June 11, 2004

Premier Gary Doer today announced a significant expansion of Manitoba’s network of protected areas with the creation of two new protected areas, plus two additions and one extension to existing protected area sites.

"Manitoba’s protected areas are some of our greatest natural treasures. We have a clear responsibility to maintain their ecological values and to manage these sites for their educational, scientific, cultural and outdoor recreational benefits," Doer said.

"Working with the stakeholders and First Nation communities, we are striving to create a network of protected areas that will represent each of Manitoba’s natural regions and protect our province’s unique features."

The five additions to Manitoba’s protected areas network include:

The new Bell and Steeprock Canyons Protected Area – 11,310-hectare area comprising the Bell and Steeprock canyons and the Baden Escarpment in the Porcupine Provincial Forest, preserving a cross-section of the Manitoba Escarpment complex and river canyons.

The new Little George Island Ecological Reserve – 15 hectares in the north basin of Lake Winnipeg to protect the nesting habitats for common terns, Caspian terns and greater scaup, including an access ban during the June 1 to Aug. 15 nesting period.

Poplar/Nanowin Rivers Provincial Park Reserve – the extension of the 770,000-hectare park reserve to 2009 to allow for the development and completion of a land use inventory and community-driven land management plan by the Poplar River First Nation.

Protected areas memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Nature Conservancy Canada – an agreement between the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Government of Manitoba to protect 4,118 hectares of Conservancy-owned land, which includes endangered tall grass prairie and its associated ecosystems in the Rural Municipality of Stuartburn. This is the first time privately-owned lands have been added to the protected areas network.

Addition to Rivers Provincial Park – 50 hectares of some of the last remaining mixed grass prairie, located on the north shore of Lake Wahtopanah.

Since the start of Manitoba’s Protected Areas Initiative in 1990, 5.4 million hectares of land has been protected.

"In recent years, we’ve added Pembina Valley, Caribou River, Trappist Monastery and Criddle/Vane Homestead as provincial parks. We have also created nine park reserves and protected all or part of 21 wildlife management areas," Doer said. "We will continue to work at expanding our vital protected areas network."

The Protected Areas Initiative will receive $100,000 this year to further support the development of the network. In co-operation with Skownan First Nation, public consultations are in progress respecting a permanent park designation this year for the Chitek Lake Park Reserve.

Manitoba also recently signed an MOU with the federal government that sets the stage for consultations and negotiations aimed at establishing a new national park in Manitoba’s northern Interlake region.

Protected areas are free from logging, mining, hydroelectric, oil and gas development as well as other activities that could significantly and adversely affect natural habitat. Protected areas respect treaty and Aboriginal rights and many areas remain open for activities such as hunting, trapping or fishing and various outdoor recreational activities such as hiking, canoeing and camping.

Ecological reserves are areas containing sensitive habitats, rare animal or plant species and unique geological features, and require more restrictions to protect the natural features.

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