The Prince Edward Island government has proclaimed an Island-wide system of Provincial Forests which will be managed in perpetuity for present and future generations. The Provincial Forests, totalling 46,000 acres, are blocks of publicly owned land under the management of the Natural Resources Division of the Department of Agriculture and Forestry. The establishment of a system of Provincial Forests was a key recommendation of the Round Table on Resource Land Use and Stewardship.
"These lands are a public trust, and my department will assume a stronger role in their sustainable management and in demonstrating appropriate stewardship," said Mitch Murphy, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry. "Over the past 25 years, the department has been actively planting trees on these lands, encouraging natural regeneration, thinning overcrowded stands and offering public tenders for sustainable harvests. Without proper designation, there was a possibility that these investments could be lost in future through the sale or rededication of these properties."
Mr. Murphy said that with the proclamation of Provincial Forests, government has also made a commitment to ensure they will benefit local communities. "In cooperation with the new provincial forest agency, we will be encouraging the use of Provincial Forests for a wide range of community development initiatives," he said.
The minister said there will also be operational efficiencies which will improve their overall management, and he wants community groups and members of the public to become involved in management decisions and use. "The Provincial Forest program will hold extensive public information sessions on the potential of these public forest lands through community meetings, tours and special presentations," he said. "I encourage every Islander to visit a Provincial Forest property and see for themselves how these public lands are being managed."
Each Provincial Forest will be designated with a sign.
Dan MacAskill, Provincial Forests manager, said considerable effort has been placed on making available Provincial Forests for other uses such as recreation, wildlife habitat, outdoor education and the harvest of non-timber products such as wild mushrooms, ground hemlock tips and balsam fir branch tips for wreaths.
"One of our most successful non-timber forest management programs has been our work with the Nordic Ski Trails in Brookvale," said Mr. MacAskill. "As well, six demonstration woodlots were established in the early 1980s as teaching areas to demonstrate various forest and wildlife management concepts."
Mr. Murphy said he is excited about the many possibilities of Provincial Forests, and that he looks forward to hearing from community groups and others with ideas on their management and use.