scientists urge that the boreal forest that straddles the Manitoba-Ontario boundary be designated a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE.......A proposed transmission line that would cut through the forest would effectively take this region out of contention for UNESCO status

Scientists around world urge protection of one of Earth''s largest intact forests

WINNIPEG _ More than 75 scientists from around the world have waded into a contentious Manitoba election issue and are urging the province to protect one of the Earth´s largest intact boreal forests. A letter signed by academics from North America and Australia says the greenbelt that straddles the Manitoba-Ontario boundary is one of the biggest remaining pristine woodland ecosystems left on the globe. They say it should be kept intact and be designated a UNESCO world heritage site. "It´s definitely a global treasure and definitely worth protecting," said Larry Innes, utive director of the Canadian Boreal Initiative, which helped organize the letter. A debate over where to build a new hydro transmission line has been one of the most divisive issues in the campaign for Tuesday´s election. The NDP government has plans to build the line down the west side of Lake Winnipeg rather than disturb the forest on the east side. But the Conservatives argue the east-side route is shorter, cheaper and would not derail attempts to turn the forest into a UNESCO site. There is a lot at stake, Innes said. Not only would building a hydro transmission line undermine the UNESCO bid, it would put the animals that call the forest home at risk, he said. Woodland caribou are a threatened species that needs the space and protection that the forest provides, he suggested. A large transmission line carved through the forest would give predatory wolves an edge by removing the caribou´s cover. "You effectively these long sight lines that allow long-range predators like wolves to basically patrol the transmission line and pick up the traces of caribou that would otherwise avoid them in an intact forest." Although the letter was released just days before the vote, organizers said they aren´t trying to tell people how to cast their ballot. Jeffrey Wells, another signatory to the letter, said he hopes voters weigh the evidence carefully. Manitoba´s part of the boreal forest is an important refuge and will become even more so as climate change pushes some species further north, said Wells, who is science and policy director of the Boreal Songbird Initiative in Maine. "These intact areas are essentially the Noah´s Ark for species in the changing world we are seeing from climate change," he said. "It´s a really special place and it is a last-chance opportunity to maintain the natural heritage values of this place." Conservative Leader Hugh McFadyen downplayed concerns outlined in the letter. McFadyen, former chairman of the UNESCO world heritage committee, has said a hydro line would not derail a bid to designate the area. The transmission line´s western route cuts through as many caribou ranges as the east side does, he added. As well, the eastern route is shorter, so it would be cheaper and have less impact on the environment. "I think they are right to raise the environmental issue," he said of the scientists. "I think they are wrong in terms of their analysis of the impacts." The letter was welcome to NDP Leader and Premier Greg Selinger, who has made the transmission line and the future of Manitoba Hydro a central theme of his re-election campaign. Keeping the province´s boreal forest untouched will benefit the economy and the environment, he argued. Manitoba could become an eco-tourism destination while preserving the environment, he suggested. "For the environment, it´s a tremendous storehouse for carbon. It´s a huge producer of clean water and clean air. "It´s the kind of asset that, once you destroy it, you don´t get it back. We have to be very prudent in protecting it now for future generations."