What is the Protected Areas Registry?
Welcome to the Northwest Territories Protected Areas Registry. Here you will find relevant information on all candidate areas and established protected areas under the Protected Areas Act, as well as information on the overall state of the protected areas network.
- Click here to view a map of established and candidate areas under the Protected Areas Act.
What is the Protected Areas Act?
The Protected Areas Act received assent on June 6, 2019 in the NWT Legislative Assembly and came into force June 20, 2019. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) solicited public feedback on the proposed legislation and a summary of comments received can be found in a What We Heard report. More information on the Act, including a plain language summary and fact sheet, can be found on ENR’s Legislative Initiatives page.
Candidate Protected Areas under the Protected Areas Act
| Name | Size | NWT Region | Date of Approval |
| Dınàgà Wek’èhodì | 790 km2 | North Slave / Tłı̨chǫ | June 20, 2019 |
| Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta | 10,050 km2 | Sahtú | June 20, 2019 |
Protected Areas under the Protected Areas Act
Thaidene Nëné Territorial Protected Area
- Establishment date: August 21, 2019
- Size: 9,105 km2
- Location: See map. Metes and bounds are in the Schedule of the Thaidene Nëné Territorial Protected Area Regulations.
- Regulations:
- Objectives: Biodiversity, ecological integrity and cultural continuity of Thaidene Nëné is maintained and promoted for the use, benefit, education and enjoyment of current and future generations.
- Establishment agreements:
- Agreement between Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation and the GNWT
- Agreement between Northwest Territory Métis Nation and the GNWT
- Agreement between Deninu K'ue First Nation and the GNWT
- Management plan: In development
- More information: Thaidene Nëné
State of the Protected Areas Network
The NWT will be reporting every five years on the status of candidate protected areas and the state of protected areas established under the Protected Areas Act. The report also includes the overall state of the protected areas network in the NWT.
In 2016, a State of the Conservation Network Report was released. The first report under the Protected Areas Act is anticipated to be released in 2021.
For current priorities related to conservation network planning, including protected areas, refer to Healthy Land, Healthy People: GNWT Priorities for Advancement of Conservation Network Planning 2016-2021.