The Honourable Charlene Johnson, Minister of Environment and Conservation, has announced the following events relative to Part 10 Environmental Assessment of the

Crown District 4/5/6/8 Five Year Operating Plan (2007-11) Amendment
Proponent: Department of Natural Resources (Reg. 1449)

The Department of Natural Resources is seeking to amend the Five-year Forest Operating Plan in Crown District 4/5/6/8 (2007-2011). The amendment concerns the creation of a new Crown domestic harvest area in the district which will provide for the personal timber needs of residents of the Town of Lewisporte, the surrounding communities and in the central part of the Bay of Exploits, an area of approximately 250 square kilometres. Domestic permits have been traditionally issued through Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Limited and this has since become Crown land, providing rationale for this amendment. The Department of Natural Resources office in Lewisporte will be issuing domestic cutting permits based on these boundaries. It is estimated that over the next two years a mean domestic harvest of 2,300 cubic metres per year will occur in these combined areas. There is no silviculture or road construction associated with this amendment. Domestic harvest activities will commence upon approval and continue until the end of December 2011.

The undertaking was registered on September 29, 2009; public comments are due by November 9, 2009; and the minister's decision is due on November 13, 2009.

St. Alban�s Salmon Hatchery
Proponent: Cold Ocean Salmon Inc. (Reg. 1450)

The proponent plans to construct and operate a salmon hatchery consisting of a 47 metre by 65 metre building on a 7.2 hectare site within the town limits of St. Alban�s, Swanger Cove, Bay d�Espoir. The facility will have an annual maximum capacity of three million salmon smolt and will supply the proponent�s saltwater grow-out operations located along the south coast of Newfoundland. The facility will draw an estimated 200 to 400 cubic metres of water per day from the St. Alban�s aquifer. The site will be accessed from a town road via a new property access road which will also contain a power corridor and a proposed water and sewer service. Site preparation and construction is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2009 with commissioning and operation in late spring of 2010.

The undertaking was registered on October 1, 2009; public comments are due by November 9, 2009; and, the minister�s decision is due by November 15, 2009.

For further information on the environmental assessment process, please contact the Director of Environmental Assessment at 709-729-4211 or toll-free:

1-800-563-6181 or by mail to:

Environmental assessment information is on the department website at www.gov.nl.ca/env.

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Media contact:

Melony O�Neill
Director of Communications
Department of Environment and Conservation
709-729-2575, 689-0928
moneill@gov.nl.ca