At a meeting in late April, the Manitoba government failed to set a firm date for fulfilling its promise to permanently protect a stretch of the Canadian boreal forest that provides crucial habitat for North America's migratory birds and other wildlife. Manitoba officials have repeatedly pledged support for designating 10.6 million acres of this ancient forest as a United Nations World Heritage Site. But first, the province must put in place lasting protections for the traditional territory of the Poplar River First Nation. Poplar River completed a land use plan last November that called for protection of approximately 90 percent of its traditional lands. With the threat of hydropower development, logging and other destructive activity looming over these wildlands, it is critical that Manitoba officials take immediate action to formally safeguard the area.

» Urge the Manitoba government to grant permanent protection to the Poplar River's traditional territory by the end of June. (2006)