SASKPOWER SHAND GREENHOUSE PILOT PROGRAM FOR MINI NURSERIES

Released on April 14, 2004

The SaskPower Shand Greenhouse will assist the Saskatchewan Dutch Elm Disease Association (SDEDA) and Saskatchewan Regional Parks Association (SRPA) with a pilot program that could result in the development of up to 10 new mini-nursery sites in the province.

The mini-nurseries will be used to grow tree seedlings, provided by the Shand Greenhouse, into larger, more substantial trees to re-populate or enhance existing greenspaces in regional parks and participating communities. If successful, each nursery will produce up to 30 trees per year. These larger, more established trees will have an increased rate of survival when transferred to their various locations in the parks.

"These new nursery projects demonstrate SaskPower's ongoing efforts to balance the business of providing safe, reliable and cost-effective electricity with environmental responsibility," Minister Responsible for SaskPower Frank Quennell said. "We are pleased to be able to assist these provincial organizations as we work toward our vision of a green and prosperous economy."

"We are very pleased to partner with the Shand Greenhouse to establish these mini-nurseries in regional parks throughout the province," SRPA Executive Director Darlene Friesen said. "Our volunteer boards are committed to ensuring a healthy future for our provincial greenspaces, and these mini-nurseries will help us achieve our goal."

"Many of our communities have lost large numbers of American elm trees due to Dutch Elm Disease," SDEDA Executive Director Sheri O'Shaughnessy said. "We welcome the opportunity to partner with Shand Greenhouse in our efforts to continue to diversify community forests."

Nursery sites will be designated by each of the partners in consultation with the Shand Greenhouse. In addition to the seedlings, the Shand Greenhouse will provide other materials necessary to establish the nurseries, and assist with nursery preparation and operation.

Using waste heat from the nearby Shand Power Station in Estevan, the SaskPower Shand Greenhouse grows and distributes thousands of tree and shrub seedlings each year for planting programs across the province. Trees protect the environment by absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) and filtering out pollution. An average-sized tree absorbs approximately 4.5 kilograms of CO2 from the atmosphere each year.

The SDEDA/SRPA nursery program begins with the planting of seedlings in mini-nurseries this spring. The first of the seedlings are expected to be ready for transfer in the spring of 2007.

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For More Information, Contact:

Larry Christie SaskPower Regina Phone: (306) 566-3167