On the one-year anniversary of the introduction of the provincial park logging ban, the Wilderness Committee is drawing attention to the fact that the Manitoba government continues to approve logging in provincial parks.

“The Wilderness Committee believes that this road licence is illegal. It is definitely against the wishes of most Manitobans,” said Eric Reder, Campaign Director for the Wilderness Committee.

In August, the government approved a licence for a logging road across Grass River Provincial Park against the advice of its own Conservation branch staff. Appeals to the licence were dismissed without explanation in October, just before a new premier and conservation minister were chosen.

The road will bisect a provincial park, disturb a protected river and facilitate logging in known caribou habitat. A condition of the road is that it will be used only for logging, in what seems to be a clear violation of the ban on logging in provincial parks.

The Wilderness Committee asked Premier Greg Selinger and conservation minister Bill Blaikie to cancel the licence several weeks ago, but so far there has been no public comment from government.

This past weekend, Wilderness Committee staff member Robin Bryan led a research expedition to Grass River Provincial Park. While the construction of the road hasn’t started, a single survey ribbon indicates the place where this destructive development is to begin.

“Selinger and Blaikie must take action now to prove their commitment to the park logging ban by rescinding this licence. This will demonstrate to Manitobans that they are committed to protecting the province’s rich natural heritage,” said Reder.

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This release is part of the Wilderness Committee's Public Lands and Wildlife campaigns.

For more information, contact:

Eric Reder, Campaign Director

eric@wildernescommittee.mb.ca or 997-8584

B-roll footage is available. High-resolution images are also available.