Again, there is no evidence that this is a relevant consideration. The record of the Giant Mine in Yellowknife suggests that the health of Canadians is not high on the list of priorities for the Department. This is not the case in N.W.T. where mineral staking precedes ecological planning. Although a protected areas strategy for the N.W.T. is finally being developed, its implementation including land withdrawals, may take years. The application of the open access regime to areas of unsettled land claims in the N.W.T. promotes inequity insofar as it facilitates the systematic undermining of the local economy and allows development before the Aboriginal inhabitants are in a position to benefit from that development.
All land is open to staking unless withdrawn.
There is no pre-assessment of mineral values and ecological values. The land is simply open for exploration and potentially production. Furthermore, the very system of locating and maintaining claims encourage waste of resources and environmental practices that are not sustainable. There is no evidence that a free-entry system balances the needs of nature. Such a system is based on a developmental ethic rather than an ecological ethic.