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 Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...
. 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 area, but
development 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 U.S. state, state in the New England and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and territories of Canad ...
, 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 secon ...
, 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
Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is border ...
in the United States.
Name and geography
The area is named after the
Muskwa River and
Muskwa Ranges (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 N ...
") 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
The Kechika Ranges are a subrange of the Cassiar Mountains subdivision of the Interior Mountains in far northern British Columbia, Canada, lying west of the Rocky Mountain Trench between the Rainbow (S) and Deadwood Rivers (N).
See also
*Kechika R ...
(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 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 or Eastern Syst ...
north of the
Peace River 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 ...
and a small portion of the northeastern
Omineca Mountains. With the southern
Selwyn and
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 Natio ...
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 C ...
, the area defines the
Boreal Cordillera Ecozone.
Parks and protected areas
(with area)
Muskwa-Kechika.com "Protected Areas" page
* Dall River Old Growth Provincial Park
* Denetiah Provincial Park & Protected Area
* Dune Za Keyih Provincial Park & Protected Area
* Finlay-Russel Provincial Park & Protected Area
* Graham-Laurier Provincial Park
* Horneline Creek Provincial Park
*