From: on behalf of Panel Registry Subject: FW: TNG registration of ...

The XGCA is a remote, wilderness area, where the rural inhabitants live very disbursed. The
highest concentration of the people in the XGCA is in the Nemiah Valley, which is located
196.8 kilometres from the nearest city, Williams Lake, BC about a 3 hour drive southwest.
The Xeni Gwet’in First Nation Government office is located there and maintains isolation
status, which means they provide their own public works services such as electricity,
heating, community water supply and communication systems. There is a post office, a gas
bar/convenience store, visitor information services centre, a laundromat/internet facility,
Charlene
William’s Daycare and immersion program, Naghtaneqed Elementary/Junior
Secondary School, a health clinic and rodeo grounds.
The Xeni Gwet’in culture remains closely linked to the land. During the summer months the
Xeni Gwet’in use the lakes and rivers throughout the XGCA to catch and dry fish. In addition,
many still rely upon wild meat, including moose and deer. Moreover, according to two
separate Tourism Strategies developed for the community, the primary economic activities
for
the Xeni Gwet’in today are ranching and involvement in tourism through local non‐
native
wilderness tourism operators.
4. Climate Change in the Xeni Caretaker Area: Past Trends and
Future Projections
This section provides an overview of the climate in the Cariboo‐Chilcotin region, and
wherever possible the specific climate for the XGCA. The section first outlines the general
climate in the study area, as determined by physiographic features (4.1). Sub‐section 4.2
then examines historical climate trends, which combines an assessment of scientific
baseline data for the 1961‐1990 period (4.2.1), which are complemented by community
anecdotes gathered through a key informant survey (4.2.2) follows with a projection of
possible future climates.
4.1. General Climate
As described by Sten and Coupe (1997) and Hammond and others (2004), the climate of the
study area is largely determined by the physiographic 16 features of the region.
Physiography refers to the physical geography of the land, including the terrain type,
elevation, slope position, slope length, slope gradient (steepness), and orientation with
respect to solar radiation (aspect). 17 One key relationship is the effect of these factors on
principle air flow patterns. The latter include warm moist Pacific air from the west, and cold
dry Arctic air from the north. Because the study area is located on the leeward side of the
Coast Mountain Range, the climate is more strongly influenced by Arctic air. The moist
Pacific air has a limited effect on the area. The following climate summary is from
Hammond and others (2004): 18
•
The Chilcotin Plateau portion of the study area has a typical continental climate
characterized by cold winters
and cool summers. The relatively high elevation of the
16 Slope length, slope gradient,
and position along the slope also influence soil stability and ecological sensitivity
to disturbance (source: Hammond and others
(2009), p.13).
17 Sten and Coupe (1997).
18 See Hammond and others (2004), p. 19.
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