The lay of the land

As the federal government shares jurisdiction over the protection and enhancement of the environment with the provinces and territories, additional cooperative organizations have been created including the Canadian Council of Ministers for the Environment and the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers. [...] The National Strategy for the Protection of Species at Risk (NSPSR) includes an intergovernmental accord, legislation, and an education program: The Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk, signed by federal, provincial, and territorial governments in 1996, recognized the importance of habitat conservation and the protection of wildlife species at risk of decline or decimation (Environment Ca [...] While the two former documents provide the vision of a “greener and more prosperous Manitoba,” the Sustainable Development Act sets out legislated requirements for government departments, and therefore has implications for the regulation of the natural resource and agriculture sectors. [...] It also acknowledges that the protection of the environment is essential to the integrity of ecosystems and human health and to the wellbeing of society, and that there is a need to integrate environmental protection and economic decisions in the earliest stages of planning. [...] The Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) and the Canadian Forest Service (CFS) are mandated to provide leadership and guidance to the provinces for the responsible and sustainable development of Canada’s forest resources.