Provincial Government Offers Revised Approach Regarding Forest Operating Plan to Port Blandford Citizens

  • Fisheries and Land Resources

May 1, 2018

Further to the original Five-Year Forestry Operating Plan for Zone 2 (Clarenville) that had been previously reviewed, accepted and released from the environmental assessment process, the Provincial Government has considered additional suggestions from the citizens and town council of Port Blandford and is acting on the majority of requests.

The town council and Port Blandford Citizens Against Clearcutting Committee have been advised of the following actions to seek compromise in the best interests of the people of Port Blandford and those who benefit from its forestry and tourism sectors:

  • Agree to establish a 100-metre buffer on the Southwest River;
  • Agree to no cutting between the Southwest River and the ridgeline;
  • Agree to establish a 100-metre buffer around remote cottages and registered trails;
  • Agree to annual review with town and committee; and
  • Agree to early reforestation by scheduling planting with the town and committee.

The department has reached out to the Town of Port Blandford and the Port Blandford Citizens against Clearcutting Committee to indicate its willingness to address their concerns in the spirit of cooperation and sustainable forest management. As part of that effort to ensure modest harvest activities, the total allowable annual cut will not exceed 4,000 cubic metres for each of the two harvesters, the equivalent of what a major Newfoundland-based forester would harvest in one week.

Quote
“My department has been listening to the people of Port Blandford and to the forestry community and has provided an approach that we believe enables the forest and tourism sectors to continue to thrive cooperatively in this working forest. Residents can rest assured that our industry maintains ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certification for its Environmental Management System, which ensures all Crown forest land operators operate within Environmental Management System Guidelines. This plan will allow jobs in the forest industry and the tourism industry to co-exist.”
Honourable Gerry Byrne
Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources

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Media contact
Linda Skinner
Fisheries and Land Resources
709-637-2284, 632-8167
lindaskinner@gov.nl.ca 

2018 05 01 4:00 pm