Tsá Túé Biosphere Reserve Print

The Tsá Tué Biosphere Reserve is located in Canada’s Northwest Territories. The area is the homeland of the Sahtuto’ine, the ‘Bear Lake People’. It encompasses Great Bear Lake, the last large pristine arctic lake, and part of its watershed. Boreal forest and taiga cover much of the watershed and form the habitat of wildlife including muskox, moose and caribou. The only human residents of the site are the traditional First Nation Dene community of Délı̨nę, ‘where the water flows’. 

The community of about 600, almost all of whom are  Sahtuto’ine, is located on the western shore of the lake.  The community relies on harvesting wildlife and fish to supply most of its needs. The economy includes limited but increasing tourism, infrastructure development and self-government administration.

Designation date: 2016
Administrative authorities: Délı̨nę Renewable Resources Council, Délı̨nę Got’ine Government, Parks Canada, Department of Lands, Government of the Northwest Territories. 
Surface area (terrestrial and marine): 9,331,300 ha
Core area(s): 2,008,200 ha
Buffer zone(s): 7,236,500 ha
Transition area(s): 79,700 ha

Location
Latitude: 64°01’01”N – 67°52’23”N
Longitude: 115°59’46”W – 125°26’24”W
Midpoint: 66°02’06”N – 120°35’17”W

For more information on the Reserve please visit http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecological-sciences/biosphere-reserves/europe-north-america/canada/tsa-tue/