Wild Manitoba: 5 Natural Treasures at Risk
Preserving Manitoba's wilderness for future generations
It is easy to take it for granted that the lakes and rivers of the boreal – the destinations of our summer weekend excursions – will always be there. But the reality is that even with vast sections of the province's wild lands and waters in public hands, development is eating away at wilderness, harming our wildlife, our fresh water and our forests.
In 2009, the Wilderness Committee launched our first Conservation Hotspots paper, and listed five key areas the Manitoba government needed to preserve.
Since then, Canada's federal government has drastically weakened a number of environmental and water protection laws, including gutting the Fisheries Act and the Navigable Waters Protection Act. Given the loss of federal protection for lakes and rivers across the country, the next five hotspots we've chosen as priorities for protection in Manitoba encompass waterways that are at risk.
The Wilderness Committee is advocating for 20 per cent of Manitoba to be protected by the year 2020. So far, just over 10 per cent of the province has been protected. A healthy future depends on preserving Manitoba's natural heritage, and to reach our goal, we'll have to work together.
Read this report to find out more about the key areas we've selected in Manitoba, where protection is urgently needed to safeguard forests, local wildlife, community health and a stable climate.
This publication was produced with the support of the Winnipeg Foundation.