One of the action items in the new PEI Forest Policy released this fall, a Public Land Atlas for Prince Edward Island is now available.
Minister of Environment, Energy and Forestry Jamie Ballem announced the release of the atlas in the provincial legislature today.
“Public lands have often been called the Island’s best kept secret. Our goal is to encourage more Islanders to visit these lands and see how government is managing them on their behalf,” said Minister Ballem. “This atlas will help us reach that goal by telling Islanders where their public lands are located.”
Prince Edward Island does not have large areas of Crown land. Unlike other provinces, the Island’s public lands tend to be scattered properties and clusters of properties which often blend into the general landscape. Over the years, efforts have been made to identify and promote these lands. Since 2000, the Provincial Forest program has been erecting the diamond shaped, green and yellow oak leaf signs where these properties intersect public roads. The new atlas identifies these and other public lands such as Wildlife Management Areas and Natural Areas – in total, about 1,500 properties across the Island.
Minister Ballem said PEI’s 34,000 hectares of public forests are managed for a wide variety of uses. They provide habitat for many plant and animal species, and they are areas where we can learn more about managing and conserving our natural capital.
“These lands serve as living classrooms to demonstrate stewardship and conservation concepts to school children, landowners, and the general public. They also produce high value forest products that support and strengthen our economy,” he said. “But perhaps their greatest value is that they are publicly owned and, therefore, they provide all of us with access to healthy outdoor pursuits such as fishing, hiking, hunting and birdwatching.“
The Public Land Atlas was developed by staff in the department’s Geographic Information Section who produce high quality maps for a wide range of purposes. The Minister acknowledged them for their dedication and excellent work.
The Public Land Atlas is available for sale at the J. Frank Gaudet Tree Nursery complex in Charlottetown and through Island Information Service for $30+GST.