January 8, 2025

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to resolution 14-24M Construction Delays, from the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities Midterm Convention.

The Government of Saskatchewan recognizes the challenges rural municipalities and contractors face related to requirements of heritage studies and construction delays associated with sensitive species and habitat protections. The Ministry of Environment is committed to supporting sustainable development while safeguarding biodiversity and ensuring compliance with environmental regulations.

Heritage Sensitivity Screening

The Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport is pleased to inform SARM that we are building a new online Heritage Resources Screening system for launch in 2025. This system will directly address the concerns of SARM by reducing the area coded heritage sensitive for screening purposes. This enhanced screening feature, as well as other aspects of the new system will provide increased immediate heritage clearances, fewer unnecessary heritage reviews and speedier heritage review turnaround times.

Sensitive Species

Protection of sensitive species is mandated federally by The Migratory Birds Convention Act and The Species at Risk Act (SARA), and provincially by The Wildlife Act. Species detection surveys play a critical role in identifying sensitive species and their habitats, allowing for the development of effective mitigation plans that minimize harm while enabling projects to move forward responsibly. Without proper mitigation, there is a risk of federal intervention under SARA, which could result in significant legal and financial consequences for the municipality and province. Proactive measures reduce delays caused by regulatory interventions and ensure smoother project execution.

While the Ministry of Environment is unable to provide direct funding for species detection surveys, we are committed to assisting municipalities to support early planning and reduce the risk of interruptions, through tools such as the HABISask Project Screening Report Tool, the Conservation Standards Program, and The Saskatchewan Activity Restriction Guidelines for Sensitive Species. We look forward to continuing to support municipalities in navigating sensitive species requirements through proactive planning and available resources. Please contact sd.researchpermit@gov.sk.ca for more information on the tools available.

Thank you again for sharing your resolutions with us and allowing us the opportunity to respond to priorities of member rural municipalities. We value the longstanding relationship we share with SARM and look forward to our continued work with your organization in the coming year.

Hon. Travis Keisig – Minister of Environment, Government of Saskatchewan & Hon. Alana Ross – Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport, Government of Saskatchewan