FOREST PROTECTION

Very little of Saskatchewan's boreal forest is protected. In fact less than 6% is protected, leaving almost 95% open to activities like forestry, mining, road building and hydro-electric development. Most protected areas in the forest are located south of the Churchill River. Many of the sites are relatively small. None are linked. Saskatchewan's largest protected area in the boreal forest is Prince Albert National Park.

The map below depicts in dark green, existing protected areas in the boreal forest that are 10,000 ha or greater. These sites, if managed well, are probably large enough to help maintain the long-term health of native species. It is important to note, however, that the ecological integrity of these sites is still at risk because the sites are disconnected from one other. Connecting ecosystems through the creation of wildlife links is important and is something that remains to be accomplished.

	Enlarge Sample Map Depicting Existing Protected Areas

CPAWS' Vision for Protection
CPAWS Saskatchewan has a big vision for protection in Saskatchewan's boreal forest. Our goal is a protected areas network, with large connected core areas in all ecological regions that provide both representation of all our boreal landscapes and ensure ecological integrity within sites. The map to the right depicts a vision for protection in the unallocated part of the boreal forest. By unallocated, we refer to places that have not been licenced to logging companies. These sites include both existing protected areas in green and proposed new areas and corridors in orange.

The sites and connectors on the map are based on landscape analyses of high conservation values (e.g. high biological diversity, pristine places) and analyses of representation of ecosystem types. The network of protected areas is an initial vision for what is needed in the forest. As more data becomes available it is likely that the protected area network will be enhanced. These sites, if linked and managed well, are probably large enough to help maintain the long-term health of native species.

Generally speaking, the unallocated regions of the forest lie north of the Churchill River. It is important to point out that lands south of the Churchill are highly deficient in protection. The map here shows a CPAWS vision for the regions that we are currently working in. But we recognize there is great need to do protected areas working in the southern forest.

Creating Protected Areas
Protected areas in the forest have been created over the years through a variety of government-led processes such as Saskatchewan's Provincial Parks System Plan, Saskatchewan's Representative Areas Network (RAN), and the Federal government's national park program. Today, identification of new protected areas in the forest often takes place within land use planning processes.

	Enlarge Map

Land Use Planning
Two forest land use plans were completed in the late 1990s and early 2000s. These plans, the Amisk-Atik and Pasquia-Porcupine, covered significant geographic areas and typically identified small scattered protected areas.

Five land use plans are still under development. These processes will identify new places for protection within their planning boundaries. The plans include:

• North Central Land Use Plan
• Athabasca Land use Plan
• PineHouse Dipper Land Use Plan
• Nisbet Forest Land Use Plan
• Fort a la Corne Forest Land Use Plan

CPAWS is engaged in two of the major land use planning areas (LUPAs), the North Central and Athabasca land use plans. Together with local people and other non-government organizations we are attempting to develop plans that incorporate conservation-based management (EBM) principles. It seeks to maintain ecosystem health in the face of advancing human developments and activities. Establishing protected areas is a key component in each of the plans.

Regions Outside of Land Use Plans
There are several places in the forest where there are no land use plans and plans are not expected in the near future. These regions are typically quite large. Generally speaking, they are located in:

• the Mistik Management harvesting area on the west side of the province,
• Weyerhaeuser's central forest management area (located west, east and north of Prince Albert National Park)
• Cree Lake area and adjacent lands extending west to the Alberta border
• the forest fringe (largely private lands in the southern part of the forest)

LEARN MORE:

About Protected Areas What is protection and why we should protect areas.

How to Protect CPAWS advocates Ecosystem-based Management practices including, connecting protected areas and cultural-based planning.

Saskatchewan's Protected Areas Types of protected areas, existing protected areas and proposed protected areas.

Government Protected Area Programs Learn about the RAN, government commitments, and the state of protected areas in Saskatchewan.

CPAWS' Work CPAWS Saskatchewan's work to protect forest and prairie ecosystems.