Yaaguun Suu Conservancy

Several traditional Haida trails can be found within the Heritage Site/Conservancy that provides linkages to other important areas. These trails connect Yakoun Lake to Shields Bay overland through the Sandstone Creek watershed; Yakoun Lake overland to Long Inlet (Lagin’s Village); Yakoun Lake overland via Delta Creek and ridgetop to Kagan Bay (Slatechuck Creek); and, Yakoun Bay (on the Lake) to the Yakoun River. 

A seasonal traditional camp exists at Yakoun Bay. There are at least 13 monumental cedars that have been documented within the heritage site/conservancy that may be important for future cultural use. Many of these areas have not been inventoried thoroughly which indicates that the conservancy may contain many other unrecorded cultural heritage and archaeological sites. 

The cultural heritage values in the heritage site/conservancy include opportunities for the ongoing continuance of Haida culture through traditional use of the area. Some examples of traditional use within Yaaguun Suu Heritage Site/Conservancy may include monumental cedar and cedar bark harvesting, medicinal plant harvesting, hunting, fishing, trapping and food gathering. The heritage site/conservancy also provides a place for the physical expression of culture through monumental art such as totems.

The area has some of the most productive Sitka spruce alluvial forests on Haida Gwaii and constitutes a high representation for Yellow cedar-Mountain hemlock/Hellebore and Western red cedar-Sitka spruce/Salal ecological communities. 

One red listed species, the Queen Charlotte aven (Geum schofieldii) has two occurrence records for the area. 

Yaaguun Suu Heritage Site/Conservancy contains fish-bearing streams that are known to have Sockeye Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Chum Salmon, Pink Salmon, Steelhead, Dolly Varden and Cutthroat Trout. The Yakoun River in particular is a major salmon-bearing stream on which large amounts of fish stock data are available. 

Yakoun Lake hosts Coastrange Sculpin, Coho Salmon, Cutthroat Trout, Dolly Varden, Pacific Lamprey, Pink Salmon, Prickly Sculpin, Sockeye Salmon, Steelhead and 3-spine Stickleback. The lake has a mean depth of 35 m (max. 91 m) and has significant salmonid stocks, with exceptional habitat supported by the surrounding old growth forests (65.6% of conservancy area). 

Northern Goshawks (Laingi subspecies) and Marbled Murrelets are red listed species and are known to inhabit the area. Of recent concern is the presence of introduced mammals, such as Black-tailed Deer, which pose an increasing threat to local ecosystems and species. Bull thistle, an alien invasive plant, has been identified as occurring within the area.