HRM: Part of the Margaree River watershed and old growth forest in Cape Breton, a coastal area along the Eastern Shore, and a mix of forest, coastline and lake shoreline in Halifax are set to become Nova Scotia’s newest wilderness areas.
Public consultation opened August 21, on protecting 5,100 more hectares of Nova Scotia’s land and water, including:
– three new wilderness areas
– additions to seven existing wilderness areas
– an addition to one existing nature reserve.
“Nova Scotia is home to an incredible abundance of protected natural areas with an area about one and a half times the size of Prince Edward Island now protected, and we continue to protect more of our land and water,” said Nolan Young, acting Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
“With our small land mass, Nova Scotia is punching well above our weight in land protection and setting the pace for how provinces can both safeguard nature and responsibly develop land for housing, jobs and economic opportunities.
“These new proposed sites build on that momentum and reflect our commitment to protecting the landscapes that make Nova Scotia so special.”
Among them is: Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area, Halifax Regional Municipality, 475 hectares.
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Nova Scotians can provide input until October 20 at: https://www.novascotia.ca/nse/protectedareas/
The Province has protected about 14.56 per cent of its land and water, covering about 800,000 hectares. If designated, these sites represent an additional 0.09 per cent towards the Province’s goal of 15 per cent by December 31.
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
Additional Resources:
More information about protected areas is available at: https://www.novascotia.ca/nse/protectedareas
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The proposed areas to be protected, now open for public consultation, are:
New wilderness areas:
-Herring Cove Backlands Wilderness Area, Halifax Regional Municipality, 2,910 hectares
-Musquodoboit Harbour Wilderness Area, Halifax Regional Municipality, 308 hectares
– Masons Mountain Wilderness Area, Inverness County, 154 hectares
Additions to existing wilderness areas:
– Canso Coastal Barrens Wilderness Area, Guysborough County, 529 hectares
– Tobeatic Wilderness Area, Yarmouth, Shelburne, Digby and Queens counties, 498 hectares
– Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area, Halifax Regional Municipality, 475 hectares
– Guysborough Headlands Wilderness Area, Guysborough County, 69 hectares
– Medway Lakes Wilderness Area, Annapolis County, 61 hectares
– Ogden Round Lake Wilderness Area, Guysborough County, 34 hectares
– Polletts Cove-Aspy Fault Wilderness Area, Victoria County, 23 hectares
