One Million Hectares of Prairie Grasslands: Going, Going . . .
Stephen Hazell
Director of Conservation
and General Counsel
In 2012, the former Harper government decided to hand over management of one million hectares of mainly unbroken native prairie grasslands to the provinces and private sector without any assessment of the effects on threatened species or grasslands ecology—as was required under a Cabinet Directive.
Julie Gelfand, Commissioner of the Environment, reported in January that the Agriculture department “did not adequately apply the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals and its related guidelines to policy, plan and program proposals submitted for approval to an individual minister or Cabinet . . .” According to her report, the department agreed “to take the necessary steps to . . .ensure consistency with the Cabinet directive.”
Interestingly, a 2007 assessment under the Cabinet Directive concluded that “significant economic, social and environmental benefits” would arise from a proposed investment to maintain and improve these grasslands.
Canada simply cannot afford to lose more grasslands — the most imperilled ecosystem in Canada. Prairie grasslands are critical habitat for threatened species such as Greater Sage Grouse, Burrowing Owl, Swift Fox and Ferruginous Hawk as well as providing an important carbon sink for greenhouse gas emissions.
Protection of the 30 (out of an original total of 85) grasslands is a tremendous nature conservation opportunity. As well, these grasslands would continue to provide local ranchers (pasture patrons) with ongoing grazing for their cattle, providing jobs and economic benefits in rural western Canada.
Nature Canada has written to Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food, urging him to announce an immediate pause in the transfer of the remaining 30 grasslands in Saskatchewan until a legally binding plan is in place protects their ecological values.
Sign Nature Canada’s petition to Minister MacAulay to put a pause on the transfer of these ecologically important grasslands that provide critical habitat for dozens of species at risk.
