2nd Prize — Brian Miiiar of Bioomfieid ETementary for the exhibit "Snakes". 3rd Prize - Lisa Parent and Anna Evans of Gien Stewart for the exhibit "Sun: Friend or Foe".

MISCOUCHE BOG DOOMED by Dan McAskiii

The Environmentai Assessment Pane1 for the Miscouche Bog tabTed its report on the proposed peat mining operation at the Miscouche Bog, the Is1and's best bog type natura1 area, on January 22, 1991. Due in Targe part to the wording of the Acadian Purchase Trust and Tegai opinions the panei obtained on this act as we11 as the faiiure of the government to take action on the conservation of this Internationai Bioiogicai Program site, the panei proposed two options to the Minister of Environment. The first was "that government negotiate with the Acadian Purchase Trust to purchase the Miscouche Bog and compensate the (Acadian Purchase) Trust for the Toss of jobs and revenue that wou1d accrue from the peat deveiopment project" whiTe the second, which the Minister approved, "provides for the project to proceed subject to the foiWOwing terms:

- that the scientific community be given adequate time and resources to

Tocate and attempt to transpiant endangered unique fiora from the

harvesting site;

- that the Acadian Purchase Trust ensure that a pian is estabiished and

committed that wiii put the harvested site, upon compietion, into an

acceptabie naturai state or utiiized for an appropriate agricuiturai

purpose; and

- that the province of Prince Edward Isiand compensate the scientific

community for the Toss of the Miscouche Bog by acquiring the foiiowing

a1ternative sites - Brae Harbour Bog, Wood Island Bog, and St. Peter's 809

and turning them over to the Isiand Nature Trust for the protection and

preservation." The conditions set by the Minister are very simiiar to those provided to the panei by the Naturai History Society as a contingency pian shouid a decision be reached to deveiop the bog. (refer to 151and Naturaiist #114, p.8 - 9) GOLF COURSE ON THE DUNES by Dan McAskiTi

The caii for a pubiic meeting to review pians for the Lakeside Deve1opment Goif Course brought out a Targe audience. The deveiopers unveiied their goif course routing pian as designed by Thomas McBroom Associates Ltd. and their gon course design provided a siide show depicting how the course wouid look when it was finished. The designer emphasized that the course wouid be deveioped so as to cause minimai damage to the natural features. Much to the Society's surprise, 7 of the 18 ho1es had tee off areas, greens, or fairways on secondary and tertiary dunes. In addition, some of these bordered wetlands.

The Society made representations to the deveiopers requesting the movement of the goif course southwards off the dunes which wouid be in the spirit of the government's 1egis1ation on sand dune protection. The deveiopers and their environmentai impact assessment consuiting company argued that such a deveiopment was aiiowed if the Minister provided permission to do so. They argued further that a course marshaii wou1d ensure the protection of the dunes from goifers Tooking for ba11s and that the “seTTing“ of the course as an attraction was dependant on the course being of high caliper and a "Scottish styie" iinks.

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