Macphail Woods Articles
Will the new buffer zone legislation be enough?
by Gary Schneider

It is becoming clear that the province wants to promote "green marketing" in its new Food Initiative Strategy without doing the necessary groundwork. After spending a great deal of money setting up the Round Table on Resource Land Use and the Stewardship, the government continues to erode the group's recommendations.

Section of an Island Stream.

In the most recent instance, the province announced a 10 metre buffer zone along all year-round waterways. On steeply sloped land. there is an additional 50 metres zone that must have some fall protection. Is it better than nothing? Of course. Is it a step in the right direction? Absolutely. Is it the step we should have taken? No.

Round Table on Resource Land Use and Stewardship The report of the Round Table on Resource Land Use and Stewardship was released to the public on September 3, 1997.

The Round Table had excellent representation from the farming community. We heard many presentations and reached a sensible compromise of 20-30 metres on all year round streams and 10 metres on seasonal waterways. Some presenters (and a great deal of the scientific material available) said this would actually be on the low side for adequate protection given our sandy soil with low levels of organic material, heavy use of pesticides, lack of proper rotations and the lack of winter cover on so many Island farms. Especially after seeing the amount of erosion this past winter, much of which ended up in Island waterways, many people hoped that the provincial government would see fit to implement the recommendations of the Round Table.

Instead, the province listened to the industiy lobby. Unfortunately, it will have serious, negative impacts not only on Island waterways and wildlife, but the province s new marketing strategy. The province is attempting to sell PEI as a "green" province. Consumers will be encouraged to "Buy PEI" because of our practices. Yet I fear that news of dead fish floating in waters is the type of news that travels fast. The large annual fish kills we have come to expect will also kill any attempt at green marketing. With the advent of web pages and instant communication, consumers around the world are harder to fool. Look at the European consumer's reluctance to purchase genetically-engineered food. Look at the hard time Canadian companies have selling their lumber in Europe because of their clearcutting practices.

The forested land buffers brings much the same news. A 20 to 30-metre buffer zone (depending on slope) will be legislated but landowners will be able to harvest 33% every 10 years. This will have serious impacts on the ability of the buffer zone to buffer. If people harvest at this level, there will actually be less and less wood in the buffer zones. They will never be allowed to grow old and reach their full potential.

Everyone recognizes that their are serious problems in the farming and forestry industries. And many are taking great steps to improve things. More and more farmers moving toward strip cropping and grassed waterways, some voluntarily putting in wider, more adequate buffer zones. Manure storage is improving each year. So it s not that progress isn t being made. It s just that when we drive this Island and see bare fields in the fall, liquid manure spread on top of snow, row crops going up and down slopes, windbreaks being cut down, forests levelled and cattle in streams, the severity of the situation screams out for more immediate action. It won't be popular with certain groups. But if we really want to develop a successful marketing strategy that sells our good practices, strong legislation must be in place.