Environmental Assessment Bulletin

Environment Minister Kevin Aylward has announced the following events relative to the Environmental Protection Act.

UNDERTAKINGS RELEASED:

(1)Crown District 14 (St. George�s) Five Year Forest Operating Plan 2002-07
Proponent: Department of Forest Resources and Agrifoods

(2)Crown District 16 (Jackson�s Arm) Five Year Forest Operating Plan 2002-07
Proponent: Department of Forest Resources and Agrifoods

(3)Crown District 17 (Port Saunders) Five Year Forest Operating Plan 2002-07
Proponent: Department of Forest Resources and Agrifoods

(4)Crown District 18 (Roddickton) Five Year Forest Operating Plan 2002-07
Proponent: Department of Forest Resources and Agrifoods

The above projects have been released from further environmental assessment on July 30, 2002 as per requirements of Part 10, Environmental Assessment of the Environmental Protection Act. These four projects have been released subject to:

• Providing additional employment information to the Women�s Policy Office;
• Running the pine marten habitat suitability model for the districts as required by the Inland Fish and Wildlife Division to allow for continued protection and recovery of the endangered pine marten population;
• Buffers identified by the Provincial Archaeology Office be implemented if an Historic Resources Assessment is not prepared;
• A 100 metre no-cut buffer zone must be maintained on the coastline, as well as on salmon rivers where possible;
• The monitoring committee established for each district must provide the Minister of Environment with a monitoring report of past annual activities for each year outlined in the plan, together with any recommended changes required in the plan.

Specific Requirements for:

District 17 (Port Saunders)

• It is acknowledged that Department of Forest Resources and Agrifoods has withdrawn proposed harvesting and the associated forest access road leading to the upper part (headwaters) of the Soufflets River Valley from the five year plan. In addition, no cutting is permitted in the Harbour Deep domestic cutting area (block-20) inside the Soufflets River watershed. No harvesting or associated activities are permitted in the Soufflets River watershed until the identification of a candidate reserve for the eastern side of the Northern Peninsula is finalized by the Parks and Natural Areas Division.
• A 100 metre undisturbed buffer must be maintained around the proposed ecological reserve boundaries for Little Brook Pond (domestic cutting block 9) in order to protect the Wave Forest.
• No cutting is allowed on Little, Middle and Western Island (Cow Head/St. Paul�s domestic cutting block-18) in order to protect tern colonies located on the islands.
• The Inland Fish and Wildlife Division must be consulted prior to harvesting on the establishment of wildlife corridors. The monitoring committees report must include a review of wildlife corridor effectiveness together with recommendations on size and locations.
• A rare plant survey will be required for the Squid Cove commercial and domestic cutting blocks and the John Mahers Barren domestic cutting block prior to the commencement of any forestry activity in these areas (located at the foothills of the Highlands of St. John�s).
• To protect infringement on sensitive caribou areas used for winter foraging, in the Mooney Blocks commercial harvesting areas: (1) no harvesting or forestry activities are to be conducted during the caribou calving season (March 15 - June 15), and (2) a 50 metre treed buffer must be maintained on all barren areas within the harvest block. Domestic harvesting may continue within the Mooney Block and Feeder Ridge areas, however there must be no new road construction; the harvest block boundaries must not increase in size; and, cutting is not permitted during the calving and post-calving season.
• Landscape design methods and appropriate view shed planning for the district must be used to minimize the visual impacts of harvesting on roadways for major touring corridors, along scenic coastline areas, outfitting lodges, and other sensitive scenic areas. The districts monitoring committee must report on effectiveness of landscape design techniques together with recommendations for areas of use.
• The monitoring committees report must among other issues include: recommendations on decommissioning and/or rehabilitation of roads, particularly near waterbodies with salmon and "trophy" trout; address adequacy of buffer zone size around lakes and rivers; and, silviculture regeneration.
• Also, attached is a map of the commercial and domestic cutting blocks in the Batteau Barrens area and vicinity to clarify areas designated for both uses (note - no changes to domestic cutting areas in this area), acknowledging the work of the planning committee members and the Department of Forest Resources and Agrifoods for allocating the resource using a consensus building approach. 

Photo #1: Domestic and commercial cutting areas from Port au Choix to St. Paul's

District 18 (Roddickton)

• Northwest Brook Harvest Block (D18-09) and Central Zone Domestic Cutting Area 38 Chimney Bay are prohibited from any forestry activity until a final determination has been made on the proposed Cloud River Candidate Natural Area.
• St. Anthony Zone Domestic Cutting Area 1 is prohibited from any forestry activity to protect the visual landscape for Pistolet Bay Provincial Park users and St. Anthony Zone Domestic Cutting Area 41 is prohibited from any forestry activity within the Pistolet Bay Provincial Park and within 500 metres of the park boundary.
• The monitoring committees report must provide among other issues information on: protected water supplies, mature habitat, wildlife corridors, cutting regime, possible harlequin duck buffers, forest birds, Watts Point Ecological Reserve, tourism asset management, landscape design methods and domestic cutting areas.

Further information may be obtained by contacting the Director of Environmental Assessment at (709) 729-2562 or toll-free: 1-800-563-6181 or by mail to:

Director, Environmental Assessment Division
Department of Environment
West Block, Confederation Building
P.O. Box 8700, St. John's, NF, A1B 4J6

Environmental Assessment Information is on the Government Web Site at: www.gov.nl.ca/env

2002 08 02                             2:55 p.m.