City tags potential Protected Areas Network additions

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This article was published 03/06/2020 (1415 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The City of Winnipeg public service has identified a number of Winnipeg parks and natural areas it recommends become designated protected lands by the province.

The work is being undertaken to identify lands that can be designated under Manitoba’s Protected Areas Network, to comply with national goals set up by the Pathway to Canada Target 1 program. The program lays out that, at the end of 2019, roughly 12.1 per cent of Canadian lands and freshwaters were protected. By the end of 2020, the goal is to have moved that number up to 17 per cent.

Canada took up the initiative to comply with the goals of the international Convention on Biological Diversity.

“Listing these natural areas that the city is protecting will support Canada’s efforts to achieve this target and add Winnipeg’s natural areas to this international list,” a report to the standing policy committee on protection, community services and parks.

The report lays out three levels of priority for land to be put forward for protection.

The La Salle and Seine rivers corridors have both been given priority designation, while other areas, such as King’s Park, Kildonan Park forest, and Moray forest, have been placed lower down on the docket. In total, 28 areas were identified.

If approved by the standing committee June 10, these lands will be added to the list the city is recommending join the Protected Areas Network.

Prairie Museum, Little Mountain Park and the Assiniboine forest were approved Jan. 8.

sarah.lawrynuik@freepress.mb.ca