CPAWS signs landmark agreement to protect Ship Harbour Long Lake wilderness in Nova Scotia
Posted on December 7, 2007
Halifax, Nova Scotia -- The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) has signed a landmark agreement with the Nova Scotian government to protect the Ship Harbour Long Lake wilderness along the Eastern Shore of the province.That agreement commits the government to withdrawing 14,000 hectares of public lands from resource extraction, exploration, and development activities. This moratorium will apply until the area can be formally protected as an officially-designated wilderness area using the Wilderness Areas Protection Act.
“The government has shown leadership in withdrawing these important lands from further resource exploitation”, says Chris Miller, Wilderness Conservation Coordinator for CPAWS Nova Scotia. “Ship Harbour Long Lake is one of the most important natural areas remaining in Nova Scotia, a place where wild rivers still run free and where wildlife still has plenty of room to roam”.
Also outlined in the agreement are steps that the provincial government will take to develop an open and transparent public and stakeholder consultation process, and to carry out a socio-economic analysis as required by the Act. The agreement specifies that the designation of Ship Harbour Long Lake as a legally-protected wilderness area will occur within one-year of today’s announcement.
CPAWS also commends Neenah Paper for voluntarily refraining from harvesting forests in the Ship Harbour Long Lake area over the past several years and for working collaboratively with CPAWS and other non-governmental organizations to advance the protected wilderness area proposal. Neenah Paper is a signatory to the agreement, as are the Ecology Action Centre and Eastern Shore Forest Watch.
“This is a landmark agreement for forest conservation in Nova Scotia”, says Miller. “It shows that big wild areas can be protected using collaborative and constructive dialogue with industry and government”.
The area withdrawn from further resource extraction, exploitation, and development includes an expanse of public land that stretches from Admiral Lake, near Musquodoboit Harbour, inland to Scraggy Lake near Moose River Gold Mines. This includes lands to the west and north of Lake Charlotte.
Included in this large wilderness area are over 50 undeveloped lakes, several major river corridors, hundreds of wetlands, and important stands of old-growth Acadian forest. The area also boasts tremendous backcountry wilderness recreational opportunities, including exceptional canoe routes with impressive scenery. The area also supports a population of Nova Scotia’s endangered mainland moose.
The Ship Harbour Long Lake Candidate Wilderness Area is located between two other protected areas, the Tangier Grand Lake and White Lake Wilderness Areas, creating an interconnected system of protected lands equal in size to Kejimkujik National Park. Inter-connected protected areas are better able to sustain large-scale ecological processes over the long-term than isolated sites, and are better adapted to ecosystem changes that could occur as a result of climate change.
Today’s announcement follows on the heels of another important wilderness area announcement made by the provincial government just over one month ago, where the Province committed to designating the public lands at Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes near Halifax as a legally-protected wilderness area.
“These are important steps that the government is taking to protect the rich natural heritage of Nova Scotia”, says Miller. “Protecting our vast forests, wild rivers, and rugged landscapes is our collective responsibility, and something in which all Nova Scotians can be very proud”.
Contact information:
Chris Miller
Wilderness Conservation Coordinator
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – Nova Scotia Chapter
902-477-3714
chrismillerhalifax@yahoo.ca
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