The Cadre + 24 March 1998

Solving PEI's biggest environmental problem Province will consider legislation for buffer zone

BY CINDY CAMERON

Most tourists visiting our province do not suspect that the wonderful red soil which they admire is the cause of PEI’s largest environmental problem.

Local conservationists have been concerned about soil erosion and excess sedi- mentation in waterways for many years. Provincial gov- ernment is finally listening to their concerns, and will be con- sideringa legislation that would help protect waterways from soil erosion. Many feel that their commitment, however, may not be strong enough.

In 1996, the Government of Prince Edward Island cre- ated the Round Table on Re- source Land Use and Stew- ardship, whose members were representative ofall prevailing interests, from agriculture and forestry to environmental con- servationists. In their report, the Round Table recommends that legislation be amended to establish mandatory riparian buffer zones adjacent to all waterways.

“The (Round Table) re- port is one of the best reports I have ever seen written,” said UPEI Professor Daryl Guignion. It contains a con- sensus of interests which are often in opposition. Many farm- ers oppose buffer zones since they may cut into land now used in production. Smaller crop yields mean less profit. Still, the issue cannot be ig- nored. ‘

“Soil conservation is one of the key problems facing the planet right now,” Guignion said. Legislation regarding buffer zones has become one of the most contentious issues regarding land use on PEI.

A riparian buffer zone is an area of vegetation adjacent to streams and lakes. Ideally, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, the

zone should be between 10 and 30 metres wide, and con- sist of grass, managed (selec- tively harvested) forest, and mature forest. These areas stabilize stream banks and de- crease sediment runoff, thus preventing excess sediment from entering waterways. The buffer zones also act asa filter for absorbing materials which can be harmful: nitrates from fertilizers, pesticides, and bac- teria from manure.

According to UPEI’s Dr. Donna Giberson, the lack of buffer zones can be deadly for many species.

“Many fish lay theireggs in the gravel [at the bottom of streams],” Giberson said. “If sediment covers the gravel, then no oxygen can reach the eggs and the fish eggs smother.”

According to the PEI Atlantic Salmon Federation, studies onthe Westand Wilmot river systems show a direct correlation between egg mor- tality and sedimentation; with greater percentages of land involved in agricultural use, the survival of fisheggs decreases. Sediment can also smother the aquatic insects that many fish feed on, leaving a gap in the aquatic food chain.

Giberson also explains that excess nitrates, which seep into waterways in ferti- lizer runoff, can result in in- creased growth of algae. When the algae dies at the end of the season, the decomposi- tion uses oxygen. Again, fish and eggs are deprived of this necessary oxygen.

Currently, there isno leg- islation to effectively prevent this type of pollution. While provincial and federal laws prevent people from dumping harmful substances into wa- terways, the issue of sediment is not addressed.

“One of the biggest prob-

lems [with excess sediment] is that it is almost impossible to prove,” Giberson said. This type of pollution is labelled non- point source pollution.

“You cannot prove where it came from, therefore enforcement becomes very difficult,” she added.

If farmers and land own-

ers were required to have a buffer zone between their op- erations, whether farming, forestry or construction, the problem would be greatly re- duced.

But despite the consen- sus report of the Round Table, the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and the

Environment intervened to address government concerns. In their report, they advocate practices which many feel are harmful to the effectiveness of the buffer zone, including clear cutting to the river edge.

Guignion merely wants

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