Province buying land in buffer zones
Decision follows freeze on new developments near waterways
CHARLOTTETOWN - The P.E.I. government is hoping to buy up coastal land in hopes of shoring up its conservation and shoreline protection efforts.
A statement on Feb. 9 said the province would offer landowners “fair market price” to purchase land near buffer zones, wetlands and watercourses.
The statement said these purchases would help the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action with its tree planting and reforestation efforts.
“We want to work side-byside with landowners to establish sustainable solutions to protect our waterways,” Environment, Energy and Climate Action Minister Steven Myers said in the statement.
“Increasing protected areas and reforestation will help us deal with climate change and it will help us reach our net zero goals.”
The release said eligible land must include a riparian buffer zone, meaning a vegetated area near a stream, wetland, estuary or coastal barrier beach pond. The land could be an entire property or a portion of a property that can be subdivided.
The move follows a Jan. 11 order by Myers freezing new developments within buffer zones across P.E.I.
Myers has said this order halted the permits of 75 developments. SaltWire Network
has asked for a list of these developments, but as of deadline on Feb. 9, the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action had yet to provide a copy.
PROVINCE NOT RELEASING ‘WORKING POLICY’ FOR POINT DEROCHE
Prior to this order, the Official Green Opposition had accused Myers’ department of failing to follow its own buffer zone protection policies after a development on Kelpie Lane near Point DeRoche placed a compound of armour stones below the high water mark on a public beach.
Myers has maintained the permit for this work was granted properly and that the work on the beach was not completed inside of a buffer zone.
The departments of environment and agriculture and land have said the previous Point DeRoche home on the property had already been
within the buffer zone and that the new footprint could be used for a new construction under a “current working policy.”
Since Nov. 23, SaltWire Network has repeatedly asked for a copy of this working policy. By deadline on Feb. 9, the province had yet to release it.
Coastal damage brought about by last fall’s post-tropical storm Fiona has also brought about heightened awareness of to the issue of shoreline protection.
Iconic sand dunes in beaches along the North Shore of the province sustained heavy damage during the storm.
Landowners looking to sell coastal land to the province can contact the forests, fish and wildlife of the Department of Environment at 902-368-6450.