An additional 525 acres of public land has been given protection under the Natural Areas Protection Act, says Minister of Environment, Energy and Forestry, Richard Brown.

“Protecting the natural habitats and landscapes of Prince Edward Island is a key part of protecting our environment,” Minister Brown said. “We are fortunate to work with Ducks Unlimited and our other Eastern Habitat Joint Venture partners to help increase the number of environmentally sensitive sites designated as protected in the province.”

Since June 2007, the province has protected 3,000 acres of natural areas under the Natural Areas Protection Act.

The land includes properties with significant salt marshes at Little Tignish Run, Percival River, Malpeque Bay and DeGros Marsh. Also included are two forested properties at Bear River, as well as lands at Nail Pond, Johnstons River and Valleyfield. Eastern Habitat Joint Venture (EHJV) purchased seven of the 15 properties. EHJV is a partnership established between governments and conservation groups to protect wetlands important to migratory birds.

“Wetlands are still being lost in Atlantic Canada and coastal wetlands such as salt marshes and the Nail Pond barrachois pond are especially rich in aquatic life,” said Tom Duffy, manager of Atlantic Operations for Ducks Unlimited Canada. “They also benefit the people of Prince Edward Island by providing increased protection against high tides and storm surges. I am glad to see these EHJV properties receiving an extra layer of protection.”

The hardwood-dominated block of land along Bear River in St. Margarets given protection now stands at 510 acres. Special attention is now being given to protecting older woodlands because the area of older stands, particularly hardwoods, has dwindled in the province in recent years.

“It takes well over a hundred years for a hardwood forest to mature, so it makes sense to conserve the ones we have and protect the wildlife associated with these older stands,” said Minister Brown. “There is strong evidence that larger areas do a better job of conserving wild species.”

The total amount of land protected in the province is currently 3.12 per cent. Government has committed to protecting seven per cent as committed in the 1992 World Wildlife Fund Endangered Spaces Challenge. The province is relying on both public and private land designations to achieve this goal.

BACKGROUNDER

List of 15 properties recently designated under the Natural Areas Protection Act, released May 2011.

Natural Pond:

1. PID 891127 – Nail Pond, 10.52 ha (26 acres)

Salt Marsh:

2. PID 506055 – Little Tignish Run, 2.02 ha (5 acres)

3. PID 51037 – Percival River, 29.14 ha (72 acres)

4. PID 83535 – Malpeque Bay, 12.14 ha (30 ac)

5. PID 83543 – Malpeque Bay, 12.55 ha (31 ac)

6. PID 878918 – Degros Marsh, 27.1 ha (67 acres)

7. PID 167395 – DeGros Marsh, 1.9 ha (4.7 acres)

8. PID 634238 – DeGros Marsh, 6.1 ha (15 acres)

9. PID 856450 – DeGros Marsh, 3.8 ha (9.4 acres)

Freshwater Wetland:

10. PID 126680 – Johnstons River, 1.5 ha (3.8 acres)

11. PID 891069 – Johnstons River, 7.1 ha (17.5 acres)

12. PID 533679 – Johnstons River, 12.1 ha (30 acres)

Woodland:

13. PID 114785 – Bear River, 40.5 ha (100 acres)

14. PID 114850 – Bear River, 28.3 ha (70 acres)

15. PID 479709 – Valleyfield, 17.8 ha (44 acres)