P.E.I. to 'aggressively' increase protected land base

The P.E.I. government will be moving quickly to shift land to protected status over the next two years, says Land and Environment Minister Richard Brown.

The government has set a target to have seven per cent of the Island's land base protected by 2020, double what is currently designated as protected, and Brown said he intends to hit that target.

"We're going to be aggressively increasing our holdings," Brown said.

"I am serious when it comes to land preservation and the Natural Areas Protection Act. This is vital to the people of Prince Edward Island. This is vital to climate change."

Brown said the government will be working closely with the Island Nature Trust and the Nature Conservancy of Canada is reaching the seven per cent target. He said he will be meeting with them in the coming weeks as part of putting together a plan for reaching that goal that he hopes to present to the legislature in the spring.

Brown expects strong support in the legislature for his plan.

"I am confident that the colleagues in the legislature from all parties would be extremely supportive of this," he said.

"In talking to them, this is a major thing for every elected official on Prince Edward Island."

Looking ahead

The Island Nature Trust this week said it would like the target for protected land to be increased to 10 per cent.

Brown said he supports that idea, but not for 2020. He said that is something his department will be looking at as part of the carbon mitigation and climate change plan, which will set targets for 2030.

Brown noted that a $1.3 billion commitment from Ottawa as it reaches for a national target of 17 per cent protected land should help the Island reach its goal.

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