DRAFT REPORT OF THE GREAT SAND HILLS REVIEW RELEASED

The draft report of the Great Sand Hills Land Use Strategy Review Committee is complete and now available to the public. It was prepared after the committee considered a wide range of issues including the ecological impacts of a variety of land uses.

The draft contains recommendations in nine areas including protected lands, zoning outside protected areas and ecological monitoring. A key recommendation is that protected lands in the Great Sand Hills be increased in size. The committee does not recommend any single option for implementation, but argues a combination of measures would work in concert to manage the ecological sensitivities and complexities of the Great Sand Hills.

The committee will be conducting public meetings in Swift Current, Saskatoon and Regina to discuss the draft report and recommendations. "We look forward to hearing comments from various stakeholders and the public," Review Committee co-chair Kim Clark said. "Once we get those comments and after we hold three public meetings we will be finalizing the report and submitting it to the provincial government for a final decision."

The Review Committee was established by the provincial government in August of 2002 to review the existing 1991 Land Use Strategy for the Great Sand Hills and make recommendations for the future. The committee includes representation from the Rural Municipalities of Piapot, Pittville, Fox Valley and Clinworth; the Great Sand Hills Planning District Commission; and the departments of Environment, Government Relations and Aboriginal Affairs, Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization and Industry and Resources. A variety of stakeholders representing industry, landowners and environmental groups, as well as the public helped inform the committee's deliberations.

Copies of the draft are being forwarded to stakeholders who have requested it. It is also available on the Saskatchewan Environment website at www.se.gov.sk.ca under Ecosystem Management, or on request from:

Great Sand Hills Review Committee
c/o Saskatchewan Environment
350 Cheadle Street West
Swift Current, SK S9H 4G3

People are invited to send written comments by May 7th, 2004 by mail to the above address or by e-mail or telephone to:

Kim Clark
Co-chair, Great Sand Hills Land Use Strategy Review Committee
Prince Albert
Phone (306) 953-2786
kclark@serm.gov.sk.ca

Public meetings are slated for:

Saskatoon: April 27th, 2004
Travelodge
106 Circle Drive West
7:00 p.m.

Regina: April 28th, 2004
West Harvest Inn
4025 Albert St.
7:00 p.m.

Swift Current: April 29th, 2004
Days Inn
905 North Service Road East
7:00 p.m.

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For More Information, Contact:

Alethea Foster Environment Regina Phone: (306) 787-1611