To the Editor:
Re: Made-in-Manitoba carbon tax would protect environment and the economy (MLA Report Sept. 8, 2017 Nickel Belt News)
I appreciate Thompson MLA Kelly Bindle’s statement about the provincial government’s commitment to producing a climate plan that protects our environment and our economy. It’s good to know the province is working toward a plan that contains “land-use and conservation measure that sequesters carbon” as a key element. This part of the plan would be tax-free and makes a lot of sense as keeping carbon in the ground keeps it out of the atmosphere, which would otherwise accelerate climate change.
Manitoba’s best opportunity for contributing to the climate challenge in a globally significant way is to balance large-scale conservation and sustainable developments in the vast boreal forest region, which covers over 80 per cent of Manitoba. The boreal stores more carbon in its trees and soils than any other terrestrial ecosystem on Earth. Manitoba’s boreal forest and wetlands ecosystem is estimated to store a minimum of 19 billion tonnes of carbon, which is equivalent to nearly 1,000 years of Manitoba’s annual greenhouse gas emissions.
Our province has the chance to shed its long history of piecemeal developments that have failed to adequately consider the long-term viability of the environment and the economy. Planning for our future needs to consider all the elements if we are to be successful. A great opportunity to get the ball rolling is to consider the large Resource Management Areas (RMAs) that cover much of Manitoba’s north. The Manitoba government has long overdue commitments to support northern communities and work with them to design land-use plans for RMAs, many of which are thousands of square kilometres in size. The planning processes could be focused on long-term sustainability with a goal of balancing economic prosperity and environmental health, including conserving large areas with high carbon values. The RMA plans could create certainty for business, as investors would have clarity about where and under what conditions they can develop, while also serving to secure habitat for wildlife populations and the ecosystems that provide us with clean air, pure water, and climate moderation.
Ron Thiessen
Executive Director, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society - Manitoba Chapter
Winnipeg
