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Dear Sust-Mar, Dec. 23 Rudy Haase (Exec. Secretary, Friends of Nature) sent me this press release and asked that I help get the word out since he doesn't have e-mail. ... I sense that people at our DNR (Dept. of Natural Resources) are starting to realize that Nova Scotians will no longer tolerate having DNR's primary mandate be that of paving the way for industry. We need to let them know that we want sustainability; that industry has to change its ways just as we must change ours. This struggle to save the Kaiser Brook area from clear-cutting & spraying is part of the big struggle; let's take advantage of it to make sure DNR and Bowater know we care! Please contact your local DNR office and or: the Hon. Ernest Fage, Minister of Natural Resources, <MIN_DNR@gov.ns.ca> Peter S. Jones, Forest Manager, Bowater ph: (902) 354-8646 fax: 354-2867 <jonespj@bowater.com> ********************************************************* PRESS RELEASE 11 Dec. 2001 contact: Brad Armstrong (h) (902) 275-3121 (w) 857-9160 KAISER MEADOW BROOK AREA PROTECTION URGED Many Lunenburg County residents are distressed that about 3,000 acres of old natural mixed forest is scheduled to be cleracut by Bowaters. The area along Kaiser Meadow Brook, and other tributaries of the East River, is north of Chester and contains many large maples, oaks, pines and beech trees, as well as much spruce and fir. Brad Armstrong, chairman of the newly formed Kaiser Meadow Brook Preservation Group, along with Martin Rudy Haase, Executive Secretary of Friends of Nature, met recently with peter Jones, Bowaters' Forestry Manager. Mr. Jones agreed to consider establishing a protected wilderness area along Kaiser Brook similar to areas of old growth forest which Bowaters has spared as part of its concern for the environment. Mr. Haase pointed out that none of the 31 provincial wilderness areas are in Lunenburg Co., nor does Bowaters presently have any of its "Pocket Wilderness" areas here. With only about 1% of Nova Scotia's unprotected forest left with trees over 80 years old, people are concerned that with the extensive clearcutting planeed, this small percentage will be further reduced. Mr. Jones said clearcutting by big tree harvesting machines will be done in 12 - 14 hectare pockets spread over 8 - 10 years, and that provincial forestry regulations that take effect on January 14 will be strictly adhered to. The regulations require only a 20 metre strip of trees be left along waterways, but Bowaters' contractors will leave 30 metres where slopes are steep. However, members of the Kaiser Meadow Brook Group feel that more should be left, and that this old natural forest should be selectively cut. Saw whet owls, very rare in Nova Scotia, and many other birds and animals requiring old trees, live in this area. A recent GPI study shows that selection cutting is not only much better for the environment in terms of water table, air quality, and wildlife habitat preservation, but in the long term there are also increased economic benefits. *************** - 30 - ************************************** Note from Jan: A couple things to remember - Lunenburg County is the home of Windhorse Eco-Forestry School of the Maritimes which provides an example of how harvesting can be conducted without destroying the forest. It should be emphasized as well, that clearcutting often leads to the use of herbicide spraying, a thoroughly unsustainable practice. Also, in budget-cutting, apparently DNR has laid off its law enforcment officers from January to April; it is difficult to imagine how new forestry regulations will be enforced. -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- The preceding message was posted on the Sustainable Maritimes mailing list (sust-mar). http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/lists/sust-mar -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- Volunteer moderator: Paul Falvo mailto:sust-mar-owner@chebucto.ns.ca To submit a message to sust-mar (subscribers only!), please send it to: mailto:sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca PLEASE SEND MESSAGES TO SUST-MAR IN PLAIN TEXT ONLY MESSAGES CONTAINING HTML (MIME) CANNOT BE POSTED
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