Premier Pat Binns and Minister of Environment, Energy and Forestry Jamie Ballem today released the report on public consultations on managing land and water on a watershed basis. Outlining next steps in the process, the Premier and Minister announced additional funding of up to $750,000 this fiscal year to act immediately on some of the key recommendations, and they established an implementation committee to move forward on other recommendations.
Entitled We are all upstream, We are all downstream, We are all part of a watershed, the report was completed by the Environmental Advisory Council which is appointed under the Environmental Protection Act to advise the Minister on issues of environmental concern. The committee that carried out the consultations held five public meetings across the province and heard from hundreds of Islanders including watershed volunteers, farmers, fishers and tourism operators.
“I was glad to see so many people take part in the discussions,” said Premier Binns. “Protecting our watersheds, and planning and managing on a watershed basis is clearly a priority for Islanders. And it is a priority for Government. We will invest an additional $750,000 this year so that we can get to work on some of the key recommendations in this report and support watershed volunteers who make such a tremendous contribution to communities throughout the province.”
The Environmental Advisory Council report includes 43 recommendations under six broad categories: Governance on a Watershed Basis; Policies, Regulations and Programs; Education/Awareness; Research and Technical Support; Organization and Structure; and Funding.
Minister Ballem said Government will move forward immediately on three priority areas:
• Additional funding of up to $500,000 will be available this fiscal year for watershed groups to carry out watershed management activities and complete watershed management plans.
• Government will work with the University of Prince Edward Island and Holland College to establish a program whereby students get work experience while providing technical support to watershed groups.
• Funding of $100,000 will be invested to conduct a full cost analysis of the social, cultural and environmental costs of not taking action on key environmental issues in watersheds.
Minister Ballem said Government will establish an implementation committee to examine the other recommendations in the Environmental Advisory Council report and develop an implementation plan. The committee will be led by the Department of Environment, Energy and Forestry and include representatives from other government departments, as well as watershed groups and other community representatives.
Both Premier Binns and Minister Ballem thanked the Environmental Advisory Council for their work in carrying out the public consultations. The committee was co-chaired by Sherra Profit, a Summerside lawyer, and potato and beef farmer Elmer MacDonald of Augustine Cove. Other members were Dr. Jim Kemp, a UPEI biology professor; and Don Matheson, a retired teacher and Christmas tree grower from Oyster Bed Bridge. Dr. Don Mazer, retired UPEI professor, facilitated the consultations and assisted in preparing the report.
The Environmental Advisory Council report on the public consultations is available online at www.gov.pe.ca/go/watershedconsultations or from Island Information Service at (902) 368-4000.