Protected Areas Grades & Audit
| The annual Manitoba protected areas grade is based on six World Wildlife Fund criteria, applied to Manitoba protected areas grades since the 1992. Representation of each natural region is based on the landscape types in protected areas, of sufficient size to maintain ecological integrity and sustain ecosystem functions. Manitoba Wildlands now applies the grading criteria annually to Manitoba government protected area commitments and actions. Penalties and bonuses highlight successes or problems. The grade is based on Manitoba data, regulations, and commitments. Please contact us at webmaster@manitobawildlands.org for further detail on the grade and criteria.  Download the Manitoba Wildlands Protected Areas - Manitoba Chronology 1990-2010  (PDF) Updated March 2010
View the Protected Areas Grade page 2011 Protected Areas MapsDownload Protected Areas Manitoba Map (South) - 2011 (PDF)Download Protected Areas Manitoba Map (North) - 2011 (PDF)Manitoba Wildlands Protected Areas Audit
The Manitoba Wildlands audit is based on government information in the public domain, primarily regulations and databases associated with Manitoba Acts that specify land use and land protection. See sources in legend. A 'protected area' refers to lands formally protected from development (hydroelectric, mining, forestry, roads, and any other activity that would cause significant alteration of habitat) through Manitoba regulations. The Manitoba Wildlands annual protected areas audit contains natural region location, which Act, where crown mining rights are withdrawn as the date of the annual audit.2012 Manitoba Wildlands has released its two year audit of Manitoba government protected lands and regulatory steps for 2011 and 2012. No new protected areas were established in that time period.
Manitoba currently protected 9% of its lands protected from industrial activity. The province led all jurisdictions in Canada as of 2000 for the proportion of its lands protected during the preceding decade. Older parks in the province continue to have resource management/extraction zones. Steps to stop logging in Manitoba parks have resulted in the same zones being open for other new developments like mines, roads, and educational camps. Woodland caribou continue to be at risk in certain Manitoba parks. New protected parks do not have management plans, any infrastructure for wilderness tourism, or staff. While Manitoba Conservation identifies revenue to upgrade existing recreational parks and recreation zones in parks, there are still huge gaps between protected areas establishment commitments and actions. A promise from Premier Selinger in December 2009 to put a peatlands protection plan in place for Manitoba's northern regions is stalled while peat mines erupt in south and central Manitoba, during the province's two year moratorium on new peat mines. There are still no clear options for protection of water under the Acts used to establish protected areas. Manitoba has a lot of catching up to do before the government can say it is fulfilling its protected areas commitments. Boreal regions and their species assemblages in are particularly at risk. Recent promises to expand Whiteshell Park protected lands, and connect other protected areas in that region will be part of the next Protected Areas Audit. Assessment will be based on action, surveys, regulations, and full steps for protected lands status. Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2012 Protected Areas Audit (PDF)Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2012 Protected Areas Audit - Summary (PDF)View March 8, 2013 Manitoba Government News Release Camp Morton, Whiteshell Provincial Parks to Expand View March 8, 2013 Manitoba Government news release Province Announces New Parks Strategy to Grow, Modernize Provincial Parks View March 9, 2013 Winnipeg Free Press article Expansions, protections announced View March 9, 2013 Winnipeg Free Press article Province to perk up its parks View March 8, 2013 Winnipeg Free Press article Park users and cottagers to pay higher fees 2010 During 2010 the Manitoba government established two new protected areas in the north west corner of the province. It is not clear whether or how consultations and technical studies resulted in the boundaries used. Forested boreal regions continue to lack significant large protected areas.
Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2010 Protected Areas Audit (PDF)Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2010 Protected Areas Audit - Summary (PDF)
2009 For the first time in three years Manitoba did not experience a net loss in protected lands and waters during 2009. New protected areas, and the regulations for these are reflected in the statistics for the Protected Areas Audit. Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2009 Protected Areas Audit (PDF)Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2009 Protected Areas Audit - Summary (PDF)
2008 Manitoba failed to establish any new protected areas in 2008. In fact, 2008 represents the second consecutive year Manitoba actually failed to establish any protected lands in parks, ecological reserves, or other designations.Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2008 Protected Areas Audit (PDF)Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2008 Protected Areas Audit - Summary (PDF)Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2008 Protected Areas Audit/Grade - Map (PDF)Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2008 Protected Areas Audit - Actions List (PDF)Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2008 Protected Areas Audit - Chart (PDF)
2007 In the fall 2007 Manitoba protected areas audit, certain regulations and survey maps were not accessible at time of posting.Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2007 Protected Areas Audit (PDF)Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2007 Protected Areas Audit - Summary (PDF)Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2007 Protected Areas Audit - Maps (PDF)Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2007 Protected Areas Audit - Chart (PDF)Download Manitoba Protected Areas Commitments 2005-2007 (PDF)Download Manitoba Protected Areas Commitments 2005-2007 - Full Sources (PDF)
2006 The fall 2006 Manitoba protected areas audit contains a map showing protected area establishment by year. A second map shows action over the last year.Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2006 Protected Areas Audit (PDF)Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2006 Protected Areas Audit - Summary (PDF)Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2006 Protected Areas Audit - Maps (PDF)Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2006 Protected Areas Audit - Chart (PDF)
2005
Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2005 Protected Areas Audit (PDF)Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2005 Protected Areas Audit - Summary (PDF)Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2005 Protected Areas Audit - Maps (PDF)Download Manitoba Wildlands' 2005 Protected Areas Audit - Chart (PDF)2004
Download Manitoba Wildlands' November 2004 updated Protected Areas Audit (PDF)View November 2004 Manitoba Wildlands Protected Areas Audit news item To receive the 2004 Manitoba Wildlands Protected Areas Statistics Summary, please contact us at: webmaster @ manitobawildlands.org 2003 The May 2003 Manitoba Wildlands protected areas audit was conducted to verify a statement in the November 2002 Manitoba Speech from the Throne: "Since 1999 close to a million hectares has been added to protected areas and parklands in Manitoba". Starting with data which Manitoba, Statistics Canada, and other government sources confirm, the Manitoba Protected Areas audit details protected areas actions since spring 1999.View May 2003 Manitoba Wildlands Protected Areas Audit news item
2000 The June 2000 Manitoba protected areas audit was conducted at the end of the WWF Canada Endangered Spaces Campaign. As of June 2000, Manitoba lead all Canadian jurisdictions in the amount of lands protected from development during the WWF Canada campaign.
To view Manitoba Wildlands news items for previous protected areas audits go to the News Archives Search and search protected areas news items by year. Manitoba Wildlands Protected Areas Grade |
2002-2012