November 01, 2005
The north Interlake park reserves of Fisher Bay and Birch Island will be protected for another five years while consultations continue with local First Nations on land use, Conservation Minister Stan Struthers announced today.
"It is important that First Nations are comfortable with and fully support new land designations in their traditional territories," said Struthers. "We are committed to working with these communities and to involving them fully in the determination of the future of these important areas."
The Fisher Bay and Birch Island areas total about 168,000 hectares and were initially established in May 2000.
The 89,000-hectare Fisher Bay Park Reserve is located near three First Nations communities about an hour’s drive north of Arborg. Located on the western shore of Lake Winnipeg, the site includes over 20,000 hectares of shoreline and wooded islands on Fisher Bay at the mouth of the Fisher River.
Birch Island park reserve is 79,000 hectares and includes Birch Island and several smaller islands in Lake Winnipegosis about 150 kilometres north of Dauphin.
Park reserves are established under the Provincial Parks Act to provide an area with temporary protection from logging, mining and hydroelectric development while consultations to determine the options for future management of these areas is undertaken with First Nations and the general public. There are 14 park reserves in Manitoba.
"The government remains committed to protecting areas that represent the natural diversity of our province," said Struthers. "We want to continue the process of protecting vital land areas such as the Armit, Birch River, Brokenhead Wetland and Little George Island ecological reserves and the Bell and Steeprock Canyons protected areas."
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