GOVERNMENT PROTECTED AREA PROGRAMS

Protected areas in Saskatchewan have been created over the years through a variety of government programs such as Saskatchewan's Provincial Parks System Plan, Saskatchewan's Representative Areas Network (RAN), and Federal Government efforts to establish national parks.

Saskatchewan's Provincial Parks System Plan

There have been three eras of provincial park development in Saskatchewan. The first (Early Parks Era, 1930-1958) established nine parks. The second (Expansion Era, 1959-1973) added six new parks. The third era (Programming and Planning Era, 1973 to date) has continued to add new parks. Today, Saskatchewan currently has 34 provincial parks.

In 1986, Saskatchewan developed the Provincial Parks System Plan. Its purpose was to identify how existing and potential provincial parks represent and protect the natural and recreational resources of the province and serve the recreational needs of residents of and visitors to Saskatchewan. Sites were identified and studied.

Saskatchewan's Representative Areas Network (RAN)

In 1995, the Provincial government released their Environmental Agenda which included a series of much-needed actions to improve conservation of the biological diversity in our province. In response, the Representative Areas Network (RAN) Plan was established (in 1997) to conserve natural communities.

The RAN is composed of a system of lands and waters which are designated and managed to represent and conserve natural resources for current and future generations. The representative areas are intended to act both as reservoirs of biological diversity and as benchmarks for comparison with more heavily utilized landscapes.

When the RAN program began, existing protected areas became part of the representative areas network. Since then, new protected areas have been added. Today, all new protected areas are identified through the RAN program. The RAN sites include designations such as provincial parks, national parks, ecological reserves, wildlife lands, private and Crown land conservation easements, and so on.

When new sites are selected, protection is achieved through designation under various legal statutes such as the Parks Act, the Ecological Reserves Act, and the Parkland Reserves Act (see FREELAW to access Provincial statutes).

The State of our Protected Areas in Saskatchewan

There is much to do in Saskatchewan to ensure that a meaningful network of protected areas is identified and established to help preserve our natural heritage:

• Many sites in our province that have been included in the RAN are poorly protected. For example, the ecological integrity of Meadow Lake Provincial Park is severely compromised because of fragmentation by numerous roads, trails and cottage subdivisions; Moose Mountain Park allows oil and gas developments; Greenwater Park permits logging; portions of the Wapawekka Ecological Reserve is open to mining activities.


• There are many places that should be protected but have yet to been designated. For example, very little of the Great Sand Hills ecosystem is protected. Only about 5% of our boreal forest is protected, leaving 95% open to advancing developments.

Since 1991, the Government of Saskatchewan has made a series of commitments towards protection in Saskatchewan. Intentions are good, but much work remains to improve the selection and management of these lands.

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.

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