IRM the growing concern over Nova Scotia's public lands

Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2000 19:10:26 -0300
From: "Mark A. Brennan" <mbrennan@auracom.com>
To: SustMar <sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca>
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <sust-mar-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects


Hi all, many of you are no doubt aware of the recent public meetings by 
DNR outlining the Integrated Resource Management plans for Public Lands 
across Nova Scotia, no doubt also that some of you went to a few of 
these meetings. There is great and growing concern among many sectors of 
the public including naturalists that the IRM plan is hugely catering to 
industry, for instance under this plan there has been less than one 
percent of new Crown Land protected, excluding existing protected areas. 
In 1992 the provincial government promised to protect a representative 
sample of each of Nova Scotia's natural regions, to date the WWF says 
that only 16 areas out of 80 have a satisfactory level of protection. 
Another problem with IRM is that the senior level land use committee is 
made up entirely of DNR personnel with no involvement from any other 
department of public group. Now is the time that you can join the 
concerned people of Nova Scotia by signing onto the Nova Scotia Public 
Lands Coalition. We need groups, individuals, businesses, clubs 
association and most of  all the general public to create a ground swell 
of support for protecting our environment. If you are a member of an 
organisation please consider raising this issue at the next meeting for 
support. The one thing we need is for you to copy and paste the 
following letter and send it back to the coalition at 

kdegooyer@hotmail.com

please add your name and address and if you wish put a note at the 
bottom with your email address if you wish to be kept up to date with 
the growing campaign. Your personal information will not be recorded. 
All the letters will be printed out and given to Premier John Hamm as a 
show of support for protecting Nova Scotia's remaining wildlands. It is 
important to continue to gather support so passing this message on to 
anyone and everyone asking them to do the same will make a great 
difference, with your support we can make a change and protect habitat 
for all the species we love and the environment for clean air and water 
for the future.
Thanks
Mark Brennan
Pictou County Naturalists

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



NOVA SCOTIA'S PUBLIC LANDS ARE WORTH SAVING


TO: Hon. John Hamm, Premier,
PO Box 726, Halifax, NS, 
B3J 2T3. 
Fax: 424-7648

Dear Dr. Hamm:

The Department of Natural Resources has regrettably proposed a land use 
plan for Crown lands that fails to recognize the value that many Nova 
Scotians place on saving our limited public land base from resource 
extraction. I support the position (below) of the Nova Scotia Public 
Lands Coalition, and urge your government to do likewise. I am counting 
on you to rescue Nova Scotia's wilderness heritage. Please also add this 
letter to the official record of comments for the Integrated Resource 
Management (IRM) planning process. I look forward to your response.

WHEREAS Nova Scotia prides itself on being home to spectacular 
wilderness including vast forests, rivers, lakes, coastal islands, and 
beaches;

WHEREAS the loss of wilderness in Nova Scotia, including on public 
lands, has reached an alarming and unprecedented rate of over 
500km2/year;

WHEREAS our public wildlands provide wildlife habitat, keep air and 
water clean, sustain native forests, maintain the beauty, solitude, and 
adventure of the back country, offer residents and visitors access to 
outdoor recreation, provide new economic opportunities for Nova Scotia
communities, and contribute to the quality of life in Nova Scotia;

WHEREAS the Province's proposed "Integrated Resource Management" land 
use plans would allow industrial development to displace nearly all 
unprotected public wildlands; and

WHEREAS it is reasonable to expect our provincial government to do all 
it can to defend the public wildlands it manages on behalf of all Nova 
Scotians;


BE IT RESOLVED, THAT THE Government of Nova Scotia: OVERHAUL the 
proposed Integrated Resource Management plans to recognize conservation 
as the primary role of public lands;

HONOUR its protected area commitments;

PROTECT all remaining public wildlands, significant natural areas, and 
public lands proposed for protection; and

BUY TIME for publicly-owned wilderness by placing remaining public 
wildlands, potential significant natural areas, and public lands 
proposed for protection under an interim development moratorium to allow 
an opportunity for proper study of protection options before lands
are lost to development.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 


NAME:
ADDRESS:


 to receive e-mail Action Alerts regarding public lands (maximum, one 
per month). 
My e-mail address is:



-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
The preceding message was posted on Sustainable Maritimes (sust-mar)
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

DOES SUST-MAR KNOW? Not unless you tell us ...

To submit a message about the environment/sustainability in the Maritimes,
just send it to <sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca>

Messages are prioritised and queued, so please be patient if your message
doesn't appear right away.

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects