Archived News Releases

News Release - Manitoba and Winnipeg

June 14, 2007

Historic Agreement First Step Toward Strengthening Protected Areas, Conservation Efforts In Winnipeg: Struthers



The Province of Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg have taken a historic first step toward protecting the city’s natural treasures under an agreement signed today, Conservation Minister Stan Struthers and Mayor Sam Katz have announced.
 
Moving forward under the memorandum of understanding (MOU), Winnipeg’s important waterways and natural areas will be identified for greater environmental efforts and could receive stronger protection as a part of the province’s protected areas network.  Winnipeg would be the first community in Manitoba with areas receiving the province’s protected areas designation.
 
“Winnipeg has historically significant waterways such as the Red River, forests and land base rich with wildlife and biodiversity,” said Struthers.  “Today’s agreement represents a historic first step for the city toward expanding protection and conservation efforts for these natural treasures.”
 
“The preservation of ecologically significant natural lands has long been a priority in the City of Winnipeg,” said Katz. “Partnering with the minister of conservation and the Province of Manitoba is a very positive step to further conserve the biodiversity of our city’s landscapes.”
 
The Winnipeg and Manitoba governments have identified several strategic priorities in working together to enhance protection and conservation efforts including:
·         identifying City of Winnipeg lands and collaborating with partners to expand protected areas;
·         developing a process to facilitate the securing of additional lands for protection including, where possible, addressing barriers to that process;
·         collaborating in the management and restoration of key habitat on protected lands to enhance biodiversity benefits and watershed management;
·         exploring opportunities to promote the importance of stewardship that results in the conservation of natural areas and associated habitats in Manitoba; and
·         collaborating and participating in various stewardship forums, land plans, integrated watershed management plans and policies to protect and conserve habitats on private and Crown lands.
 
Activities resulting under this MOU are intended to recognize and complement the commitments of both Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg to conservation efforts within the province.
 
Since 1999, some 855,000 hectares of land has been permanently protected in Manitoba.
 
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