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Manitoba • Protected Areas • Lands and Regulations • Issues & AdvocacyThis data was accurate as of April 2008.
Page Index
Land
description The land and fresh water area of Manitoba is 64,779,700 hectares with the land only area being 55,355,600 hectares. Approximately 90% of land in Manitoba is Crown or public with the remaining 10% being private. There are 2 National Parks covering a total of 1.44 million hectares, with 111 provincial parks/park reserves, and ecological, heritage and wildlife reserves totaling approximately 4 million hectares. All national and provincial parks, ecological reserves, and heritage parks prohibit industrial use, however, wilderness management areas may permit industry. The Province has 18 natural regions and sub-regions, based on major land form analysis, as designated habitat types.
Brief History: (prior to initiation of land use plan and
development) In 1992, the Canadian Parks Ministers Council signed A Statement of Commitment to Complete Canada’s Networks of Protected Areas, by the year 2000. In 1994, the Whitehorse Mining Initiative was signed to provide a strategic vision for a healthy mining industry in the context of maintaining healthy and diverse ecosystems in Canada. Among other things it called for establishing an ecologically based system of protected areas. Representatives of five sectors agreed to participate. They were the mining industry, senior governments, labour unions, Aboriginal peoples, and the environmental community. A report from the Land Access Issue group was released in 1994.
Process of Development/Consultation type: In 1995, the announcement of four new northern wilderness parks was criticized because there was no adequate consultation in northern communities. The mining industry was taken by surprise and environmental advocates were disappointed not to see larger boundaries. Subsequently, the Manitoba Mining Sector Consultation process began in 1996, outside government, as a joint initiative of the Mining Association of Manitoba and the WWF Manitoba Endangered Spaces Program. In 1998, a working group was established to review Areas of Special Interest (ASIs). A revised 2000-2003 Action Plan for protected areas was released to create new protected areas over the next three years. This includes a three year extension of the First Nation and Government Memorandum of Understanding.
PAS Implementation and Candidate PA selection process: The process for selecting and implementing protected areas is:
ASIs are categorized by MELC as Rank 1 = to be approved for protected area; Rank 2 = being considered for protected area, but needing further study over the short term (within six months); Rank 3 = areas that require more long term study; and, Rank 4 = no protection due to good mineral potential. When a decision is reached to protect an ASI or nominated area, an appropriate designation is selected for permanent protection. These decisions are based on the outcomes from consultations lead by the Parks and Natural Areas Branch. If the decision is made to use the Provincial Parks Act, the area is provided with interim protection through designation as a Park Reserve. Designation of an area as a Park Reserve protects the land by prohibiting mining, logging, hydro-electric, oil and gas development, as well as other activities that could significantly and adversely affect natural habitat. Park Reserve status provides five years for consultation to continue with First Nations, communities, Mètis, environmental organizations, and industry groups. A 1998 Memorandum of Understanding with the First Nations establishes a process for them to identify candidate areas for protection. Most bands want to resolve the land entitlement issues before nominating lands for protected status. As of February 2003, over 130 ASIs were under review for further protection. The Mining Sector Consultation has recommended protection of over 50 ASIs to cover an additional 5.7% of the province. In 2003, six park reserves reached their five-year review status. Four of these reserves were transferred into provincial parks and consultations with First Nation and local communities are on-going in order to implement the remaining sites as permanent provincial parks. A Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and the Nature Conservancy of Canada has added private lands to the network of protected areas.
Results: Eight park reserves have been created since 1996 through the Mining Sector Consultation alone. By 2000, the Protected Area Initiative expanded to include three new park reserves and protection for an additional 21 wildlife management areas. The Provincial Parks Act was amended to designate over 200,000ha as park reserves. By the end of 2004 four new provincial parks/protected areas were added, and Mining Rank 1 areas totaled 4,023,849ha or 6.19% of the province.
Post-completion and On-Going issues: Prospectors are less supportive of the process than the major mining companies in that their philosophy is that exploration should be allowed within protected areas, and they believe it can be done without significant ecological impact. Securing sufficient resources for management of 138 ASI’s appears to be major stumbling block.
First Nations Land Claim Settlements : A memorandum of understanding regarding identification, establishment and management of protected areas in Manitoba, by First Nation communities was signed in 1998. In April 2004, a memorandum of understanding between by the Manitoba government and eight First Nations stated that “because of the significance of vast boreal forest to the First Nation communities on the East Side of Lake Winnipeg, it is important that they are involved, first and foremost in land use decisions to sustain both the forest and communities”.
Government Departments, Agencies and Legislation, for further
information:
Ministry of Industry, Trade and Mines (Mineral Resources Division) www.gov.mb.ca/stem/mrd/
Non-governmental organizations
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