important rally against aerial pesticide spraying

From: "Larry Steele" <LSTEELE@MSVU1.MSVU.Ca>
Organization: Mount Saint Vincent University
To: sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca
Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 13:34:34 -0400
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <sust-mar-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>

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Paul,
Lyse ran into some computer troubles, so I am sending you this 
urgent message. It would be great if as many people as possible 
could get out to this....

Larry


You are invited to a gathering of people concerned about pesticides 
used in forests.  

Tuesday 11 September
11 am
Halifax, outside of province house

Members of CAPE (Citizen Action to Protect the Environment), a 
group of concerned residents of Hants County, have recently been 
working hard to halt the spraying of Vision on recovering clear cuts. 
Vision is a pesticide that the Department of Natural Resources 
sprays in late summer to kill herbaceous plants and hardwood 
trees so that softwoods can predominate.  

CAPE supports sustainable forestry practices, these do not include
pesticides or clear cutting.

The energies of CAPE have been directed towards holding public 
meetings, writing letters to our elected representatives and 
employees of DNR and the Ministry of the Environment, (also 
calling these people), putting up big signs in the community to 
notify other residents of the dangers of Vision, connecting with the 
media, and being present on land scheduled for spraying in order to 
halt it.  

The areas we focused on were crown lands on both sides of 
Walton Woods Road and another large tract of land in the Stanley 
area which happens to be the watershed that is the source of water 
for many members of CAPE. The crown land in the Stanley area 
has been a long time showcase for the forestry industry in Nova 
Scotia.  

On September 6, the Department of Natural Resources issued a 
press release announcing they were postponing a portion of their 
annual aerial herbicide program. They stated in part that:  

"The postponement is due to the extended period of dry weather 
this summer and the inability of forest vegetation in some areas to 
absorb moisture as well as usual. As  result, the program will not 
take place this year in Digby and Kings counties and the 
municipality of West Hants."  

The Stanley woods is in East Hants and is therefore still scheduled 
to be sprayed. Like all of Nova Scotia, this area has experienced a 
very dry summer.  

Throughout the past week or so, several people from CAPE stayed 
in the woods overnight to keep watch and be ready to go into 
action should spraying begin at dawn. We went camping there 
again on the night of September 6  and reinforcements showed up 
very early on the morning of the 7th to block the roads and provide 
support.  

Early in the morning the aerial spraying crew showed up along with 
Carl Weatherhead, Regional Coordination for DNR. The truck 
carrying Vision and helicopter fuel was then trapped between two 
groups of people and their vehicles on the road. The clear cut 
campers, wearing bright orange gear, waved brightly coloured 
materials at the helicopter that flew overhead. (Spraying is 
prohibited if people are on the ground.)  

A couple of conservation officers and an RCMP constable arrived 
and witnessed the dialogue between CAPE and Carl Weatherhead. 
Several of us had amiable conversations with the cooperative guys 
who were on the pesticide spraying crew. Some media folks 
eventually found their way there.  

After much discussion, and Weatherhead's phonecalls to his 
superiors, it was agreed that a meeting would be scheduled with 
the people who have the power to make decisions about pesticide 
spraying on crown lands and representatives of concerned citizens 
in Hants County.  

Weatherhead promised that no spraying would take place until the 
day after the meeting.  

At the meeting CAPE plans to demand a moratorium on spraying 
for 2001 and direct community involvement in future planning for the 
management of crown lands in Hants county.  

This meeting is tentatively scheduled for 11am on Tuesday 11 
September. At the same time a gathering of supporters of CAPE 
will meet outside of Province House. Everyone is invited to join in 
and support CAPE in their fight to stop the use of pesticides in 
forests.  

Carl Weatherhead of the DNR won't know the exact time of the 
meeting he's scheduling for us in Halifax until sometime on 
Monday. An e-mail will be sent out late Monday afternoon to 
confirm the time of the gathering.  

For more information call one of the following CAPE people:

-Ruth Lapp 757-0326
-Deryk Eagles 757-0339

Crown land is our land!



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