September 21, 2005

Wetland meadows, glacial beaches and endangered fescue prairie grassland will now be protected in Manitoba through the newly designated Birch River Ecological Reserve and the Armit Meadows Ecological Reserve, Conservation Minister Stan Struthers announced today.

"Ecological reserves carry the highest level of protection available in Manitoba, prohibiting all activities that may harm the landscape," said Struthers. "The new Birch River and Armit Meadows Ecological reserves, combined with the designation of the Bell and Steeprock Canyons Protected Area early last summer, are a significant step towards meeting the province’s commitment to establish protected areas within Manitoba’s Porcupine Provincial Forest."

The 263-hectare Armit Meadows Ecological Reserve is dominated by spruce forest, but a series of small grassland or wetland meadows are also found throughout the area. Some of the grassland meadows are isolated examples of the endangered fescue prairie ecosystem.

"These meadows contain the most northerly-known population of fescue prairie in Manitoba," the minister said. "Prairie grasslands where fescue species are the dominant grass are very limited making this a unique area in Manitoba."

Once extending over 255,000 square kilometres, only five per cent of the original fescue prairie ecosystem remains on the Canadian prairies today. The majority of this type of grassland has been converted to cereal crop production.

The 183-hectare Birch River Ecological Reserve is located two kilometres north of the community of Birch River. The area reflects the complex geological and glacial history of the Porcupine Mountain Escarpment. This diverse physical environment enables several rare and uncommon plants to thrive within its boundaries.

The Birch River Ecological Reserve is home to 17 orchid species, representing over
40 per cent of Manitoba’s orchid flora. Several plants considered rare in Manitoba grow here. There is also a diverse population of small mammals. Larger mammals, including coyotes, moose, elk, black bears and timber wolves, are also known to inhabit the area. Sandhill cranes have been observed nesting in the region.

Since the start of Manitoba’s Protected Areas Initiative in 1990, 5.4 million hectares of land have been protected. Ecological reserves are the most highly protected of the provincially-designated sites within the network of protected areas in Manitoba. They play a key role in meeting society’s commitment to set aside portions of land in their most natural state, free from intensive recreational development or resource harvest.

Passive visits on foot will be allowed without a permit while all other activities will require prior approval. The Armit Meadows and Birch River Ecological Reserves bring the total number of ecological reserves to 21 in Manitoba.

"The development of these ecological reserves demonstrates the province’s ability to balance conservation needs and resource commitments in the remarkable lands located within the Porcupine Mountains," said Struthers. "In a little over a year, in addition to these two new ecological reserves, we have created Little George Island, Brokenhead Wetland and Jennifer and Tom Shay ecological reserves. We will continue to work at expanding our vital protected areas network."

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