Open Letter to Premier Houston: Save What’s Left Of Our Forests

“Dear Premier,

 

In the last election, many Nova Scotians were delighted when the PCs ran on a pledge to protect 20% of our lands and waters. We were pleased when you put that promise into legislation shortly after coming to power in 2021.

 

Now, though, that goodwill is being compromised by one of your departments. Instead of moving us towards protecting 20% by 2030, Natural Resources and Renewables is taking us backwards. Consider what just happened on Crown land in the Beals Brook area of Annapolis County.Four different proposals to protect this part of the South Mountain are on file with the Department of Environment and Climate Change. Public support for protecting this area is strong. The Municipality of Annapolis County and the Towns of Annapolis Royal and Middleton voted to support protecting the area. They also called for a moratorium on forestry, road building and industrial activity in the area until it is designated. Citizen scientists collected ample data demonstrating the area’s importance for wildlife, including several species-at-risk. And yet, in the last month or so, NRR permitted WestFor to go in and log a cutblock that – 20 years ago – Bowater spared. Bowater spared it because it was worth more to wildlife than to the mill. Bowater listened to the requests of local citizens. WestFor ignored them. So did NRR.

 

The buffers around 17 species-at-risk lichens did protect 60% of the cutblock in question. WestFor left that part alone, but not the remaining 10 hectares. There they took the oldest forest. There wasn’t much of it. They took the stand of mature spruce that provided the winter shelter and summer shade necessary to Mainland Moose. They took the narrow band of forest where the oldest oaks and maples grew, the big, often hollow trees perfect for Martens to den in. They tool< the forest that was invaluable to wildlife.

 

The whole planet is facing a climate and biodiversity crisis. One hundred and ninety-six countries have committed to protecting 30% of their lands and waters by 2030 but your government couldn’t set aside 10 hectares.

 

NRR is planning more of the same for areas proposed for protection on Crown land in Halifax, Queens, Kings and Annapolis Counties. Specifically, they are currently advancing plans to log 200 hectares in the proposed Ingram River Wilderness Area and 64 hectares in the Tobeatic Wilderness Area Addition. They are refusing to put holds on existing harvest plans in the Chain Lakes Wilderness Area and the Goldsmith Lake Wilderness Area. This is no way to engage with the public in achieving our collective goal of protecting 20%.

 

In the Collaborative Protected Areas Strategy, published last December, the section titled “What We Heard From Public Engagement” concludes: “The desire for urgent action, a collaborative approach, and a transparent process were clearly articulated by participants.” This urgency has only strengthened over the last year. There is tremendous support for protecting nature now. But frustration is growing with your government on this file. Progress is glacial.

 

We understand that identifying and documenting our most ecologically valuable forests is time-consuming. This is an area where members of the public are making valuable contributions. Unfortunately, far from being collaborative, NRR’s approach to the proposed Wilderness Areas listed above suggests indifference to the public’s contributions. Harvesting and road-building in these areas will, without question, degrade their conservation value.

 

The Department of Natural Resources and Renewables and the Department of Environment and Climate Change are mandated to work together to protect 20% of Nova Scotia in the next six years. The deadline for meeting the interim target of 15% March 2026 is even more demanding. Of necessity, most of the 300,000 hectares needed to meet the 20% target will come from Crown land.

We need NRR to work with both ECC and the public to achieve this goal.

 

Premier, please ask Minister Rushton and his department to:

• stop logging forests in areas that have been proposed for protection

• stop logging high conservation value forests on Crown land

• stop proposing areas to clearcut for plantation forestry until 20% of our lands and waters have been designated for protection.

 

We must save the best of what is left of our forests and we must do it now, not after the forestry industry has taken the very forests wildlife need to survive.

 

As the Lahey report reminds us, the time for balancing economic concerns against environmental ones is over. Protecting and restoring ecosystem health must be “the overarching priority.” This is how we protect our health and the health of future generations.

 

Please take action now. We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

 

Save Our Old Forests (SOOF) Association, Nina Newington, President

Blomidon Naturalists Society, Soren Bondrup-Nielsen, President

Citizen Scientists of Southwest Nova Scotia, Ashlea Viola (On behalf of)

Friends of Nature Conservation Society, Syd Dumaresq, Board Chair

Halifax Field Naturalists, Brenie McKenna, President

Healthy Forests Coalition, Mike Lancaster, Coordinator

Margaree Environmental Association, Neal Livingston and Brian Peters, Co-Chairs

Nature Nova Scotia, Bob Bancroft, President

Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society, Charles Cron, President

Queens County Fish and Game Association, David Dagley, Secretary

Saint Margaret’s Bay Stewardship Association, Richard Howell, Chair

Southwest Paddlers Association, Sandra Phinney, President

Tusket River Environmental Protection Association, Barrie MacGregor, President

Annapolis Environment & Ecology (1,767 members) Bev Wigney (Administrator)

Citizen Science Mi’kma’ki (431 Members), Robert Bright (Administrator)

Friends of Goldsmith Lake Wilderness Area (669 members) Lisa Proulx (Administrator)

Nova Scotia Bird Protectors (492 Members) Bev Wigney (Administrator)

Stop Spraying and Clearcutting Nova Scotia (4,924) Sydnee Lynn McKay (Administrator)”