Prairie NWA reorganized into five NWAs

Summary#

This is a proposed change (published June 1, 2024) to the Wildlife Area Regulations that would reorganize the scattered Prairie National Wildlife Area into five new, smaller national wildlife areas and remove 19 low-conservation-value parcels from NWA protection. It is a proposal open for public comment for 90 days and is not law yet.

What it does#

• Removes the existing Prairie National Wildlife Area (currently 26 units totaling 2,873 ha) from the schedule to the Regulations. The units are widely scattered (about 780 km between the furthest ones).
• Creates five new NWAs from the higher-value pieces of the Prairie NWA:
  • Great Sandhills National Wildlife Area — 474.7 hectares
  • Harris Sandhills National Wildlife Area — 372.1 hectares
  • Longspur National Wildlife Area — 193.4 hectares
  • Moose Mountain Creek National Wildlife Area — 162.7 hectares
  • Thickwood Hills National Wildlife Area — 298.6 hectares
• Delists the lands currently making up units 1–5, 8, 9, 12, 14–19, and 22–26 (the 19 units not included above).
• Carries forward the same public activities that were allowed in the Prairie NWA into the five new NWAs, including:
  • wildlife viewing, hiking, and non-commercial berry picking;
  • sport hunting (including dogs off-leash for hunting migratory or upland game birds) during half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset, when done under required permits and without the use of toxic shot.
• If the regulation is adopted, it would come into force on the day it is registered. After delisting, the government may explore options for those lands (for example, transfers, conservation easements, trades, or sales).

Who's affected#

• Local land users and permit holders in southern Saskatchewan. In the last year there were 24 permits on the Prairie NWA; 12 of those were on lands proposed to become the five new NWAs. Permit holders for delisted lands may no longer need NWA permits for uses such as grazing.
• Small cattle ranches and farmers. The impact analysis estimates administrative savings for small businesses of about $8,045 over 10 years (about $95 per affected business per year).
• Indigenous communities and organizations near the lands, including consultation with groups such as the File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council (FHQTC) and several First Nations and Métis organizations. The Department assessed modern-treaty implications and says it found none for this proposal, but it has offered further meetings about potential effects if lands are later divested.
• Environmental non‑government organizations (ENGOs) and local governments. Some ENGOs disagreed with parts of the delisting; others supported it.
• The federal department that manages NWAs, identified in the document as the Department of the Environment, which would shift management resources to the new, higher-value areas.

Why it matters#

• The change focuses protection and management on the highest-quality prairie habitats. That could improve conservation results by concentrating effort on places with known populations of species at risk and better habitat connectivity.
• People who use the delisted lands for activities like grazing, haying or other agricultural uses may face less administrative paperwork because fewer NWA permits would be needed.
• Delisting does not automatically change ownership. The government could transfer, sell, or otherwise dispose of delisted parcels later. That future step could affect local land use and Indigenous rights, which is why further local and Indigenous engagement is planned before any land disposition.
• Because this is a proposal, the public and affected groups have the 90‑day comment period (starting from the Canada Gazette publication) to raise concerns or ask for changes.