Saskatchewan Needs A Wetlands Protection Policy
Saskatchewan is the only province without a Wetlands Protection Policy. It’s time that Saskatchewan follows the lead of our neighbours in Alberta and Manitoba and develops a more balanced mitigation policy, one that offers protection for municipalities, producers, and society.
When wetlands are drained, we lose the benefits they provide of clean water, flood and drought protection, and recreation opportunities. In late 2019, the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency (WSA) began consulting stakeholders on a new Wetland Conservation Policy for agricultural land that would allow drainage to occur, but with limits designed to ensure the preservation of wetland benefits. The biggest deficiency of WSA’s policy is the provision allowing landowners to drain smaller wetlands in exchange for implementing alternate conservation measures, such as planting winter cereals or protecting other natural areas. While it’s great that they are talking about conserving other areas, that is still not the same as actually conserving wetlands.
Saskatchewan must have a Wetlands Conservation Policy that doesn’t fall short of what is actually needed. As well, we also need legislation to protect our grasslands.
We demand that:
*Crown grasslands remain publicly owned and protected from development, including former PFRA and provincial pastures.
*Halt the sale of public land with ecological value including Crown lands that, until removed by a recent Order-in-Council, had been protected under the Wildlife Habitat Protection Act.
*Introduce legislation to Strengthen the Environmental Assessment process to better involve the public and protect the remaining grasslands from development.
Bring forward legislation to protect native prairie, including monitoring and enforcing Conservation Easements preventing the breaking of these lands. Once native prairie is broken it cannot be restored.
Sign here in support of a needed Saskatchewan Wetlands Protection Plan!
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