Nopiming Provincial
Park (1,429 square kilometers) is one of Manitoba's
greatest treasures. This vast land, ruled by black
spruce and tamarack bogs, scattered wetlands, and
jack pine stands alongside the numerous lakes, rivers,
and rock outcrops, is an extremely important habitat
to the many species who make this park their home.
Unfortunately, the provincial government has allocated
62% of the parks total area to a Forest Management
License (harvest area) operated by multinational
corporation Tembec. As a result, massive clearcuting
projects are currently in operation.
Nopiming Park was created in 1976. The park included
some areas that were part of the wood supply for
the Pine Falls mill. In 1979 a new wood supply system
was introduced, the Forest Management License system.
The first FML included all of Nopiming Provincial
Park. At this time areas that hadn't been part of
the logging wood supply were put at risk. No parts
of the park were protected when the park was established
in 1976. It was a park in name only. With the Parks
Act of 1997, areas of the park were classified in
different ways. 62% of the park remains open for
clearcut logging and mining. Tembec's license to
log in Nopiming expires December 31, 2008. Tembec
is expecting the government to renew their license.
We must insist that Nopiming Park be removed from
FML 1 when a new license is issued.
The 1992 Clean Environment Commission report explicitly
stated that logging in Nopiming Park should end
no later than January 1, 1996. |
