NATIVE PRAIRIE STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM ANNOUNCED

Released on September 19, 1996

Lorne Scott, minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Wetland
Conservation Corporation, today announced the establishment of the
Native Prairie Stewardship Program.

This voluntary program is designed to assist landowners interested in
conserving native prairie areas on their land. It will be delivered by
the Saskatchewan Wetland Conservation Corporation and partners from the
agriculture and wildlife communities, including Nature Saskatchewan,
the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation and the Saskatchewan Grazing and
Pasture Technology Program.

The Native Prairie Stewardship Program will provide landowners with
information on land management techniques, assist with assessing the
potential of individual sites and offer recognition for participants.
During the next several weeks over 600 landowners of native prairie
sites will be contacted and informed of the program.

"Stewardship programs are working well in other jurisdictions in Canada
and the United States," Scott said. "I am confident that given the
inherent respect for land, and responsible management practised by
Saskatchewan landowners, the Stewardship Program will serve as a
catalyst to conserve native prairie in this province."

Saskatchewan has lost approximately 85 per cent of its native prairie.
Since only a small number of native prairie sites exist, in some areas
of the province, the remaining sites are particularly valuable.

The prairie ecosystem evolved over thousands of years and the resulting
genetic pool holds the potential for the development of new strains of
crops and pharmaceuticals. Many wildlife species depend on native
prairie habitat for their survival, and archaeological sites are found
largely on undisturbed land.

"The Native Prairie Stewardship Program is entirely voluntary," Scott
said. "All management decisions rest solely with the landowner."

The program is funded by the Canada-Saskatchewan Agriculture Green
Plan, Environment Canada's Action 21, Saskatchewan Wildlife Development
Fund, the U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Wildlife Habitat
Canada and the Saskatchewan Wetland Conservation Corporation.

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For more information contact:

Bob Carles
General Manager
Saskatchewan Wetland
Conservation Corporation
Regina
Phone: (306) 787-0726