No more land will be allocated for wild blueberries on the former Tracadie fire range in northeastern New Brunswick, the province has announced.
The previous Progressive Conservative government issued a request for proposals to award about 830 hectares for new or enhanced blueberry process.
However, the new Liberal government announced in a news release issued late Thursday afternoon that it had cancelled the RFP.
“We recognize the importance of the wild blueberry industry and its economic benefit to the Acadian Peninsula and the province of New Brunswick. I also recognize the hard work and passion of New Brunswickers who work in this industry,” Agriculture Minister Pat Finnigan said in the release.
“However, we have been listening to the concerns of the local community and acknowledge the need to balance further development on the Tracadie range with social acceptance. As a result, there will be no new wild blueberry development on the range beyond our current legal obligations to the current leaseholders and First Nations.”
About 70 per cent of wild blueberry production in New Brunswick is on the Acadian Peninsula. The industry is the province’s second largest horticultural commodity with farm cash receipts over a five-year period averaging $40 million.
The former firing range, which consists of more than 18,000 hectares of land and waterways near Tracadie, was used for training and weapons practice from 1939 to 1994.
In 1997, the Department of National Defence transferred the property to the provincial government, which is now responsible for any land development plans.
