An announcement Thursday deep down in Prince Edward County is sure to make nature lovers smile.
The Point Petre Provincial Wildlife area and Ostrander Crown Land Block are on their way to becoming official conservation reserves.
Ontario’s Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks MPP Jeff Yurek, was at Point Petre provincial wildlife area Thursday afternoon flanked by MPP Todd Smith and others for the official announcement.
This marks the beginning of the process of designating both areas as conservation reserves, meaning the ecosystems will be permanently protected, providing opportunities for ecologically sustainable land use and scientific research.
Both areas will be evaluated in the coming months and if they are officially designated, they’ll be the first conservation reserves since 1999’s “Living Legacy Land Use Strategy” which saw the province designate 268 new conservation reserves.
The move was lauded by Nature Canada executive director Graham Saul, who called it a “critical step forward”.
Prince Edward County Councillor John Hirsch is the president of the South Shore Joint Initiative which is a collective of different nature and wildlife organizations aimed at protecting the biodiversity and outdoor areas of the south shore of Prince Edward County.
He spoke about the initiative’s efforts over the years that culminated in Thursday’s announcement.
Audio Player“Here on one of the county’s so-called secret beaches, we celebrate a great realization by the province, that the south shore of Prince Edward County is a very special and important place worthy of permanent protection. For those of us that have worked so hard over the last few years for some of us, and many years for others, this is a victory.”
The South Shore Joint Initiative along with The Schad Foundation, Indigenous communities and environmental organizations and the Nature Conservancy of Canada will all assist the province in the evaluation and assessment of the areas.
From left to right: Peter Kendall, of the Schad Foundation, MPP Todd Smith, MPP Jeff Yurek, Prince Edward County Councillor John Hirsch, Prince Edward County Mayor Steve Ferguson. (Photo: Ryan Peddigrew/Quinte News)
