The Manitoba government is protecting two tracts of northern boreal forest along Hudson Bay that are the summer home to polar bears, caribou and several bird species.

The Kaskatamagan Wildlife Management area is known for eco-tourism during warm weather, when beluga whales can be seen along the coastal part of the region.

A second area known as the Kaskatamagan Sipi is recognized around the globe for its large bird populations.

For a couple of weeks each year, beluga whales, polar bears and caribou can all be found at the same time along the parts of the Hudson Bay coast included in these areas. That makes the region a unique destination for ecotourism, said Premier Greg Selinger, who made the announcement about the protected lands on Wednesday.

'We believe strongly in the role forests play in our fight against climate change.'—Premier Greg Selinger

Those areas will also help the province meet its commitment to reduce global warming, said Selinger. The protected tracts of land cover 4,000 square kilometres and are estimated to store approximately 179 million tonnes of carbon in their peatlands and soil.

The forests in these areas help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by absorbing the carbon dioxide emitted by the burning of fossil fuels.

“We believe strongly in the role forests play in our fight against climate change and will continue to advocate nationally and internationally to ensure boreal forests are an important part of any climate change strategy,” Selinger said.

Logging, mining, hydroelectric power development, oil and gas exploration or development, and any other activities that could significantly and adversely affect natural habitat are banned in the new protected areas, he added.

“Aboriginal and treaty nights will be respected in these new protected areas, which include accessing protected areas for hunting, trapping, fishing and other traditional pursuits,” said Selinger.

With files from The Canadian Press