Saskatchewan's minister of parks, culture and sport says the government won't support a proposal to develop a golf course at a popular recreation site east of Regina.

“This is a project that this government is not interested in seeing move forward,” Mark Docherty said Tuesday.

The White Butte Trails Recreation Site is one of three areas where native grasses still grow in the Regina area.

“It’s important to us as Regina people,” said naturalist Trevor Herriot. “I think it would be a great tragedy and a loss if we couldn’t defend this one square mile of native Prairie we’ve got left.”

The government received an application from a golf course developer last year and was planning to hold public consultations.

However, that plan has since been quashed amid mounting public opposition to the proposal.