Conservation strategy . 
     
    
   
   
    
     will be ready soon 
     
    
   
   
    
     P. E. |.'s Conservation Strategy 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Can you imagine fields that have been so poorly managed that they will no 
     
     longer grow crops, streams which no longer contain many fish, and are totally 
     
     lacking sought-after species such as salmon which were at one time abundant, 
     
     harbours which at one time floated large schooners yet you.can now walk across with 
     
     knee-high boots, or which must be periodically dredged so that even lobster boats 
     
     may use them, estuaries which were at one time important for navigation but are now 
     
     so polluted that they cannot even be used for aquaculture? What about a P.E.I. 
     
     landscape no longer made up of a patchwork of small agricultural fields and hedgerows, 
     
     or a forest no longer containing an interSpersion of hardwoods and softwoods. 
     
    
   
   
    
     All of the above have happened to some degree on P.E.I., and this was of cencern 
     
     to many Island individuals and organizations. It was felt that some form of all- 
     
     encompassing conservation program was required to ensure that environmental degrada- 
     
     tion did not continue or at least was minimized. 
     
    
   
   
    
     At the time of the election, last April, the P.E.I. Wildlife Federation decided 
     
     to raise its concern to all political parties. The Liberal party went so far as 
     
     to make environmental issues an integral part of their election platform. As 
     
     many of you may remember, in June of last year the Minister of Community and Cultural 
     
     Affairs, the Honourable Gilbert Clements announced the initiation of a P.E.I. Con- 
     
     servation Strategy. Prince Edward Island was the first province to take this 
     
     position. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The task of developing the Strategy was “presented” to John McClellan. One 
     
     half of John's time was "loaned" to the Policy Board in order to develop this 
     
     Strategy. John has a great deal of insight in dealing with land management and 
     
     planning problems through his experience as Executive Director of the P.E.I. Land 
     
     Use Commission over the last l3 years. 
     
    
   
   
    
     John's initial action was to gather together-a group to help in developing the _, 
     
     Strategy. Those whose help John sought and the agencies they represent were as ' 
     
     follows: 
     
    
   
   
    
     Central Committee: Diane Griffin - Island Nature Trust 
     
     Art Smith - P.E.I. Fish 8 Wildlife Division 
     
     Daryl Guignion - Biology Dept., University of Prince Edward Island 
     
    
   
   
    
     Ian HacQuarrie - Biology Dept., University of Prince Edward Island 
     
     Joe Arbour - Environment Canada 
     
    

    
     Peter Townshend - P.E.I. Soil and Cr0p Improvement Association 
     
     Paul Gallant - P.E.I. Wildlife Federation 
     
    
   
   
    
     In order to ensure a co-ordinated effort, 80 per cent of Bruce Smith's time 
     
     was "loaned" by Provincial Parks for 9 months. Doug Pollard who is with the 
     
     Canadian Forestry Service in Ottawa, and is co-author of the Canadian response to . 
     
    
   
   
    
     _ 14 _