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ne through the Val
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Hi All,
The following link leads to an aerial photo of a coastal bog in Nova =
Scotia and shows the ATV trails running through it. This bog hosts a =
nesting colony of Willets, a species classified as =E2=80=9CMay be at =
Risk=E2=80=9D by the Province of Nova Scotia. It is a stop-over area for =
Whimbrels in the autumn (classified as =E2=80=9CSensitive). It also =
provides habitat for nesting Swamp and Lincoln=E2=80=99s Sparrows. While =
the ATVs may not threaten the nests per se, risk of disturbance of =
nesting birds and those in stop-over may well be significant. It =
illustrates why the Province needs to do more to protect sensitive =
species, species at risk, and their habitats. Here is the link: =
https://www.flickr.com/photos/92521211@N05/24503359461/in/dateposted-publ=
ic/.
John
=20
From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca =
[mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] On Behalf Of bev wigney
Sent: January-24-16 10:27
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Protected areas; ATV use-some thoughts for moose =
and trout
=20
Donna, and all,
=20
Very much agree with what Donna has written. For several years, I was =
involved with a forest services committee in the Ottawa area. There was =
an ATV-snowmobile club that continuously lobbied to claim access to =
almost all of the large municipal managed forest. The leaders of the =
club attended every meeting and I expect they themselves were well =
meaning and no doubt ethical with their own use of the trails, but =
unfortunately, they had no true control over other members or non-member =
ATVers who also used the trails. In my time spent at the forest, I saw =
a boardwalk through a bog destroyed by ATVers who drove large machines =
onto it, breaking slats and causing it to flip over for its entire =
length. A neat little rustic x-country ski shelter was burnt up by a =
party fire made with old junk such as foam mattresses hauled into the =
woods by ATV. Several ATVers pretty much destroyed the wetland area =
just below the dam on a small lake funded by Ducks Unlimited by driving =
back and forth through it doing "mud crawls" (look that up if you don't =
know the term). A hiking trail intended as a "pedestrian-only nature =
walk" around the same lake was ripped all to hell by ATVers who just =
*had* to go there instead of staying on the dozens of ATV-permitted =
forest trails. A colony of fairly rare Walking Ferns was destroyed by =
ATVs that used the rock face they grew from as a place to try rock-face =
climbing and also as a detour to bypass a barrier that blocked off a =
pedestrian trail. ATV barriers were repeatedly jerked loose from =
pedestrian trailheads by people using 4x4s and chains and/or winches. =
I could go on at length, but what's the point? I have tried to be open =
to the idea of ATV use on public lands, but it is difficult to feel any =
degree of support after seeing incredible acts of destruction, not just =
in Ontario, but in Nova Scotia, and most certainly down in the southwest =
US where ATVs proliferate by the thousands. No matter where I have =
travelled, if there is an area of natural trails intended to be =
restricted to non-motorized use - there will I find barriers torn down =
and senseless habitat destruction. I just can't feel much optimism that =
things will be different in Nova Scotia.
=20
And, much like Donna, the rail line through the Valley goes past my =
place too. ATVers already use this section of trail and the noise on =
weekends in spring and autumn, and often many weekdays in summer, is =
absolutely appalling at times. I rarely walk on that trail with my =
dogs as the ATVs come racing through too fast and it is hard to crush =
off into the dense brush on either side of the trail to get out of their =
way. In the earthier sections of trail, after a rain, the mud is =
churned up as deep as my ankles. All in all, it makes the trail quite =
useless for pedestrians or bicycles. Oh well. If this is what people =
want, I guess this is what we will get.
=20
Bev Wigney
=20
On 2016-01-24, at 10:33 AM, Donna Crossland <dcrossland@eastlink.ca> =
wrote:
Sadly, there is a minority among the ATV groups who have carelessly =
littered remote locations, and far worse, can fish out previously =
hard-to-get to remote streams with healthy trout populations. Fires =
have been carelessly started that led to wildfires (e.g., one that I =
have noted on the =E2=80=98fire roads=E2=80=99 recently, which we =
taxpayers must pay to put out. There is no =E2=80=98let it =
burn=E2=80=99 policy in place, as NS is too small for this concept which =
is more appropriate for other ecosystems such as the vast boreal). =20
=20
=20
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