Forum participants says plan, public input needed to protect island landscape

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CHARLOTTETOWN - Prince Edward Island's landscapes are disappearing because there is no plan to deal with development, says an Island photographer.

John Sylvester, whose works focus on Island scenery, was the moderator at a forum held recently at UPEI to discuss issues in finding a balance between heritage and development on P.E.I.

The conference attracted speakers from around the world to discuss how different islands regulate land use when there are different views on how it should be developed and preserved.

About 70 people gathered to listen to a panel made up of speakers from P.E.I, the U.S. and Bahamas.

With many farms struggling in recent years, the farmers can't be blamed for selling their land to developers, just so they can keep going, Sylvester said.

Judy MacDonald, a former Tourism Industry Association of P.E.I president, says there needs to be the political will to keep rural communities and landscapes, she said.