The Task Force on Land Use Policy is holding an open house at the Emerald Community Centre on Saturday, November 23, to provide a further opportunity for those with an interest in the future of land use to share their ideas. The open house will be held from 9 to 10 a.m., followed by a presentation and discussion from 10 a.m. until noon.

“The future of land use in Prince Edward Island is an issue that affects all Islanders,” said John Handrahan, chair of the Task Force. “Public discussion and feedback are important as the Task Force will be finalizing its report to government by January.”

The Task Force held a number of public meetings earlier this year, and also invited interested organizations to make presentations. This fall, it conducted an online survey to gauge opinions on a wide range of land use issues. Close to 800 people participated in the survey.

Of those who responded, 90 percent agreed that the best farm land should be kept in agricultural production or related uses. Other issues identified as being serious were soil conservation; pollution of coastal, surface and drinking water; coastal erosion; and soil quality. There was strong support for proposed measures to protect significant viewscapes by limiting development, locating new housing subdivisions in municipalities, restricting building in areas in danger of flooding or erosion, and establishing standards for new housing developments to protect the rural character and landscape.

Comments and suggestions are also welcome by email (landuse@gov.pe.ca), letter (PO Box 2000, Charlottetown, C1A 7N8) or telephone (620-3558.) A consultation draft is available at www.gov.pe.ca/landandlocalgovernance.

The Task Force was established to make recommendations for the future of land use policies and plans for the province. There are no provincial land use policies.