SOUTH TETAGOUCHE (GNB) – The provincial government is proposing the creation of 138 new Protected Natural Areas and the expansion of 21 existing ones. The move would create 115,000 hectares of new Protected Natural Areas on Crown land.

“These new and expanded areas will be permanently protected sanctuaries where nature can exist with minimal human interference,” said Natural Resources Minister Paul Robichaud. “They are a living legacy that our generation will leave for the benefit and enjoyment of the generations that follow us.”

The proposed new areas will be posted online for 28 days of public comment before they are officially designated through regulation.

Scientists, naturalists, biologists and foresters collaborated over a two-year period to identify the locations for the new Protected Natural Areas. The sites are located in each of the province's distinct natural regions and were selected based on their ecological value and their importance as wildlife habitat.

A citizen engagement process was carried out prior to the selection of the new sites to seek input from the public and stakeholders on the proposed areas.

The addition of the new and expanded areas will increase the proportion of permanently protected Crown land from 4.7 per cent to 8.2 per cent.

Robichaud said that this is a significant step towards the government's commitment to conserving the province's natural areas and ecosystems.

“With this increase, we will protect more than 273,000 hectares of land under the Protected Natural Areas Act,” he said. “This clearly shows our government's commitment to work at striking a balance between natural resource development and protection of our best natural areas.”

There are currently 60 Protected Natural Areas on Crown land and one on private land owned by the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Interested individuals may view the existing and proposed new areas and learn more about Protected Natural Areas online.


04-07-14