Efforts underway to extinguish licence and protect areas for nature and culture.
Introduction
FRCN, with support from CPAWS, recently acquired federal government funding to negotiate and purchase Peat Harvest Licence #5 from Sungro Horticulture. The transaction is complete and FRCN now holds the licence. The intention is to extinguish the licence and shift the six areas within the licence to permanently conserved areas.
It’s important to note that FRCN has not purchased the land but rather we have acquired the licence to harvest it for peat moss, which we will not do.
The funds received include all legal and licence fees along with the costs to undertake the work that will be required to determine and secure the most suitable legal designation to protect the areas within the licence.
Backstory
July 18, 2024 – Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Special Advisor for Water, announced on behalf of the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, over $11 million for two major greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects funded through the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund.
$5.1 million will go specifically to conservation in Fisher River Cree Nation, to stop the conversion of land through peat harvesting, which releases carbon into the air.
Fisher River leadership have long expressed concern about the impact of harvesting peat, a natural resource made of organic matter, on Lake Winnipeg and moose and deer habitats.
It can also impact the harvesting of traditional medicines in the area.
Why did FRCN do this?
Peat harvesting has been approved in our area by the Manitoba government without our consent.
Peat harvesting impacts:
- our ability to use the land for traditional uses and practices;
- the habitat of local wildlife populations;
- the ability of the land to continue filtering excess and harmful nutrients from entering Lake Winnipeg;
- the immense levels of carbon stored in the soils, which if released by development would make climate change worse.
By purchasing the licence, FRCN has effectively removed all areas that were licenced to Sungro for peat harvesting on the west side of Fisher Bay. FRCN will not harvest the peat moss there.
What’s Next?
FRCN will work to determine the most suitable legal designation to protect the areas within the licence. This process will be supported by our partners at CPAWS and will include engagement with Kinonjeoshtegon and Peguis First Nations and the Manitoba government. These areas will be addressed and protected through a process that intersects with, and is complimentary to, the more comprehensive FRCN Conservation Areas Initiative.
Where are the licence Areas that will be Protected in their Natural State?
Please see map below.
The six areas acquired are within Peat Harvest Licence #5 on the west side of Fisher Bay.
Will this initiative affect Indigenous Rights and Use for Traditional Activities?
Yes, in a good way. These areas will remain natural, which will provide for Indigenous traditional use such as fishing, hunting, trapping, and medicine gathering. Any legal designation we choose to pursue will ensure our rights and use of the land for traditional activities.
Questions or Comments
Please contact Councillor Hilary Murdock at h.murdock@fisher-river.ca