The Protected Areas Audit

Once a year, Manitoba Wildlands completes an audit of the protected areas in Manitoba.

To many, this year's results are a surprise. In June of 2000 there were 5.58 million hectares of protected lands in Manitoba. As of November 4, 2005, more than five years later, the number of protected hectares had fallen to 5.33 million. What happened?

First, let me define protected areas. These include a wide variety of habitats which range from large National Parks to small areas which have been set aside because of unique or historic features. By Manitoba government policy, a protected area is "closed by legal means to logging, mining, hydroelectric development, or any other activity that significantly and adversely affects habitat."

It is hard to say just what happened. Is it bad NDP management under Gary Doer? Is it lack of focus by the Gary Doer NDP when dealing with protected areas? Is it just that the Gary Doer NDP don't really care about protected areas? Whatever it is, it is sad.

In 1999, the Gary Doer and the NDP promised in their election campaign to "complete the network of protected areas within the earliest possible time frame." Well, this is one promise they did not keep.

In 1999, during the election campaign, the Gary Doer NDP also promised to work with the federal government to create new National Parks (this was clearly a reference to the Lowland's National Park). But there has been no progress under Gary Doer and the NDP. Sad for all of us.

The Protected Areas Audit has been done very carefully. The documentation is extensive. You can see it for yourself by visiting http://manitobawildlands.org If you are interested you can also find the NDP election promises in this area by visiting the documents found under The Protected Areas Initiative - look on the government page.

NDP Conservation Minister Stan Struthers has said about the protected areas grade:
"you get a C- one year, and then an F the next year, there is something wrong here.."

Yes, Stan, there is something wrong here! Your NDP government is not doing the job it should be doing. Your NDP government got an F this year because your performance was bad.