Make Room for Nature

In response to the UN Convention on Biodiversity call for expanded global protected areas, Canada has committed to a two-stage expansion of our protected areas system. The federal budget will invest $3.2 billion, over five years, to establish new terrestrial and marine protected areas across Canada, including in Nova Scotia. There has never been a bigger investment for nature protection, so it is a milestone worth celebrating! Nova Scotia has been working towards increased protected areas for many years, which you can learn about in our latest State of Nature Report.

Designate All Remaining Parcels in the Parks and Protected Areas Plan

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Honourable Mr. Halman,

Following the federal government's example and call from the IUCN to increase the amount of land and oceans under formal protection, in 2021, the province renewed its commitment to nature with a promise to protect a total of 20% of Nova Scotia's public lands by 2030. This a 7% increase from the previous 13% goal, which I was happy to see the province achieve in 2021. This year, government launched a new planning process for identifying the next round of protected area parcels. I am concerned that this process will only include the short 6-question survey government sent out in August, and not meaningful consultation with scientists, conservation groups, hobby naturalists, or other members of the public. I am also concerned with how many parcels identified in the current Parks and Protected Areas Plan are left undesignated, as we move into this next stage.

The Parks and Protected Areas Plan built on previous planning documents and identified additional areas that would require more planning, restoration, or other work before protection but that could be designated by 2020, bringing total land protection in Nova Scotia to 15%. It's now 2023 and we have not achieved this percentage. It's time our province designated all remaining pending protected areas in the current Parks and Protected Areas Plan and then started work on a new (and full) plan that will take us into the next decade.

Your new Protected Areas Strategy survey asks Nova Scotians very broad questions like "what are some barriers to achieving 20% protected areas?", "how can private landowners be encouraged to contribute to the 20% goal?", and "what should government consider in identifying new protected areas?" but you don't ask us the more meaningful questions of "where would you like to see protected areas created or expanded?", "which organizations, industry groups, and citizen groups would you like to see engaged in this next round of protected areas planning?", or "how can government create more opportunities for public engagement as this process continues?" Surely those 6 simple questions you've put to Nova Scotians through this survey do not constitute the entirety of the public consultation your new Protected Areas Strategy will be based on...

Please designate these remaining provincial parks, nature reserves, and wilderness areas across Nova Scotia and provide citizens with an update on your full process for the next round of protected areas planning, including how we might nominate areas for protection, how we might contribute citizen science data, and how we might provide feedback on the draft plan once it's ready.

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In 2021, the province renewed its commitment to nature with a promise to protect a total of 20% of Nova Scotia's public lands by 2030. Help us Make Room for Nature by asking government to designate all pending protected areas in the current Parks and Protected Areas Plan.

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Designate All Remaining Parcels in the Parks and Protected Areas Plan

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