LOWER SACKVILLE/HALIFAX: Nova Scotia has a new nature reserve protecting wetlands, forest and migratory bird habitat in Digby County.
The designation of the Toy Makers Marsh Nature Reserve was announced today, May 27, along with two expanded nature reserves and seven expanded wilderness areas. Together, they protect 836 hectares of Nova Scotia’s land and water, and 5.2 kilometres of its coastline.
The Province also opened consultation on 13 proposed new or expanded wilderness areas and nature reserves.
“Government remains committed to protecting more of Nova Scotia’s land and water,” said Timothy Halman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “These new designations, along with the sites now open for consultation, will protect an additional 2,782 hectares.
“I want to thank the land trust organizations, municipalities and the land protection team in our Department for their ongoing work to acquire and prepare land for protection designation. It is time-consuming, complex and important work that contributes to the greater good as we work together to both protect and develop more land for the benefit of Nova Scotians and the environment.”
If approved for designation, the proposed sites will protect an additional 1,946 hectares of land and water. Four of the sites open for consultation were purchased by the Department using federal funding under the Canada-Nova Scotia Nature Agreement.
Nova Scotians can share their thoughts on the proposed new designations at https://www.novascotia.ca/nse/protectedareas/ until July 28.
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The new protected areas and those proposed for designation will increase the percentage of Nova Scotia’s protected land and water to 14.6 per cent.
Funding programs that support the Province, municipalities and land trust organizations to meet their protected land and water goals include:
– Nova Scotia Crown Share Land Legacy Trust – created in 2008 by the Province using offshore oil and gas royalties to provide funding to land trust organizations to acquire and protect privately owned natural areas that are ecologically significant, threatened and/or irreplaceable; in 2022, the government added an additional $20 million, $17.7 million of which has been provided to land trust organizations to date, including the Nova Scotia Nature Trust, which protected more than 1,000 hectares at Cape LaHave Island, and the Nature Conservancy of Canada, which expanded the Musquodoboit River Nature Reserve.
– Canada-Nova Scotia Nature Agreement – federal funding available in Nova Scotia from 2024 to 2026; the Province and land trust organizations used this funding to acquire about 8,000 hectares of land.
– Canada Target 1 Challenge – federal funding available to provinces and territories from 2019-2024; in Nova Scotia, it has helped protect 38,664 hectares to date, including Island Lake Wilderness Area spanning Halifax Regional Municipality and Hants County (3,917 hectares, designated in 2023); Owl’s Head Provincial Park, Halifax Regional Municipality (267 hectares, designated in 2022); Upper Ohio Conservation Lands, Shelburne County (Nature Conservancy of Canada project; 1,121 hectares); and Mabou Highlands Conservation Lands, Inverness County (Nova Scotia Nature Trust project, 271 hectares).
Quick Facts:
– the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act set a goal to protect 20 per cent of Nova Scotia’s land and water by 2030; an interim target of 15 per cent by December 31, 2026, was set in the Collaborative Protected Areas Strategy
– a wilderness area protects large, intact land and freshwater ecosystems and natural landscapes, ideal for canoeing and hiking, as well as hunting, trapping and recreational fishing
– a nature reserve protects special natural ecosystems, plant and animal species, features and natural processes; scientific research and education are the primary uses of nature reserves and only low-impact recreation is permitted.
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New nature reserves:
– Toy Makers Marsh Nature Reserve, Digby County, 24 hectares (new)
– Diligent River Nature Reserve, Cumberland County, 27 hectares (addition)
– Quinns Meadow Nature Reserve, Shelburne County, 157 hectares (addition)
Additions to existing wilderness areas:
– Bonnett Lake Barrens Wilderness Area, Guysborough County, 53 hectares
– Canso Coastal Barrens Wilderness Area, Guysborough County, 59 hectares
– Eigg Mountain – James River Wilderness Area, Antigonish County, 149 hectares
– Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area, Halifax Regional Municipality, seven hectares
– Fourchu Coast Wilderness Area, Richmond and Cape Breton counties, 234 hectares
– Roseway River Wilderness Area, Shelburne County, 85 hectares
– Toadfish Lakes Wilderness Area, Halifax Regional Municipality, 41 hectares
Sites for consultation:
– Johnson Lake Nature Reserve, Cape Breton Regional Municipality (addition, 33 hectares)
– Roseburn Nature Reserve, Inverness County (new, 47 hectares)
– Mount Pleasant Nature Reserve, Lunenburg County (new, 59 hectares)
– Lake Torment Nature Reserve, Kings County (new, 12 hectares)
– Lambs Lake Nature Reserve, Annapolis County (addition, one hectare)
– Humes River Wilderness Area, Inverness County (addition, 10 hectares)
– Herring Cove Backlands Wilderness Area, Halifax Regional Municipality (new, 505 hectares)
– Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area, Halifax Regional Municipality (addition, 144 hectares)
– Tangier Grand Lake Wilderness Area, Halifax Regional Municipality (addition, 82 hectares)
– Sackville River Wilderness Area, Halifax Regional Municipality (addition, 47 hectares)
– Sandy Point Wilderness Area, Shelburne County (new, 880 hectares)
– Carleton River Wilderness Area, Yarmouth County (addition, 50 hectares)
– Cloud Lake Wilderness Area, Annapolis and Kings County (addition, 76 hectares)
