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The final report from a group of Islanders with expertise in land use, conservation, outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship will guide how government manages and preserves public land in the area of the Bonshaw Hills, Premier Robert Ghiz said.

“The Bonshaw Hills Public Lands Committee has been a historic opportunity for the community to chart a course for some of our province’s most spectacular natural areas,” Premier Ghiz said. “We owe our thanks to the committee members, whose work will help ensure that these lands are protected into the future and will provide outdoor recreational opportunities for generations of Islanders.”

The committee was created to satisfy a condition set by the Department of Environment, Labour, and Justice in approving the 6.2 kilometre Trans Canada Highway realignment between New Haven and Bonshaw. The condition stated that the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal must develop and implement long-term management and protection plans for five environmentally sensitive land parcels acquired as part of the highway realignment.

As a result, Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Robert Vessey appointed a 16-member group of government and non-government stakeholders that was chaired by Todd Dupuis of the Atlantic Salmon Federation and Brian Thompson of the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. The committee’s final report contains 20 recommendations for managing these lands based on three core principles: conservation of sensitive lands, recreation through active living, and nature education for all ages.

“Having reviewed this report, this government is very excited about the opportunities presented for Islanders,” Premier Ghiz said. “Most notably, the report recommends – and this government supports – linking Strathgartney and Bonshaw provincial parks to form a greatly expanded park that would be the province’s first wilderness park; and the report also recommends forming a subcommittee to develop management plans for each of the five parcels.”

The proposed wilderness park would provide an expansive area for year-round active living and recreation such as hiking, biking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. The subcommittee will be formed soon and will begin its work early in 2014.

“A great deal of public consultation and input went into this report, and I am proud of the committee members who gave of their time and their extensive knowledge to make it possible,” Minister Vessey said. “Now the work begins to turn the dreams of this visionary group of Islanders into reality.”

Read the committee's recommendations.

To read the committee’s full report and other information, visit www.gov.pe.ca/tir/bonshawhills.