P.E.I. government to buy buffer zone land at ‘fair market price’
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CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The P.E.I. authorities is hoping to purchase up coastal land in hopes of shoring up its conservation and shoreline safety efforts.
A press release on Feb. 9 mentioned the province would supply landowners “honest market value” to buy land close to buffer zones, wetlands and watercourses.
The assertion mentioned these purchases would assist the Division of Surroundings, Vitality and Local weather Motion with its tree planting and reforestation efforts.
“We need to work side-by-side with landowners to ascertain sustainable options to guard our waterways,” Surroundings, Vitality and Local weather Motion Minister Steven Myers mentioned within the assertion.
“Rising protected areas and reforestation will assist us cope with local weather change and it’ll assist us attain our internet zero objectives.”
The discharge mentioned eligible land should embrace a riparian buffer zone, which means a vegetated space close to a stream, wetland, estuary or coastal barrier seaside pond. The land might be a whole property or a portion of a property that may be subdivided.
The transfer follows a Jan. 11 order by Myers freezing new developments inside buffer zones throughout P.E.I.
Myers has mentioned this order halted the permits of 75 developments. SaltWire Community has requested for an inventory of those developments, however as of deadline on Feb. 9, the Division of Surroundings, Vitality and Local weather Motion had but to supply a duplicate.
Province not releasing ‘working coverage’ for Level DeRoche
Previous to this order, the Official Inexperienced Opposition had accused Myers’ division of failing to comply with its personal buffer zone safety insurance policies after a growth on Kelpie Lane close to Level DeRoche positioned a compound of armour stones beneath the excessive water mark on a public seaside.
Myers has maintained the allow for this work was granted correctly and that the work on the seaside was not accomplished inside a buffer zone.
The departments of atmosphere and agriculture and land have mentioned the earlier Level DeRoche dwelling on the property had already been inside the buffer zone and that the brand new footprint might be used for a brand new building underneath a “present working coverage.”
Since Nov. 23, SaltWire Community has repeatedly requested for a duplicate of this working coverage. By deadline on Feb. 9, the province had but to launch it.
Coastal harm caused by final fall’s post-tropical storm Fiona has additionally caused heightened consciousness of to the problem of shoreline safety.
Iconic sand dunes in seashores alongside the North Shore of the province sustained heavy harm through the storm.
Landowners seeking to promote coastal land to the province can contact the forests, fish and wildlife of the Division of Surroundings at 902-368-6450.
Stu Neatby is a reporter with SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. He may be reached at [email protected].
