Executive Council Office
Development Assessment Branch
ECO Online
Frequently Asked Questions
YESAA in general:
What is YESAA?
How does YESAA work?
The assessment process:
How do I find out if my project needs to be assessed under YESAA?
How do I find out which permits and licences I need for my project and which regulator issues them?
Who conducts the YESAA assessment?
If I have an interest in the assessment, how do I submit my comments?
Making decisions about assessments:
Who makes the decision about an assessment?
What is a delegated decision body?
How do I know which Yukon government department makes the final decision on my project?
How does the Yukon government decide who has the responsibility to make a decision on a project?
The regulation process:
When can I apply for my permit or licence?
How does the Yukon Water Board process work with YESAA?
Timelines:
How long will a YESAA assessment take?
Can I make a difference to the overall assessment and permit timelines?
General questions:
Where can I go to ask questions before I submit a project for assessment?
YESAA in general
What is YESAA?
YESAA stands for the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Act. It is federal legislation and provides the framework for environmental and socio-economic assessments in Yukon.
The Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Act (YESAA) came into full effect on November 28, 2005 and was created in cooperation with the Government of Canada, Government of Yukon and the Council of Yukon First Nations. The act gives life to Chapter 12 of the Umbrella Final Agreement, which called for the creation of a “development assessment process” to be created that applies to all Yukon lands.
How does YESAA work?
The Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Act set up an independent assessment body, the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB).
The Board has six regional designated offices responsible for conducting neutral, independent assessments of proposed development projects. The Board collects input from technical experts and the public and concludes its findings with recommendations to government. Government, which can be a federal government agency, the territorial government or a First Nation, depending on who has decision-making power for a project, will then accept, reject or vary those recommendations. Once a decision document has been issued accepting, rejecting or varying the project then the proponent can proceed accordingly.
The assessment process
How do I find out if my project needs to be assessed under YESAA?
You should talk to the government regulator who will issue the permits you need. They can help you:
- determine whether your proposed project can be authorized as planned;
- determine whether it can proceed in the place you want it to;
- fill out the permit or licence application; and
- determine if you need to apply for an assessment under YESAA.
If your proposed project does need to be assessed under YESAA, you will then need to apply to the appropriate YESAA Designated Office.
How do I find out which permits and licences I need for my project and which regulator issues them?
You can find out by taking a look at the Permit Authorization Guide for Activities in the Yukon 
.
Who conducts the YESAA assessment?
In most cases, the assessment will be carried out and completed by staff in the YESAB Designated Office responsible for the district where your proposed project is. There are six Designated Offices throughout the Yukon: Dawson City, Mayo, Whitehorse, Haines Junction, Teslin and Watson Lake. For major projects, the assessment will be undertaken by the YESAB in Whitehorse. YESAB stands for Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board.
If I have an interest in the assessment, how do I submit my comments?
Written submissions are the main way to provide comments and views for the assessor to consider. You can post written submissions to the YESAB Online Registry (YOR) or deliver submissions by hand, mail, fax or email to the appropriate Designated Office or the YESAB office in Whitehorse. Depending on the nature of the project, its potential for having significant environmental and socio-economic effects and public interest, YESAB may hold public meetings or hearings to provide an opportunity for people to participate further in an assessment.
Making decisions about an assessment
Who makes the decision about an assessment?
The decision is made by the government which has responsibility for the project either as a regulator, land authority, funding agent or a proponent. This government is called the decision body and is responsible for responding to the assessor's recommendation by publishing a decision document that accepts, rejects or varies those recommendations. There can be more than one decision body for any project. A decision body can be the Yukon government, a federal government agency or a First Nation government, depending on what authorizations are required for the project and where the project is.
What is a delegated decision body?
The Yukon government acts as a single decision body under YESAA. This is achieved through an internal, well-coordinated process involving all Yukon government departments. Depending on the type of project that has been assessed, the decision body responsibility is delegated to specific departments and branches within the Yukon government. Other governments organize their departments differently in terms of how they act as a decision body.
How do I know which Yukon government department makes the final decision on my project?
Contact the department that has responsibility for the type of project you want to undertake. For example, contact the Energy, Mines and Resources Lands Branch if you apply for land or the Energy, Mines and Resources Mineral Development Branch if you want to conduct mineral exploration. The Permit Authorization Guide for Activities in the Yukon will help you if you are not sure.
How does the Yukon government decide who has the responsibility to make a decision on a project?
In general, the department or branch with the overall authority for the main project is given this responsibility. This means, for example, that agriculture projects will be delegated to the Agriculture Branch within the Energy, Mines and Resources Department and forestry projects to the Forest Resources Branch of the Energy, Mines and Resources Department. Questions on the decision phase of the assessment process should therefore be directed to the appropriate decision body.
The regulation process
When can I apply for my permit or licence?
We recommend that you apply for your permit or licence before you apply for a YESAA assessment because the regulator who issues the permit or licence can then provide you with information about what is required for your project which will help you with your assessment application.
How does the Yukon Water Board process work with YESAA?
The Yukon Water Board continues to perform its regulatory role and process under the Waters Act and cannot issue a water licence until a decision document for a project has been issued under YESAA. However, parts of the licensing process (such as the filing of an application and the adequacy review) may be started before a decision document is issued. The Yukon government is working with the Yukon Water Board and YESAB to improve coordination and streamlining of the YESAA and water licensing processes.
Timelines
How long will a YESAA assessment take?
Timelines vary depending on the nature of the project and the completeness of the proponent’s application for assessment but in general they average 30 days. There are maximum timelines set out in the assessor’s rules. It is also important to know, that timelines may be extended by the assessor under certain circumstances.
Can I make a difference to the overall assessment and permit timelines?
Yes, if you include all the necessary information in your project proposal and the assessor does not have to ask you for additional information, this will speed up the process. Talking to the appropriate regulator and assessment office early in the process will help greatly.
General questions
Where can I go to ask questions before submitting a project for assessment?
The YESAB Designated Offices, the relevant regulatory office and the Development Assessment Branch of Yukon government will all be able to answer questions and help you with a project proposal.