New tool helps Islanders identify wetlands and know where development is restricted

Thinh Nguyen · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 15, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: June 15

The provincial Department of Environment has released a new, updated mapping instrumentality to assistance Islanders place areas wherever improvement is not allowed owed to biology concerns.

The Potential Development Restrictions map, on with accompanying guides and checklists, present includes further accusation to assistance developers find whether a spot contains mapped oregon unmapped wetlands.

Environmentally delicate areas, specified arsenic watercourses, wetlands, buffer zones and soil dunes, are protected nether P.E.I.'s Environmental Protection Act, adjacent if those features are seasonal.

Hannah Jenkins, a manager with the Department of Environment who oversees the biology onshore absorption section, said the caller instrumentality was created successful effect to expanding improvement successful areas that haven't typically seen it — specified arsenic agrarian areas that were traditionally forested oregon farmed.

"The intent of this instrumentality is to rise the alarm for individuals astir knowing that they whitethorn privation to scope retired to the section to person america travel retired and bash a tract inspection to find if determination are biology features connected their spot that whitethorn request to beryllium protected from development," Jenkins told CBC News.

Jenkins said the state already had the P.E.I. Wetland Inventory map, which is updated regularly. The caller instrumentality builds connected that instauration and includes further item for immoderate areas that mightiness not person been antecedently noted connected mapping tools available.

She hopes the instrumentality volition beryllium utile to spot owners who are considering development, radical looking to merchantability land, and prospective buyers evaluating whether a spot suits their plans. Real property agencies could besides usage the instrumentality to amended counsel clients.

Flood risks and ecosystem protection

Jenkins said wetlands play a important relation connected Prince Edward Island and crossed Canada.

"We privation to guarantee we are protecting these delicate habitats that tin assistance with flood risk, providing ecosystems to wildlife arsenic good arsenic the taxon that we privation to spot thrive successful these areas."

She added that nether the Environmental Protection Act and the Watercourse and Wetland Protection Regulations, ineligible restrictions are important for properties that see wetland features. Any projected enactment wrong these areas requires provincial permits.

"Typically, we don't privation to spot caller improvement going connected successful these areas," she said.

If a developer has bought a spot that has a wetland oregon buffer zone, that conception is hands-off, but different parts of the spot could beryllium strategically developed, Jenkins said.

If a spot shows signs of environmentally delicate features, owners tin petition a tract sojourn from provincial staff. These assessments assistance find the size and boundaries of protected zones, the state said successful a release.

The reappraisal process is disposable from June to September, erstwhile vegetation and hydrology tin beryllium decently evaluated during the highest increasing season. The process usually takes 2 to 8 weeks.

In time-sensitive situations and for properties larger than an acre, radical are encouraged to prosecute an biology advisor to inspect a spot for a fee. The state tin supply a database of qualified consultants upon request.