State of the River 2004-2005
The Clearwater River, Clearwater River Provincial Wilderness Park, Saskatchewan
Link to the North
Saskatchewan section designated 1987 /
Alberta section designated 2004
The Alberta side of the river has also been nominated.
In the first year of the rivers’ designation there has been significant progress made toward initiating dialogue among key stakeholders and coordinating management efforts among governing departments. This is a necessary and positive step in the right direction as the principles espoused within the Management Plan must be operationalized at the local, regional and provincial level. In this regard, the year has been marked by a considerable communication effort to effectively explain what the new designation means to various interest groups and how they can help to protect the values that are identified within the Management Plan.
The Clearwater River Society, the local stakeholder group comprised of diverse stakeholder interests, convened quarterly in the 2004-2005 fiscal year to celebrate the designation and to share concerns, observations, and achievements that relate to the rivers’ health and longevity. These meetings are organized to enable members an opportunity to debate issues, communicate differing perspectives, and to determine reasonable actions using a consensus framework for decision-making. Each Society member has been influential in conveying the value and reality of the designation throughout their respective communities and areas of responsibility.
In the rivers’ first year of designation, the natural integrity, human heritage, recreation and tourism, and commercial values continue to be in tact. There remains tremendous potential to improve existing management efforts and there is no shortage of work to be done to implement the management actions identified in the Management Plan. Specific discussions related to these very important tasks are scheduled to take place following the rivers’ designation ceremony in June 2005.
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