P.E.I. conservation group acquires section of coastline
Phase one of land purchase cost $1.6 million
CBC News
Posted: Sep 14, 2012 8:36 PM AT
Last Updated: Sep 14, 2012 7:48 PM AT
A conservation group in P.E.I. has bought a section of coastline for $1.6 million. (CBC)
A Prince Edward Island land conservation group has purchased its first piece of land.
The LM Mongomery Land Trust says it will preserve the land for agricultural use and open it up to the public.
For Marion Reid, the Director of the LM Montgomery Land Trust, it has been a long time coming.
The newly acquired property is the first piece to a 400 acre stretch of shoreline that will eventually become known as the LM Montgomery Seashore, a place for all Islanders to enjoy.
"They'll just be able to view it as we're viewing it here today," said Reid. "Nothing will change. Now in a world that's changing all the time, wouldn't that be a wonderful, ambitious thing to do."
The land is one third of what the group plans to preserve.
The trust also has development rights to two other properties along the coastline.
2012 has been the land trust's most successful year in there 18 year history of protecting land along Prince Edward Island's North Shore. It brought in nearly half a million dollars this year.
That money helped buy 135 acres from the Ash family of England.
It's believed the Ash family bought it as a place to escape during World War Two.
But the family never came to the Island and the property has been leased to farmers for centuries.
Now the Land Trust will ensure it stays that way.
"We want to keep it as agricultural land because that preserves the views and if it's subdivided then you lose that" said Reid. "And I think it's absolutely priceless."
But the land actually cost the group $1.6 million and it still needs to raise most of that.
PEI MP Gail Shea says the site could be a money-maker for the Island.
"This could be another tourist attraction," said Shea. "To bring people here, just to see the natural beauty of the area."
The plan is to eventually create walkways along the shore so the people of PEI can enjoy the view while farmers continue to do what they've done for centuries.
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