Manitoba Protected Areas Actions Resume

Manitoba Wildlands has released the annual Manitoba Protected Areas Grade and technical assessment. The grade for protected area actions during 2009 shows the years of net loss in protected lands may be over. Manitobans now have reason to hope the Selinger government intends to catch up on delayed decisions and commitments for protected areas establishment, especially in our boreal forest regions.

The 2009 grade, a C, reflects steps taken late in 2009 to establish 6 new protected areas, two of which are of moderate size.

“The annual protected areas report card is a really helpful tool. It gives Manitobans an easy to understand snap shot of how our public natural areas are being managed. The Wilderness Committee agrees [with the findings] that our boreal regions are largely unprotected still, and action is needed before more development is authorized,” said Eric Reder, Campaign Director for the Wilderness Committee.

“We have frozen the third criteria (natural regions represented) until the Selinger government confirms its technical, ecological and consultation standards, and puts a Protected Areas Strategy for Manitoba in place. The technical assessment for this year, which includes bonus and penalty actions, shows improvement, but there is a lot of catching up to do,” commented Gaile Whelan Enns, director of Manitoba Wildlands.

As finance minister, Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger made significant protected areas commitments.