A provincewide campaign is underway in hopes of stopping clearcutting on Crown land until new rules and regulations can be implemented.
Marilyn Cameron, a private woodlot owner and farmer in Grafton, Kings County, launched a postcard campaign in January. She’s hoping to put a pause on current forestry practices.
“There are dozens and dozens of groups in Nova Scotia that care about this issue and they’re all very much on side. And they’re asking for the same thing: a moratorium on clearcutting on Crown land until the Lahey report is adopted and implemented,” said Cameron, noting they’re also looking to “protect endangered species and species at risk on those Crown lands, which is something the province is currently not doing very well.”
The Lahey report, conducted by University of King’s College president Bill Lahey and published in 2018, called for the province to drastically reduce clearcutting on Crown land. The report provided 45 recommendations — all of which the government accepted.
Among the key recommendations, which have yet to be implemented, is a total ban on harvesting trees in parks, nature reserves and designated wildness areas.
A new forest management guide is in the works, but revisions are still being made.
“The new draft guide is an important part of the ecological forestry model. The triad model for ecological forestry is made up of three zones that work together: production forest zones, conservation zones and ecological matrix zones,” the Department of Lands and Forestry website reads.
“The ecological matrix zone is designed to work in concert with high production forestry zones and conservation zones, making up a triad that prioritizes biodiversity across Crown land forests,” the website continues.
“It is important to note that legislation, policies and procedures that protect Species at Risk and their designated core habitat will continue to apply in all legs of the triad.”
While Cameron says she’s pleased the Department of Lands and Forestry is consulting the public as they develop the new regulations, she’s concerned that clearcutting is still happening across the province.
“I know there’s logging going on in Cape Breton. There was a whack of it going on in Cumberland and Colchester County in the summer and fall,” said Cameron.
“It’s going on all over so it’s pretty much a provincial issue.”
With that in mind, she launched a postcard campaign that is beginning to gain momentum. She’s asking concerned Nova Scotians to reach out to her to get a postcard that she’s designed, sign their name to it and send it to Derek Mombourquette, the minister of Lands and Forestry, to voice their concerns over clearcutting.
“I know there are lots of people that are very deeply concerned about this issue,” said Cameron.
She said she’s been receiving requests for postcards from across the province, especially from people in Kings and Annapolis counties.
“If we can get enough voices to ask for this, maybe it will happen; maybe the government will put a pause on this activity for the time being, until we can get it right,” she said.
Cameron is hopeful people across the province will take up the cause.
“Urban folks need to weigh in on this as well,” she said.
Cameron said multiple forest-related organizations across the province have reported witnessing the deterioration of forest health and wildlife populations from industrial forestry practises.
As a farmer, she’s particularly concerned about the impact extensive tree removal has on the watershed and climate change.
“The 10 driest years have been within the last 15 years, according to the newscasts and weather people. That’s very concerning for us,” said Cameron.
“I feel, personally, that having our forest largely left intact and restored would help dramatically lessen the impact of climate change in Nova Scotia and restore the water recycling that we used to get here.”
Cameron said she’s receiving a lot of positive feedback from the public and nature advocates. She’s hoping more people will add their voices to the cause and request a postcard so that the government will implement changes.
According to the Lands and Forestry website, staff plan to review and consider all feedback from the new forestry management plan and will “work closely with silvicultural practitioners on training and implementation of the new draft guide.”
A representative with the Nova Scotia Department of Lands and Forestry was unavailable for comment as of press time.
MORE INFORMATION
To obtain postcards or get involved in raising awareness of clearcutting on Crown land, contact [email protected].
To learn more about the Lahey report and plans to implement recommendations to the province’s forestry practices, visit: https://novascotia.ca/ecological-forestry/.
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