NLIS 12
March 30, 2006
(Natural Resources)
(Environment and Conservation)
The Right Choices:
Sustaining Our Resources
The Williams government is taking a
sustainable approach to the protection and development of the province�s
natural resources, investing close to $60 million to safeguard this
legacy for future generations, said Ed Byrne, Minister of Natural
Resources, and Clyde Jackman, Minister of Environment and Conservation.
Government is making a considerable
contribution to ensure that optimal benefits are achieved from our
forests, emerging renewable and non-renewable energy sources and related
industrial development.
"Government is demonstrating leadership
in its approach to resource development and protection. We have
tremendous renewable resources that through effective stewardship and
focused public investment can benefit many generations of
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians," said Minister Byrne. "We have a
long-term vision for our energy and associated industrial development
that we will achieve by putting in place a strong policy agenda � one
that values the resource base and develops it in a manner where the
greatest number of our people can benefit."
Managing our Forestry
To preserve and sustain the vital resource base, Budget 2006 supports
the following initiatives:
$800,000 to enable the Forestry
Services Branch to establish an enhanced forest inventory data base
upon which future forest management and conservation decisions can
be more accurately determined;
An additional $1 million for the
silviculture program, which will increase the total number of tree
seedlings planted in our province from 11 million to 15 million.
This investment enhances our forests and assists in reducing future
wood harvesting costs through increased productivity, thus keeping
our industry competitive;
Maintain the total resource road
construction budget at $3.5 million. Forest resource roads are
required in order to access tree stands in difficult areas and
optimize the sustainable use of the resource;
An ongoing commitment of $800,000
for the Inland Fisheries Enforcement Program, which is proving to be
effective in deterring and reducing the impact of poaching
throughout the province; and,
$460,000 to support an expanded fire
suppression program in Labrador. Forest protection is vital to the
long-term sustainability of the resource. This funding will be used
by the forestry service for additional aircraft fire suppression as
the need arises during the height of the fire season.
Government is also renewing its
commitment to contribute $300,000 to a program that sees the government,
the lumber industry and the value-added wood products sector working
together to identify and pursue new market opportunities. The four-year
program is in its second year.
Energy and Industrial Benefits
In the area of energy and industrial benefits, Budget 2006 directs $4.2
million in funding to support the following initiatives:
A further $1.5 million to attract
and retain professional staff and expertise in key management and
technical skill areas to enable government to remain competitive
with energy-based industries;
$1.4 million in support of key
energy policy development initiatives. This will be used to complete
and begin the implementation of the Provincial Energy Plan, engage
world-class policy advice and professional services regarding
current and emerging energy developments and to enable the
Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board to meet
its growing regulatory commitments;
The continuation of $1.1 million in
support for the Bull Arm Site Corporation. The Bull Arm site is a
critical component of our overall industrial capacity and strategic
ability to attract offshore fabrication and construction work to our
province; and,
$150,000 for an energy efficiency
public awareness program that is a joint initiative of the four
Atlantic provinces, led by the Council of Atlantic Premiers.
Preserving and Conserving our Environment
Resource management, conservation and a long-term plan to protect our
resources are vital in securing and sustaining the province�s natural
heritage. To that end, Budget 2006 provides $3.5 million to safeguard
our natural resources.
"Our province is known for its
magnificence, the sense of connection we have to our environment and to
each other, and its potential as one of the best natural heritage sites
in the world," said Minister Jackman. "We recognize the need to protect
our wildlife, green spaces, parks and wilderness areas and focus on
sustaining our environment for generations to come. This budget goes far
in helping achieve our environment and conservation priorities for the
next fiscal year."
More than $1.9 million has been committed
this year to proceed with a two-year caribou monitoring program to
manage the caribou herd. The initial year of the program will examine
the eight south coast herds.
Government will establish an advisory
committee to help guide the development of a caribou strategy, as
recommended by the Newfoundland and Labrador Outfitters� Association.
Building on last year�s investment to
establish the Centre for Environmental Excellence (CEE), Budget 2006
commits $500,000 to maintain the operational aspects of the project and
to support preliminary research activities conducted as part of the
ongoing CEE agenda.
A further $1,084,000 has been allocated
for the following conservation initiatives:
$500,000 to combat climate change
and continue implementation of the Climate Change Action Plan,
representing a $200,000 increase over the last fiscal year. This
funding will help promote clean energy and encourage public and
private sector groups alike to make this a priority;
Based on the long-term goal of
protecting representative areas of the 19 eco-regions, $259,000 has
been allocated to accelerate the completion of a proposed Natural
Areas System Plan and help with the preliminary work associated with
a public consultation process;
$175,000 to further government�s
Blueprint commitment to create a Sustainable Development Act to
guide future decisions by government to ensure sustainable
development of our natural surroundings as a foundation for
long-term economic growth and social well being. Public consultation
on this important initiative will commence early in the new fiscal
year;
$100,000 for an education and
enforcement program on the use of pesticides, focusing particularly
on toxicity, use, effectiveness and restrictions as we balance the
need for pesticides against human health and the environment; and,
$50,000 is designated for the
development of a contingency plan to manage the large quantities of
waste generated during cleanup of oil spills that may occur along
our coast. The waste generated by one spill maybe 10 to 30 times the
volume of the original spill.
Media contact:
Tracy Barron, Natural Resources, (709) 729-5282, 690-1703
Tina Coffey, Environment and Conservation, (709) 729-5783, 728-8650
2006 03 30
2:30 p.m. |
