, Online Registry².

The information is not readily tabulated for each NWT ecozone at this time, but this may be available in the future.

NWT Focus

Tracking land rights issuance for mineral and oil and gas development using licences provides insights on where industrial activities occur each year. Tracking land use permits provides insights on what types of activities occur each year. Together, this information produces an indicator that allows us to track changes in activity levels, hence in potential for disturbance, across the NWT.

In terms of the environment, tracking the location of development activities and the types of permits that are applied for annually also provides insight on potential cumulative effects which may result from current and potential future developments.

Current view: status and trend

Land for Mineral Development Activities

Source: SID Online GIS, AANDC. Downloaded August 2011.

Prospecting and Mineral Claims

Area of land (ha) allotted to Prospectors permits and claims (in good standing) per year for the Northwest Territories from 1961-2010. Source of data: AANDC, NWT Region, Mineral Development Division. Includes Nunavut prior to 2001. Data up to December 2010 inclusive. 1,000,000 ha = 10,000 km2

Land underprospecting and mineral claims in the NWT reached a peak in the 1990s during the diamond staking rush⁷ in the Southern Arctic and Taiga Shield north of Yellowknife . At this time approximately 22 million hectares (an area roughly the size of the United Kingdom, 220,000 km2) of land were held under claims. After this claims rush, the number of hectares under mineral claims steadily declined to a low in 2001-2004. The recent rush in exploration was related to renewed exploration for diamonds, in addition to more exploration for other minerals such as gold, base metals, rare earth elements, and uranium. In 2005-2006, exploration had diversified and occured in all NWT ecozones, with some focus on the Thelon Basin, and lands northeast of Great Bear Lake⁷. Both exploration and mineral claims have declined since 2008 with the global economy.

Area of land (ha) rights issued for Leased Claims (in good standing) per year for the Northwest Territories and Nunavut from 1987-2010. Source of data: AANDC, NWT Region, Mineral Development Division. NWT includes Nunavut prior to 2002. 1,000,000 ha = 10,000 km².

The total land under mineral leased claims, typically for active mines, is very small compared to land allocated to prospecting and claims, but it increased by about 3.5 times between 1987 (2,500 km2) and 2007 (8,700 km2, the size of Puerto Rico, or about 0.7% of the NWT). The greatest increases have been subsequent to 2001, when area under mineral leased claims had more than doubled in six years, mostly in the Southern Arctic. This increase was mostly due to diamond mines.

Land allocations for Oil and Gas Development Activities

Source: SID Online GIS, AANDC. Downloaded July 2011.Beaufort Sea allocations are shown for completeness.

Graphs of total area (ha) allocated to oil and gas exploration licences, significant discovery licences and production licences in 2003-2010 in four regions of the NWT. Source: Indian and Northern Affairs Canada – Northern Oil and Gas Directorate Annual reports. 1,000,000 ha = 10,000 km2. Note that scale is similar for each region; production licences areas are so low that they show only in the Mackenzie Valley.

Since 2003, the areas that have experienced the greatest increases in oil and gas exploration (both exploration licences and significant discovery licences) in the NWT have been the Mackenzie Valley (Taiga Plains) and the Beaufort Sea. The Mackenzie Valley, near Norman Wells and in the Dehcho, has been the location for the majority of production licences. Production licences in the Mackenzie Delta have allocated only 2,500 ha of land (too small to show on the graph) compared to almost 2 million ha in the Mackenzie Valley. Production licences in the Arctic Islands amount to 1,224 ha.

Land Use Activities – Industrial

Number of land use permits and water licenses related to industry-type activities issued in the Mackenzie Valley by the GLWB, SLWB, WLWB, and the MVLWB. Data incomplete for 2011 (up to July 2011). Source: Online Registry – Land and Water Boards of the Mackenzie Valley. Information on types reproduced as retrieved from the source.

Most land use permits issued since 2001 have been for exploration activities for mining or oil and gas. The number of land use permit applications in 2002 is the highest on record. The pattern of annual industry-related land use levels generally matches the pattern tracked from the land allocations for mineral and oil and gas development: decreasing trend starting in the early 2000s.

Land Use Activities – Non - Industrial

Number of land use permits and water licenses related to activities other than industry issued in the Mackenzie Valley by the GLWB, SLWB, WLWB, and the MVLWB. Data incomplete for 2011 (up to mid-July 2011). Source: Online Registry – Land and Water Boards of the Mackenzie Valley5. Information on types reproduced as retrieved from the source.  Miscellaneous types include bridge constructions, remediation work at contaminates sites, and a large variety of other activities.

Non industrial land use activities requiring a permit have dropped from about 60 per year in early 2000s, to about 10 annually in recent years. The types of non-industrial land use are varied, but activities related to road construction and maintenance account for more than 50% of permit types.

Seismic Types

Graph depicting the land used by seismic programs 1998-2007. Two Dimensional (2D) land use is in linear kilometres (km) and Three Dimensional (3D) land use is in km². Source: Indian and Northern Affairs Canada - Northern Oil and Gas.

Seismic programs occur in areas where exploration permits are already in place. So the total amount of land used in seismic surveys is not in addition to land allotted to exploration licences. However, the nature of seismic activity may have a different impact on the landscape, especially when the seismic program is located in treed areas and requires clearing of vegetation.

Three Dimensional (3D) seismic activity peaked in 2001 (7,893 km2), the majority of which was focussed on the Mackenzie Delta region⁵. In 2006-2007, 3D dropped off to little or no activity.

In comparison, Two Dimensional (2D) seismic programs used approximately 446 km per year in 2003- 2005 and then increased to 13,000 km in 2008. Seismic surveys in 2006-2008 have focused mainly on the Beaufort Sea⁵.

Looking forward

Mineral and oil and gas activities typically follow a boom and bust pattern linked closely to the price of commodities found in the NWT (see the ECONOMY focal point). Activities related to the mineral industry increased in 2005-2007 to levels higher than the ”diamond staking rush” of the late 1990s. Levels of exploration and claiming activities are expected to rebound if the price of uranium, gold, lead, and zinc, along with diamonds, remains relatively high. When the global markets make the extraction of these materials economically feasible, it is expected that prospecting and claim staking activities will continue to be an important industrial activity in the NWT. However, reduced commodity prices and difficulties in financing projects in remote areas of the NWT regularly result in rapid decrease in the human activities related to mineral and oil-gas development.

Oil and gas activities vary greatly per region. It has been suggested that, in addition to the 0.17 trillion cubic meters of known gas reserves, the Beaufort Sea and Mackenzie Delta regions may hold up to 1.6 trillion cubic meters of possible gas reserves⁵. Because of these reserves, it is likely that in the future there will be an increase in land held for gas exploration and production in these regions.

Find More

• For more information on land administration in the NWT go to http://nwt-tno.inac-ainc.gc.ca/la-lwb_e.htm.
• For more information on industrial development in the NWT go to: http://www.iti.gov.nt.ca/miningoilgas/ and Indian and Northern Affairs, Northwest Territories Region at  http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ai/scr/nt/ntr/index-eng.asp.

Other focal points

• For indicators on actual footprints related to activities in the NWT, go to the LANDSCAPE CHANGES focal point.

Technical Notes

Aboriginal and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) has jurisdiction over Crown Land in the NWT. They are responsible for land administration for industrial activity that takes place on Crown Land, except federal Crown Land under Parks Canada, on GNWT - Commissioner's land and on privately-owned lands with surface and/or sub-surface rights which are subject to the provisions of land claims agreements.

In terms of land use permitting processes, the NWT can be viewed as two general areas, each with a different regulatory framework: (1) In the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR), land use permits are issued by the Inuvialuit Land Administration for activities on Inuvialuit-owned lands.  For activities not on Inuvialuit-owned Lands, land use permits are issued by AANDC. , and Aactivities are screened for potential adverse effects on the environment by AANDC and other Federal agencies under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act which applies in the ISR. Additionally as allowed for under the Inuvialuit Settlement Agreement, the Inuvialuit Impact Screening Committee also will be involved in environmental screening for Crown lands as well as Inuvialuit owned lands .  For this region, the number of activities screened is used as an indicator for land use in lieu of a land-use permit issued.  (2) In the 'Mackenzie Valley', land use permits are issued for activities in each area with a settled land claim by the appropriate regional Land and Water Board (Gwich'in Land and Water Board, Sahtu Land and Water Board, Wek'eezhii Land and Water Board).  For activities in areas without a settled land claim, land use permits are issued by the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board .  

The requirement for permit, lease or licence application stems from federal legislation and land claim agreements. Developments related to non-renewable resource extraction (mining, oil and gas) require the acquisition of rights in order to carry out related activities in the NWT. 

The term "Mackenzie Valley " is used to described the entire region in the NWT south of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, with the exception of Wood Buffalo National Park. The This southern  NWT region in fact includes a portion of the Mackenzie River watershed that is in the NWT, in addition to portions of other watersheds draining into the Arctic Ocean or the Hudson Bay, such as the NWT's portion of the Coppermine River and Thelon River watershed.  See the WATER focal point for a description of NWT's major watersheds.

References

Ref 1 - Government of Canada, 2008, Canada Petroleum Resources Act ( 1985, c. 36 (2nd Supp.) ), Department of Justice,

Ref 2 - ILA, 2008, Inuvialuit Land Administration,

Ref 3 - Indian and Northern Affairs, 2008, Mining Information Kit for Aboriginal Communities, Natural Resources Canada, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada, The Mining Association of Canada, and the Canadian Aboriginal Minerals Association (CAMA).,

Ref 4 - Indian and Northern Affairs, 2011, Mining Recorder's Office, INAC, http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/nu/nuv/mro_e.html

Ref 5 - Indian and Northern Affairs, 2011, Oil and Gas Devepment NWT Annual Reports, Northern Oil and Gas Directorate of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. http://www.pgic-iogc.gc.ca/index-eng.asp

Ref 6 - Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board, 2011, Online Registry - Land and Water Boards of the Mackenzie Valley, MVLWB, GLWB, SLWB, WLWB, http://www.mvlwb.ca/default.aspx

Ref 7 - Falck, H., Gochnauer, K. and Irwin, D. (2010). 2010 Northwest Territories Mineral Exploration Overview. Northwest Territories Geoscience Office, 21 p. Accessed at: http://www.nwtgeoscience.ca/forum/2010_files/NWT_Exploration_Overview_2010.pdf