Released on October 3, 1996
Agriculture and Food Minister Eric Upshall and Environment and ResourceManagement Minister Lorne Scott today released an integrated land use
plan for the Manitou Sand Hills.
Manitou Sand Hills, which comprises 105,000 acres of Crown grazing land
next to the Alberta border south of Lloydminster, is one of the largest
areas of its kind remaining in the province.
"It is encouraging to see local agreement that environmental and
industrial objectives can co-exist with agricultural objectives,"
Upshall said.
"It preserves portions of Crown land in its natural state and provides
guidelines for development in other parts of the region to preserve the
environmental integrity of the area," Scott said.
The plan allows for new development, including oil and gas exploration
and development, while conserving both the representative and unique
features of the sand hills ecosystem. The plan sets out guidelines for
future development on environmentally-sensitive land.
The ministers said there is potential for job creation in the areas of
eco-tourism, increased oil and gas development, and continued use of
the land for agricultural purposes.
The ministers said the plan serves as a model for future land use
planning and development of Saskatchewan's resources. Implementation
of the integrated resource management plan for Crown lands in the
Manitou Sand Hills will bring positive environmental and economic
benefits to the area.
The plan was developed through an extensive consultation process
involving stakeholder industries and interest groups, local rural
municipalities, Crown land lessees, the provincial government,
Environment Canada and Alberta Parks.
The next step in the plan is for implementation of the recommendations,
with a Standing Advisory Committee representing participating agencies
and stakeholders to oversee the process.
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For more information, contact:
Syd Barber Greg Haase
Environment and Resource Management Agriculture and Food
Regina Regina
Phone: (306) 787-1263 Phone: (306) 787-5154