Prairie NWA Unit 10 Delisted

Summary#

The federal government adopted the Regulations Amending the Wildlife Area Regulations (SOR/2023-100) to remove unit 10 from the Prairie National Wildlife Area in Saskatchewan. The change came into force when registered on May 19, 2023 and was published in the Canada Gazette on June 7, 2023. This lets the government dispose of that 160‑acre parcel and paves the way for a possible land swap to improve nearby conservation lands.

What it does#

• Repeals Subitem 2(10) of Part VI of Schedule I to the Wildlife Area Regulations, which effectively delists unit 10 from the Prairie National Wildlife Area.
• Takes effect on the day of registration (May 19, 2023).
• Removes the need for the federal government to manage unit 10 as part of the NWA and clears the way for the Department to dispose of the parcel, including a planned exchange for a nearby high‑value grassland parcel owned by the current occupier. The actual land exchange and any creation of a new NWA would require later steps and are not completed by this regulation.

Who's affected#

• The current occupier of unit 10, who operates a cattle ranch and held a grazing permit under the NWA system. The occupier is the likely immediate beneficiary of the change.
• Environment and Climate Change Canada (through the Canadian Wildlife Service), which will no longer administer unit 10 as part of the NWA.
• Local Indigenous and Métis groups in the area around the Prairie NWA. The government consulted Treaty 4 First Nations and Métis organizations (including the File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council); no concerns were raised in the consultation record.
• People interested in prairie conservation and species at risk — because the planned exchange would aim to add higher‑value grassland to a National Wildlife Area, potentially protecting habitat for species such as Sprague’s Pipit (a federally listed threatened bird). That outcome depends on a future transaction and regulation.

Why it matters#

• It corrects a long‑standing administrative error: unit 10 was never considered high conservation value and should not have been part of the NWA since its creation.
• It reduces paperwork and small costs for the rancher who uses the land: the government estimated the occupier avoids about $3,110 in permitting costs over 10 years, and the federal government saves about $880 over the same period.
• It enables a possible land swap that could strengthen conservation on nearby higher‑value native grassland. If that swap and a future regulation happen, more valuable habitat could be added to the NWA system to help species at risk. That outcome is not automatic and has not yet been finalized.
• The government says removing unit 10 will not reduce environmental benefits because the parcel is of low conservation value.