Yukon met land claim requirements in Peel plan: premier

The Yukon government has made its first comment since a court challenge was filed against the government's land use plan for the Peel River watershed.

Premier Darrell Pasloski says court decisions may be needed from time to time to sort out issues involving Yukon land claims agreements.

First Nations say they were guaranteed shared management of natural resources in their agreements. The Nacho Nyak Dun and Trondek Hwech'in first nations and two environmental groups are taking the government to court over the Peel River watershed land use plan.

The premier says, overall, the land claims agreement is working and generally unites Yukoners rather than divides them.

"We truly are leading not only the country, but in a lot of respects leading the world on this, and that's why sometimes you have opportunities where there is disagreement and that resorts to going to the courts to create that certainty," he said.

Pasloski says the government believes it has met or exceeded all of its constitutional requirements under the land claims settlement.

He says government lawyers are reviewing the court documents before writing a formal response.

Protests against the Peel land use plan were held in several Yukon and Northwest Territories communities on Wednesday.