Prince Edward Island’s system of protected Natural Areas expanded recently with the addition of four privately owned properties in the Hazel Grove area of Queens County, says Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, George Webster.
“Many of the stands on these properties contain tall mature upland hardwoods that are representative of our original Acadian Forest cover types,” said Minister of Agriculture and Forestry George Webster. “Protecting these high-value forests will help us move toward our goal of protecting different aspects of the Island’s natural environment.”
The properties are owned by Lynne Douglas and Benjamin Wells, and the management of the designated forest lands will be monitored by the Island Nature Trust through a Restrictive Covenant Agreement.
“Before the large scale land clearances of the 1800s, the hilly lands of Hazel Grove would have been cloaked in large, mature Sugar Maple, Yellow Birch, Beech and other shade-tolerant Acadian Forest species,” said Jackie Waddell, Executive Director of Island Nature Trust. “This type of mature forest is relatively rare in PEI’s inventory of protected areas so the addition of these properties will complement the Island’s efforts to conserve more of these diverse upland hardwood sites.”
In addition to the rich upland hardwood stands, several other forest stands on these properties have been disturbed by past harvesting and other land use practices. Waddell noted that, over the years, Lynne and her late husband Andy Wells, worked to restore forest health and diversity on their properties and today their efforts are contributing to the Islands’ network of protected areas.
Under the covenant, the land owners receive property tax forgiveness yet retain ownership of the lands. The Natural Areas designation will run in perpetuity and protect these lands for years to come.
To date, there are some 8,300 hectares of public and private land designated as protected. The Province is working with groups such as Island Nature Trust to identify additional sites with high conservation priority in order to ensure that these unique ecological areas are protected for the benefit of the Island’s environment and future generations.
“Our province has a limited amount of unspoiled lands, it is important that Islanders take steps to preserve areas of environmental sensitivity,” said Minister of Environment, Labour and Justice, Janice Sherry. “The government of Prince Edward Island is eager to work with landowners to preserve privately held lands, while allowing them to remain in private ownership.”