NEWS RELEASE   December 12, 2002   For Immediate Release   Doer called upon to honour commitment that parks can't be sold or bartered away Carving up Clearwater Lake Provincial Park goes against public's wishes Premier Gary Doer should live by his statements that Manitoba's provincial parks should not be sold or bartered away and stop plans to change the boundaries of Clearwater Lake Provincial Park, Progressive Conservative Conservation Critic Glen Cummings said today. "The government's own initial public consultations on the proposed boundary change at Clearwater Lake Provincial Park have shown them that the vast majority of people are opposed to the change. Manitobans want parks protected for future use and they fear that this proposal could set an undesirable precedent that would lead to changes in other parks," Cummings explained.  "If the Premier is truly committed to preserving our parks for future generations, then he will respect the wishes of Manitobans by doing what is right and putting a stop to any carving up of our parks." Cummings made the comments after he tabled in the Legislature the signatures of more than 700 people who want the government to leave Clearwater Lake Provincial Park intact and to find another way to fulfill a Treaty Land Entitlement selection being made by the Opaskwayak Cree Nation. Cummings noted the Premier is on record stating that parks should be protected. Premier Doer, speaking September 26th on a Winnipeg radio station stated, "...a provincial park means...the public owns the park and it can't be sold or bartered away...it's gotta be used for the public. And that's, you know, for this generation and the next generations. It's very important." "Given that the Premier made this commitment to protect parks, we are calling on him to leave Clearwater Lake Provincial Park intact and find another way to fulfill the TLE selection made by OCN," said Cummings. "The Doer government needs to respect the fact that our parks have been set aside to protect our diverse natural and cultural heritage. The boundary change at Clearwater Lake Provincial Park should not proceed." Prior to Question Period today, Cummings moved amendments to the Provincial Parks Act designed to prevent the carving up of provincial parks, and to the Fisheries Act to address the problem of over fishing in Manitoba lakes. -30- For more information please contact:   Tish Best, Director of Media Relations & Communications   Office: 945-1558 Toll-free: 1-800-282-8069 E-mail:  tbest@leg.gov.mb.ca <<>mailto:tbest@leg.gov.mb.ca>>   Tish Best   Director of Communications and Media Relations   Manitoba PC Caucus   Office: 945-1558 Cellular: 791-8221