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Public Lands Coalition Applauds Bowater Conservation Deal

July 26, 2007

The Public Lands coalition's many years of advocacy continue to pay dividends. Our 50+ member groups have been hard at work advocating for more protected areas and the Province of Nova Scotia recently responded by purchasing more than 10,000 hectares (nearly 25,0000 acres) of important and stunningly beautiful lands for protection from the Bowater Mersey paper company, for $27 million.

“This is a terrific example of cooperation between government and industry for conservation,” said Ecology Action Centre Wilderness Coordinator Raymond Plourde. “Most of these lands are significant ecological sites that the company has voluntarily set aside over the years and are now making available to the province for permanent protection. It's a good deal for the government, for the company and especially for wildlife in Nova Scotia.

“We’re looking forward to seeing the majority of these lands legally protected within a reasonably short time frame.

The Government of Nova Scotia has purchased 30 parcels of land in six different counties across southwestern Nova Scotia. These lands will be used to create 11 new nature reserves (2,700 hectares in Queens, Lunenburg, Hants, and Annapolis counties), one new Wilderness Area and six additions to exisiting Wilderness Areas (5,800 hectares in Queens, Shelburne, and Annapolis counties), and 12 park reserves (1,600 hectares).

The lands contain significant wetlands, old growth forest stands, and habitat for endangered species such as mainland moose and the Blanding's turtle.

One particularly significant new protected area will be the Shelburne River, which runs adjacent to Kejimkujik. This river is one of only 40 national heritage rivers in the country.

The Canadian Heritage Rivers System website describes how the Shelburne “flows through many shallow, rocky lakes, tumbles over rapids, and slips quietly through tranquil stillwaters as it traverses boulder-strewn wetlands, eskers and undisturbed forests.” It is a rare gem, flowing through some of the last old-growth pine, spruce, and hemlock in the province, showing a wilderness largely unchanged since the Mi'kmaq travelled the same course.

Important lands adjacent to the Tobeatic, Cloud Lake, and Tidney River Wilderness Areas, and the Bog Lakes area near Kaiser Meadow in Lunenburg County, will also be protected. These areas will become additions to existing Wilderness Areas or new Nature Reserves.

This effort will help preserve rare species and unique natural features while providing Nova Scotians and visitors with greater opportunities for wilderness recreation.

At the same time the protected lands go a long way to protecting the province's First Nation's heritage. Important Mi'kmaq cultural heritage sites along the Mersey River in Queens and Annapolis counties will be safeguarded by these new designations.

The Public Lands Coalition applauds the government and the Bowater Mersey Paper Company for reaching this important agreement. We hope that other forestry companies will look at this as a model to replicate.