Welcome to the Great Sand Hills Website.
It is my pleasure as Minister of Environment to oversee the Great
Sand Hills Regional Environmental Study. The Study represents a
comprehensive approach that will guide our planning to protect the
environment while enabling sustainable economic development.
The
majestic sand hills are an impressive sight. The hills are home to
some of the largest active sand dunes in the country, and are a
major source of tourism in the region.
The
area surrounding the Great Sand Hills was once rich in buffalo, mule
deer and antelope, attracting diverse cultural groups of Indian
hunters. Evidence of that historical habitation is common. The
Great Sand Hills continues to provide habitat for deer and antelope
and is a popular hunting destination.
In
the absence of bison in the region, cattle have filled a similar
niche, and with well managed grazing on native grass, some 13, 000
head of cattle graze this area. Gas production in the Great Sand
Hills is also an important economic activity with about 1,278 wells
currently producing, within the study area, a value of between $45
and $50 million annually. Undeveloped gas reserves in the area are
estimated to make up about 20% of the province’s remaining reserves.
About 83% of the area is protected by The Wildlife Habitat
Protection Act, which, along with parts of the provincial
pasture, affords protection to the grasslands through range
management. In June 2004, the Government of Saskatchewan accepted
in principle, all the recommendations of the Great Sand Hills Land
Use Strategy Review Committee. One of the most significant actions
of the government at that time was to protect in law over 366 square
kilometers, (an increase of
271 km2 or 285% beyond the original 95
square kilometers)
of the Great Sand Hills as an ecological reserve on
June 24, 2004.
Through
collaboration with other government departments, local communities,
First Nations, industry and academia, the Regional Environmental
Study will help shape recommendations to enable governments to make
decisions regarding the long-term ecological management and use of
the Great Sand Hills. This collaboration is based on common
interests, values and the consideration that we should meet the
needs of today without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
