A new 16 square-kilometre nature reserve is being established in central Newfoundland through a collaboration involving the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the federal government, and a mining company. The Beothuk Lake Nature Reserve will protect various ecosystems, including part of the Exploits River watershed, fish habitats, wetlands, and forests in the Millertown region.
Marie-Michèle Rousseau-Clair, the vice-president of eastern Canada for the Nature Conservancy of Canada, expressed enthusiasm about the initiative, highlighting its significance in safeguarding essential elements like watersheds, forests, and wetlands, which contribute to water quality and resilience against extreme weather events.
The land for the reserve was acquired for $1.3 million from Domtar by the Nature Conservancy of Canada, with additional financial support from the federal government ($180,000) and Teck Resources ($2 million). Teck Resources, a mining company that previously operated the Duck Pond Mine near Millertown, has been instrumental in realizing the project, emphasizing its role in preserving the watershed and supporting conservation efforts.
Thursday’s announcement of the nature reserve was made in St. John’s, preceding a forthcoming community consultation in Millertown. Millertown Mayor Fiona Humber welcomed the reserve as a positive development and expressed eagerness to collaborate with the Nature Conservancy of Canada and Indigenous groups to enhance the area’s conservation efforts, particularly focusing on preserving Beothuk culture and lands.
Piers Evans, the programs director of the Nature Conservancy of Canada in Newfoundland and Labrador, emphasized the importance of consulting with Indigenous partners to ensure that management decisions align with everyone’s interests. While certain activities like camping and wood cutting will be restricted in the reserve, recreational pursuits such as legal hunting, fishing, trapping, and ATV use will still be permitted, enabling people to engage with nature while respecting conservation guidelines.
Rousseau-Clair emphasized that the consultation process will involve determining the collective vision for the site among all stakeholders, emphasizing the importance of defining a shared vision following the initial step of protecting the site.