August 19, 2014

The Chitek Lake area in Manitoba's Interlake region holds a special significance for the protection of wild nature. This 1,003 square kilometre park reserve is a transition zone, free of all-weather roads. Large lakes are surrounded by aspen parkland to the south which blend into boreal pine and black spruce forests of the north. The resulting biological diversity makes this one of Manitoba’s Conservation Hotspots, which we featured in our 2009 Hotspots Educational Report.

Chitek Lake is the only place in the province where you can find four native ungulates living in the wild: woodland caribou, moose, elk, and whitetail deer. The addition of a fifth--wood bison--is one of the reasons the nature of Chitek Lake Park Reserve deserves protection.

In 1991, wood bison were successfully introduced to the wilds of the Chitek Lake area, in an experimental introduction designed to save the bloodline of these animals, which were highly endangered. The lowland grasses and mixed forest of the Chitek Lake region have been an ideal destination for the 22 wood bison that were introduced, and the herd is now over 300 animals.

The Chitek Lake area is the traditional use area of the Skownan First Nation, and the community was instrumental in establishing the wood bison here. In the late 90s, the community nominated their territory for protection, and in 1999 this region was given interim protection and designated as the Chitek Lake Park Reserve.

The Skownan First Nation still makes use of the lands and waters of the Chitek Lake Park Reserve for hunting, trapping and commercial fishing, and the region contains many sacred sites for the community.

Right now, the Manitoba government is seeking to make the protection permanent with the creation of Chitek Lake Provincial Park. The Skownan First Nation wishes to ensure that opportunities to use these undisturbed wild lands and waters continue, and supports permanent protection for the Chitek lake area.

The government is asking for comment by August 24th, 2014! Please take the time to write a letter or email your comments directly to parksystem@gov.mb.ca. Tell the government you support creating the new Chitek Lake Provincial Park.

Help us reach our goal of protecting 20% of Manitoba by 2020!

For the wild,

Eric Reder | Manitoba Campaign Director

Photo:  Chitek Lake Park Reserve (Ryan K. Brook).