The Gouvernement du Québec approved the designation of the Réserve de territoire aux fins d’aire protégée Pipunishiwin-Saahkamiishtikw following the submission in the fall of 2020 of a joint brief from the Minister of the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and the Minister of Forests, Wildlife and Parks. The legally protected status contemplated for this territory is that of a “biodiversity reserve,” which is governed by the Natural Heritage Conservation Act.
The Réserve de territoire aux fins d’aire protégée Pipunishiwin-Saahkamiishtikw was selected to represent the territorial zone of the Rogen Plain. The territory is part of the Rivière De Pontois drainage basin, which flows into La Grande River. To the west in the territorial zone of the Eastmain River the territory is noteworthy for the presence of landforms marked by trails of glacial deposits. To the east, in the territorial zone of the Rogen Plain, the contours are smoother. Cree tallymen have emphasized the territory’s interest because of the big lakes found there. Like the sectors identified earlier, this territory is part of the wintering area of the Rivière aux Feuilles migratory woodland caribou herd.
No natural resource exploration or exploitation activity (mining, energy and forests) is allowed in the territory of the territorial reserve for protected area purposes. The Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and the Minister of Forests, Wildlife and Parks will ensure the maintenance of the administrative and legal provisions that their prohibition requires.