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class=3DMs --000000000000c7ff95056d5f02c1 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable John - and all, You are not alone in your concern and are right to lament. Recently, I made some inquiries into protection of SAR bird species, and migratory birds in general -- on Crown Land forests slated for harvest. What I discovered is that there isn't much protection at all. There is very little being done to secure habitat for species. There is also very little being done to ascertain that SAR and other birds aren't nesting on lands slated for harvesting -- from what I could gather, no one is running bird atlas info or other data against planned harvest plots. There is also very little that can be done to protect birds that you suspect to be nesting in a harvest area unless you are practically able to prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that there is a nest there. If you can prove this to be true (photos of nest with bird and eggs I guess), you are supposed to be able to call some emergency number and something might possibly be done. As for protecting known breeding habitat, recommendations can be made to protect an area --- there is a process -- but apparently it is rarely done and, I gather, probably unlikely to be successful. So, the gist of all of this is that, really, these birds are not protected on Crown Land unless inside of some special conservation area. I was more than appalled by all of this after hearing back from all concerned. Frankly, I find it pretty shocking. It's also quite infuriating that so many people have much to say about how forests and natural areas are managed in Mexico, Central and South America -- we get angry that they aren't doing a better job of protecting rain forests and other habitat from deforestation -- yet, meanwhile, here we are in the north where these birds are actually nesting and raising young -- and so little effort is being made to secure their breeding habitat. Very pathetic indeed. Bev Wigney Round Hill, NS On Tue, May 29, 2018 at 4:09 PM, John Kearney <john.kearney@ns.sympatico.ca= > wrote: > Dear NatureNS readers, > > I wish to express my sorrow about the state of environmental policy in th= e > Province of Nova Scotia. I thought I couldn=E2=80=99t get more dishearten= ed when > the Premier indicated that oil and gas development should be permitted in > Marine Protected Areas. While such a statement would be par for the cours= e > (no pun intended) for US President, Donald Trump. I didn=E2=80=99t expect= it here. > > > > Yesterday, however, this sorrow hit closer to home. In my home village of > Carleton, in Yarmouth County, I witnessed what I believe to be the > destruction of a Common Nighthawk nest by a forestry operation. I believe > this because I was listening to a tree harvesting machine, blocked from m= y > view from a stand of softwood, but very loud as I was only a couple hundr= ed > of meters away. All of a sudden, at about 2 PM, a Common Nighthawk flew u= p > from where the machine was harvesting and subsequently circled the machin= e > a couple of times before disappearing. > > > > I immediately called the local office of the Department of Natural > Resources. The regional biologist was not in but about an hour later a > wildlife technician called to tell me not to worry. The biologist had > indicated that Common Nighthawks don=E2=80=99t nest in the forest and hav= e a wide > foraging area so it was just passing by. I disputed this claim, noted tha= t > forestry should not be permitted during the bird breeding season, and ask= ed > that at minimum, the Department inform the landowner that an endangered > species, listed under the Species at Risk Act, was likely nesting in the > area of forestry operations. I was then informed there was nothing the > government would do because the forestry operation was on private land. > > > > So despite the fact that it is against the law (Migratory Birds Conventio= n > Act) to destroy the nest, eggs, or young of a migratory bird, and despite > the fact the Common Nighthawk is protected by federal and Nova Scotia > species at risk legislation, it is ok to destroy the nest, eggs, or young > of an endangered migratory bird if it is on private property. I wonder if > they are planning on allowing the hunting of fawns and moose calves on > private property year-round too? > > > > Thanks for listening to my lament. > > John > > > > > > > > > > > --000000000000c7ff95056d5f02c1 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr">John - and all,<div><br></div><div>You are not alone in yo= ur concern and are right to lament.=C2=A0 Recently, I made some inquiries i= nto protection of SAR bird species, and migratory birds in general -- on Cr= own Land forests slated for harvest.=C2=A0 What I discovered is that there = isn't much protection at all.=C2=A0 There is very little being done to = secure habitat for species.=C2=A0 There is also very little being done to a= scertain that SAR and other birds aren't nesting on lands slated for ha= rvesting -- from what I could gather, no one is running bird atlas info or = other data against planned harvest plots.=C2=A0 There is also very little t= hat can be done to protect birds that you suspect to be nesting in a harves= t area unless you are practically able to prove beyond any shadow of a doub= t that there is a nest there.=C2=A0 If you can prove this to be true (photo= s of nest with bird and eggs I guess), you are supposed to be able to call = some emergency number and something might possibly be done.=C2=A0 As for pr= otecting known breeding habitat, recommendations can be made to protect an = area --- there is a process -- but apparently it is rarely done and, I gath= er, probably unlikely to be successful.=C2=A0 So, the gist of all of this i= s that, really, these birds are not protected on Crown Land unless inside o= f some special conservation area.=C2=A0 I was more than appalled by all of = this after hearing back from all concerned.=C2=A0 Frankly, I find it pretty= shocking.=C2=A0 It's also quite infuriating that so many people have m= uch to say about how forests and natural areas are managed in Mexico, Centr= al and South America -- we get angry that they aren't doing a better jo= b of protecting rain forests and other habitat from deforestation -- yet, m= eanwhile, here we are in the north where these birds are actually nesting a= nd raising young -- and so little effort is being made to secure their bree= ding habitat. Very pathetic indeed.</div><div><br></div><div>Bev Wigney</di= v><div>Round Hill, NS</div></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><div class= =3D"gmail_quote">On Tue, May