SASKATCHEWAN PROTECTS MORE WILDLIFE HABITAT

There's a place in east-central Saskatchewan called the "Mistatim Swamp" that's home to a variety of plants and wildlife including black spruce, moose and waterfowl.

While not much different than an ordinary swamp, the Mistatim Swamp is considered an excellent example of Saskatchewan's natural environment and ecological diversity.

That's why the Mistatim Swamp was included in the 32,500 hectares - or 80,000 acres - of Crown land recently given protection under Saskatchewan's Wildlife Habitat Protection Act.

"It is important that we continue to protect, whenever possible, natural areas that are ecologically significant," Environment Minister David Forbes said. "Although this protection means many activities are either prohibited or require permission, the philosophy of The Wildlife Habitat Protection Act is to allow traditional and compatible uses, such as grazing and sustainable forest harvesting, to occur."

The 32,500 hectares added to the protected areas are all within what is called the Boreal Plain Ecozone, an area that is immediately south of the provincial forest and stretches from the Manitoba border to the Alberta border.

This newly protected land has been added to province's Representative Areas Network. Currently 5.7 million hectares - more than 14 million acres - have been included in the Representative Areas Network. The Network consists of existing and new wildlife land, riparian areas, wetlands, protected areas, bird sanctuaries, ecological reserves and prairie rangelands.

Protecting these ecologically important wildlife habitats reflects the actions described in the province's recently released Biodiversity Action Plan.

The Biodiversity Action Plan will guide the conservation actions of all government sectors for the next five years, through to 2009. Biodiversity includes all species of plants and animals and how they interact with and rely on one another and their environment for survival.

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For More Information, Contact:

Conrad Olson Environment Regina Phone: (306)787-2385 Email: colson@serm.gov.sk.ca