The WER Advisory Council
The government of Newfoundland and Labrador passed the Wilderness and Ecological Reserves Act (WER Act) in 1980. It was designed to guide the creation of a system of protected areas in the province that would preserve wilderness, representative or unique ecosystems, species, or natural phenomena.
Under the Act, an 11-member committee was also created. Called the Wilderness and Ecological Reserves Advisory Council—or WERAC—its purpose is to advise the government on the creation and management of wilderness and ecological reserves.
WERAC is an independent group made of citizens from a variety of backgrounds and all regions of the province. Its members are appointed by Government for three-year terms, which can be renewed. The Council's work and recommendations are directed by scientific research and public input. WERAC makes its recommendations on reserve creation to Government; Government itself makes the final decisions.
The Province's Parks and Natural Areas Division, which oversees the Wilderness and Ecological Reserves Program, works cooperatively with WERAC. Typically, the council meets four times a year, for two days each time. The WERAC Secretariat, consisting of an Executive Secretary, operates from the Division's headquarters in Deer Lake.
Together, WERAC and the Division work to ensure that all public and private interests are fairly heard and considered when reserves are being planned and established. Public meetings are called to acquire input when reserves are proposed; WERAC members are in attendance. Once a reserve is created, the Parks and Natural Areas Division manages it, and ensures that it keeps its ecological integrity.
The Province has made great progress in its conservation goals. Eighteen reserves have been created since the WER Act was passed in 1980, and more are planned. WERAC's important and challenging task remains: to work towards the public release and review of the natural areas system plan, and then work cooperatively with communities, industry, and other members of the public to create a viable protected areas system.
Learn more about Newfoundland and Labrador's Protected Areas Strategy.
