The Muskwa-Kechika Management Area (M-K or M-KMA) is a provincially run tract of land in the far north of
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...
. It has an advisory board that advises the government on land-use decisions. Established by provincial government legislation in 1998, the area is meant to be preserved as a
wild
Wild, wild, wilds or wild may refer to:
Common meanings
* Wild animal
* Wilderness, a wild natural environment
* Wildness, the quality of being wild or untamed
Art, media and entertainment Film and television
* ''Wild'' (2014 film), a 2014 A ...
area, but
development
Development or developing may refer to:
Arts
*Development hell, when a project is stuck in development
*Filmmaking, development phase, including finance and budgeting
*Development (music), the process thematic material is reshaped
* Photograph ...
is not forbidden. The land is divided into different zones, with varying levels of protection, although the whole area is supposed to be used according to an overall plan. The original plan called for 25% of the land to be turned into provincial parks, 60% to become "special management zones" where mining and oil and gas drilling was to be allowed, and 15% to become "special wildland zones" where logging is prohibited. The original size of the M-KMA was however in 2000 with the approval of the Mackenzie Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) over were added to the M-KMA creating a total area of , which is approximately the size of the US state of
Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and nor ...
, or the
island of Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
, or seven times the size of
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellowst ...
in the United States.
Name and geography
The area is named after the
Muskwa River
The Muskwa River flows through northern British Columbia, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Fort Nelson River - part of the Mackenzie River system. The river rises at Fern Lake in the Bedaux Pass in the Northern Rocky Mountains. From the ...
and
Muskwa Ranges
The Muskwa Ranges are a group of mountain ranges in northern British Columbia, Canada. They are part of the Northern Rockies section of the Rocky Mountains and are bounded on their west by the Rocky Mountain Trench and on their east by the R ...
(from the cr, maskwa, "
bear
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the No ...
") and the
Kechika River
The Kechika River is a tributary of the Liard River, about long, in northern British Columbia, Canada. The Kechika flows generally northwest through the northernmost section of the Rocky Mountain Trench before turning east to join the Liard, a ...
and Kechika Ranges (Kechika means "long inclining river"). The area include the
Northern Rocky Mountains
The Northern Rocky Mountains, usually referred to as the Northern Rockies, are a subdivision of the Canadian Rockies comprising the northern half of the Canadian segment of the Rocky Mountains. While their northward limit is easily defined as the ...
to the north of
Lake Williston
Williston Lake is a reservoir created by the W. A. C. Bennett Dam and is located in the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada.
Geography
The lake fills the basin of the upper Peace River, backing into the Rocky Mountain Trench which is whe ...
and the
Rocky Mountain Foothills
The Rocky Mountain Foothills are an upland area flanking the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains, extending south from the Liard River into Alberta. Bordering the Interior Plains system, they are part of the Rocky Mountain System
The Rocky M ...
north of the
Peace River
The Peace River (french: links=no, rivière de la Paix) is a river in Canada that originates in the Rocky Mountains of northern British Columbia and flows to the northeast through northern Alberta. The Peace River joins the Athabasca River in ...
and much of the southeastern
Cassiar Mountains
, photo = Cassiar Highway.jpg
, photo_size = 280px
, photo_caption = Cassiar Mountains along Stewart-Cassiar Highway near Good Hope Lake
, country = Canada
, subdivision1_type = Provinces
, subdivision1 ...
Mackenzie Mountains
The Mackenzie Mountains are a Canadian mountain range forming part of the Yukon- Northwest Territories boundary between the Liard and Peel rivers. The range is named in honour of Canada's second prime minister, Alexander Mackenzie. Nahanni ...
north of the
Liard River
The Liard River of the North American boreal forest flows through Yukon, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, Canada. Rising in the Saint Cyr Range of the Pelly Mountains in southeastern Yukon, it flows southeast through British Co ...
Dall River Old Growth Provincial Park
Dall River Old Growth Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the larger Muskwa-Kechika Management Area and is located immediately northwest of Denetiah Provincial Park, northwest of the junction of the ...
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Denetiah Provincial Park & Protected Area
Denetiah Provincial Park and Protected Area is a provincial park and protected area located in the northern interior of British Columbia, Canada. It was established on June 29, 1999 to protect a large area of pristine wilderness at the headwater ...
*
Dune Za Keyih Provincial Park & Protected Area
Dune Za Keyih Provincial Park and Protected Area, also known as the Frog-Gataga Provincial Park, is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the larger Muskwa-Kechika Management Area and is located in the area of the Gataga R ...
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Finlay-Russel Provincial Park & Protected Area
Finlay-Russel Provincial Park and Protected Area is a provincial park
Ischigualasto Provincial Park
A provincial park (or territorial park) is a park administered by one of the provinces of a country, as opposed to a national park. They are si ...
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Graham-Laurier Provincial Park
Graham-Laurier Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the larger Muskwa-Kechika Management Area. The main recreation activity in the park is hunting. The park is a remote wilderness area located approxima ...
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Horneline Creek Provincial Park
Horneline Creek Provincial Park is a provincial park in far northern British Columbia, Canada. It is located west of the Kechika River about 130 km south of Lower Post and 30 km north of Denetiah Provincial Park and southwest of th ...
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Kwadacha Wilderness Provincial Park
Kwadacha Wilderness Provincial Park is a provincial park
Ischigualasto Provincial Park
A provincial park (or territorial park) is a park administered by one of the provinces of a country, as opposed to a national park. They are similar to stat ...
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Liard River Corridor/West Provincial Parks & Protected Area
Liard River Corridor Provincial Park and Protected Area is a provincial park
Ischigualasto Provincial Park
A provincial park (or territorial park) is a park administered by one of the provinces of a country, as opposed to a national park. They ...
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Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park
Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is home to the second largest natural hot springs in Canada, after Deer River Hot Springs 15 km to the north east. It is a natural river of hot water r ...
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Muncho Lake Provincial Park
Muncho Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located on the Alaska Highway as it transits the northernmost Canadian Rockies west of Fort Nelson. The park is part of the larger Muskwa-Kechika Management Area. It is ...
Redfern-Keily Provincial Park
Redfern-Keily Provincial Park was a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada.
It was established in the Muskwa Ranges of the northern Rockies, along the Besa River and its tributaries. It was named after William (Bill) Keily (born in January 1 ...