A Home for Nature

A Protected Areas Plan for the Island of Newfoundland

Wilderness and Ecological Reserves Advisory Council

A Message from WERAC

Few things bind Newfoundlanders and Labradorians as strongly as our shared love of nature. Our deep connection to the land is engrained in the people who live, work and play in Newfoundland and Labrador’s awe-inspiring natural environment. However, our natural landscapes are under mounting pressure from development and climate change. Now is the time to expand protection for our environment and the riches it provides. With this Protected Areas Plan for the Island of Newfoundland, WERAC begins a discussion with the public about protecting more of our natural places.

Provincial protected area planning for Labrador will follow and will be developed through a collaborative process including all people of Labrador. Labrador is an important region in terms of the future implementation of a network of protected areas for the province.

WERAC is a legislated volunteer, independent advisory body appointed by the Provincial Government to advise on the establishment and management of our province’s wilderness and ecological reserves. The Council gathers and considers public input and scientific information about proposed reserves, and provides recommendations to government on whether a reserve should be established and, if so, how it should be managed.

A network of protected areas for the Island portion of the province needs to be built together. That means engaging people in what protected areas are established and in how they will be managed. Through this process we hope to meet our provincial, national and international goals for protection and find a balance between values regarding use of our natural resources and protection of nature on the Island. We invite you to be a part of the discussion.

WERAC members Joe Brazil, Lanna Campbell, Evan Edinger, Luise Hermanutz, Stanley Oliver, Tom Philpott, Bryn Wood and Graham Wood (chair)

What is the Protected Areas Plan?

A Home for Nature: Protected Areas Plan for the Island of Newfoundland is a proposal for developing a system of protected areas for the island. The plan presented here is based on over 25 years of ecosystem-based planning and consultation with scientists and government departments to find the most important areas for conservation while at the same time minimizing potential impacts to resource industries and other land use activities.

The 32 sites outlined in this Plan represent some of the best remaining intact examples of natural regions, significant species and habitats, and unique features on the Island of Newfoundland. The Plan makes good progress towards the conservation objectives outlined in the Newfoundland and Labrador Protected Areas Strategy. The resulting system of protected areas will help safeguard biodiversity, create opportunities for ecologically sustainable tourism, recreation and traditional use, protect cultural heritage, and provide sites for research and education about natural areas.

The Protected Areas Plan for the Island of Newfoundland guides the creation of 24 new protected areas, and the expansion of two protected areas on the Island of Newfoundland. This will ultimately increase the level of protection for the island to 12.5 per cent and 8.5 per cent for the province. With the later inclusion of six transitional reserves under the WER Act, protection will then increase to 13.2 per cent for the Island and 8.7 per cent for the province. The plan increases levels of protection for 19 of 25 natural regions.

‘Canadians support the development of a National Network of Protected Areas. A recent survey showed that the vast majority of Canadians (87 per cent) support expanding Canada’s protected areas from 10 per cent to at least 17 per cent.’ EarnsCliffe, 2017

Maps of Proposed Protected Areas

More Information & Feedback Form

The release of A Home for Nature provides the first opportunity for the public to provide input on the Protected Areas Plan. The boundaries proposed in the Plan are not final. WERAC will engage the public in two ways: firstly through general feedback on the concept of this Plan, and secondly, through the required consultation process for establishment of each individual area. For each site, there will be opportunities for the public to provide input on the boundaries and management approach.

WERAC invites you to be part of the conversation as we work together to contribute to the global conservation effort and establish a system of protected areas for the Island of Newfoundland.

Please click the button below to download any of the following documents:

A Home for Nature: Protected Areas Plan for the Island of Newfoundland
Questions and Answers regarding A Home For Nature: Protected Areas Plan for the Island of Newfoundland
WERAC Feedback Form

More Information

*Due to technical difficulties with WERAC’s gmail email account, please send all comments and communications regarding A Home for Nature to this email: werac@gov.nl.ca . We are working to resolve this issue. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

Contact WERAC

If you have any questions or comments on the Protected Areas Plan or any of the proposed protected areas, WERAC encourages you to fill out the feedback form provided through the WERAC consultation page on engageNL.ca . From the EngageNL website, you can also sign up to be notified when there are updates on the Protected Areas Plan consultation process or to indicate your interest in a particular proposed reserve.

To get in touch with the Wilderness and Ecological Reserves Advisory Council:

Phone: 709.637.2081 | Email: werac@gov.nl.ca .

Mail:

WERAC Secretariat, Wilderness and Ecological Reserves Advisory Council
C/O WERAC Secretariat
Fisheries and Land Resources, Natural Areas Section, Land Management Division
P.O. Box 2006
Corner Brook, NL
A2H 6J8

‘Lift up your hearts, each new hour holds new chances for new beginnings.’ Maya Angelou (Inaugural Poem, 1993)