Information from user permits helps protect wilderness reserves

NLIS 6
March 4, 2004
(Environment and Conservation)

The Minister of Environment and Conservation, Tom Osborne, said today that a total of 181 entry permits were issued in 2003 for the province's two wilderness reserves, compared with 173 permits in 2002. Of the 181 permits issued, 105 were for the Avalon Wilderness Reserve, while 76 were for the Bay du Nord Wilderness Reserve.

Minister Osborne said collecting information on the level of human activity within our wilderness reserves through user permits is key to helping manage and protect the reserves. "By obtaining permits, the public provides the Parks and Natural Areas Division with important management information, and it also ensures that the public is aware of the reserve regulations. We recognize the need to protect our natural resources whether it's wildlife, parks or wilderness or ecological areas, and information from user permits is integral to ensuring this protection."

Entry permits for the Avalon and Bay du Nord wilderness reserves are mandatory and free of charge. They can be obtained at a variety of locations around the province as listed below.

Activities undertaken by the public in 2003 included bird watching, sightseeing, canoeing, fishing, hunting, nature photography and snowmobiling. Snowmobiling is prohibited within the Avalon Wilderness Reserve and only permitted in a portion of the Bay du Nord Wilderness Reserve outside the caribou winter range. Hunting, fishing, hiking and canoeing are permitted and encouraged in both reserves. The use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) is completely prohibited within wilderness reserves by the Wilderness and Ecological Reserves Act (1980), even for game retrieval.

Minister Osborne also reminded the public that winter patrols of the wilderness reserves are ongoing and users should have their entry permit on them at all times while in the reserves.

The Parks and Natural Areas Division of the Department of Environment and Conservation is the managing agency responsible for the 19 wilderness and ecological reserves in Newfoundland and Labrador. For further information on activities permitted within reserves or on how to obtain a permit, please consult the Wilderness Reserve Users Guide, or call (709) 635-4520.

Media contact: Sonia B. Glover, Communications, (709) 729-2575

List of locations to obtain wilderness reserve entry permits

WESTERN REGION
          Department of Environment and Conservation
          Parks and Natural Areas Division
          Glenda Peddle, Statistical Officer
          33 Reid's Lane
          Deer Lake, NL
          A8A 2A3
          Phone: (709) 635 - 4520 or 4528

CENTRAL REGION
          Department of Natural Resources
          Dave Parsons
          P.O. Box 179
          Milltown, NL
          A0H 1W0
          Phone: (709) 882 - 2200

          Notre Dame Provincial Park
          Eric Fudge, Park Manager
          Box 418 R R # 1
          Lewisporte, NL
          A0G 3A0
          Phone: (709) 535 - 2379 or (709) 535 - 2411

          Department of Natural Resources
          Karen Northcott, Secretary
          P.O. Box 2222
          Gander, NL
          A1V 2N9
          Phone: (709) 651 - 2053

EASTERN REGION
          Department of Natural Resources
          Dan Myers
          Box 209
          Clarenville, NL
          A0E 1J0
          Phone: (709) 466 - 7439

AVALON REGION
          Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve
          Tony Power, Reserve Manager
          General Delivery
          St. Bride's, Placentia Bay, NL
          A0B 2Z0
          Phone: (709) 337 - 2473 or (709) 338 - 2061

          Butter Pot Provincial Park
          Keith Brown, Park Manager
          244 Park Avenue
          Mt. Pearl, NL
          A1N 1L1
          Phone: (709) 685 - 1853 or (709) 368 - 1419

          LaManche Provincial Park
          Pat Costello, Park Manager
          P.O. Box 70
          Avondale, NL
          A0A 1B0
          Phone: (709) 685 - 1823

Permits only available during camping season (usually late May to early September)

          Department of Natural Resources
          Ken Butler
          P.O. Box 13036, Paddy's Pond
          St. John's, NL
          A1B 3V8
          Phone: (709) 729 - 4180

          Department of Environment and Conservation
          Science Division
          Annette Whiteway
          Bldg 810, Pleasantville
          P.O. Box 8700
          St. John's, NL
          A1B 4J6
          Phone: (709) 729 - 4203

Reserves in Newfoundland and Labrador
Wilderness Reserves	Established	Special Features	Size (km²)
^Avalon	¹⁹⁸⁶	^{Caribou, ecosystems}	^1070.00
^{Bay du Nord}	¹⁹⁹⁰	^{Caribou, waterfowl, ecosystems}	^2895.00
Ecological Reserves
^{Baccalieu Island}	¹⁹⁹⁵	^{Seabird breeding colony}	^5.38
^{Burnt Cape}	¹⁹⁹⁸	^{Rare plants}	^3.63
^{Cape St. Mary's}	¹⁹⁸³	^{Seabird breeding colony, overwintering site}	^10.01
^{Fortune Head}	¹⁹⁹²	^{Fossil site}	^2.21
^{Funk Island}	¹⁹⁸³	^{Seabird breeding colony}	^0.20
^{Gannet Island}	¹⁹⁸³	^{Seabird breeding colony}	^2.02
^{Hare Bay Islands}	¹⁹⁸³	^{Eider breeding colony}	^4.42
^{Hawke Hill}	¹⁹⁹²	^{Representative plant community}	^1.31
^{King George IV}	¹⁹⁹⁶	^{Wetland, delta, waterfowl breeding site}	^18.41
^{Mistaken Point}	¹⁹⁹⁷	^{Fossil site}	^2.95
^{Kapitagas Channel - Redfir Lake}	¹⁹⁹⁵	^{Jack pine site}	^82.33
^{Table Point}	¹⁹⁹⁰	^{Fossil site}	^1.16
^{Watt's Point}	¹⁹⁹⁰	^{Rare plants, special ecosystems}	^30.90
^{Witless Bay Islands}	¹⁹⁸³	^{Seabird breeding colony}	^1.41
Provisional and emergency ecological reserves
^{Little Grand Lake (Provisional)}	²⁰⁰²	^{Newfoundland Marten}	^731.15
^{Mistaken Point Extension (Emergency)}	²⁰⁰²	^Fossils	^2.70
TOTAL			4875.93

^{2004 03
04
4:15 p.m.}

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