Progress being made on Inland Fish and Wildlife Advisory Council

Beaton Tulk, Minister of Forest Resources and Agrifoods, announced today that he is pleased with progress being made on the formation of an Inland Fish and Wildlife Advisory Council. "This is an exciting initiative on the part of government to include the public and resource user stakeholders in the decision-making process for the inland fish and wildlife resources of this province" said Mr. Tulk. "It is gratifying to see the energy and conscientious thought being contributed by these volunteers to develop the framework for the formation of the council."

On December 9, 1996, the minister announced his intention to establish an Inland Fish and Wildlife Council, which would operate at arms-length from government and provide comments, advice and recommendations on resource management strategies, policies, operational plans, and regulatory provisions related to the conservation of inland fish and wildlife resources. At that time, the minister invited a select group of individuals to discuss how this advisory council would work, its structure and its operational procedures. That group is composed of broad-based umbrella conservation organizations and represents a wide range of interests. The group has met twice, on December 10, 1996 and January 24, 1997.

The minister is pleased to announce that the chair for the Inland Fish and Wildlife Advisory Council will be Tom Humphrey (Salmonid Council) and the vice chair will be Rick Bouzan (Canadian Wildlife Federation). The minister confirmed the appointment of three working groups recommended by the council:

• - Conservation Stamp Sub-Committee (Chair) - David Moores (Partridge Forever Society)

  - Membership Sub-Committee (Chair) - Roy Knoechel (Memorial University of Newfoundland)

  - Planning & Priorities Sub-Committee (Chair) - Eugene Mercer (Newfoundland & Labrador Outfitters Association)

This group has agreed to a draft Terms of Reference which will be submitted to Mr. Tulk soon. Mr. Tulk emphasized that the final membership in the council has not been fully determined, and expressions of interest from other groups who wish to serve in the council will certainly be considered.

One of the most pressing projects for the council is the development of the Conservation Stamp Program. This program will create a fund which will allow hunters, anglers and others who appreciate wildlife to make a direct contribution to the maintenance and enhancement of wildlife and fish habitats. Funding will be obtained by the purchase of a Conservation Stamp which will be mandatory to validate any fish and wildlife licence administered by the government. It is important to understand that only one Conservation Stamp would be required annually to validate all licences purchased by any individual. It is anticipated that the Conservation Stamp program will be ready for implementation by January 1998.

Contact: Anna Buffinga, Public Relations, Department of Forest Resources and Agrifoods, (709) 729-3750 or Tom Humphrey, Salmonid Council, (709) 639-9201.