Woodlot owners angry over possible changes
posted:
Jul 23 2010MacLeod, Alfie
HALIFAX – A way of life for thousands of Nova Scotians will vanish if the NDP continue on the destructive path of implementing recommendations in the recent report, A Natural Balance: Working Toward Nova Scotia’s Natural Resources Strategy, without more stakeholder input.
“There are a number of recommendations in A Natural Balance that are of concern to individuals involved in Nova Scotia’s billion dollar forest industry,” said Progressive Conservative Natural Resources critic, Alfie MacLeod. “However, there is no process of consultation for the industry to bring forward their concerns, and Natural Resources Minister John MacDonell does not appear interested in further discussions with them.”
A delegation of woodlot owners, which included a representative from the Forest Products Association of Nova Scotia, met with the Progressive Conservative Caucus yesterday.
MacLeod commended the FPANS for initiating a review of the Natural Resources Strategy development process. The review was undertaken by Dr. Robert Wagner, Director of the University of Maine’s School of Forest Resources.
“I was largely dismayed at the process for making such crucial recommendations about the future management of Nova Scotia’s forests,” Wagner writes in his report.
“Wagner was troubled with the process in place for making recommendations about the future management of Nova Scotia’s forests,” said MacLeod. “He came to the conclusion that strategic forest management policy making and planning are broken in Nova Scotia. The previous Progressive Conservative government committed to a consultative process, but the NDP has changed that direction.”
One special concern of woodlot owners is a possible increase in riparian areas, from 20 metres to a possible 100 metres. This could remove up to one-third of Nova Scotia’s woodland from possible production.
“We just want a process where our concerns are being heard,” said Brady Hennigar, whose family has owned a South Shore woodlot since the 1700’s. “We feel that the NDP have closed their eyes and simply do not care about a resource industry that has made this province prosper for hundreds of years.”
“I hope that Minister MacDonell listens to what the forest industry is saying, and opens up a consultation process before any decisions are made,” said MacLeod.
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For more information, please contact:
Sarah Reeves, Communications Officer
Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Caucus
902.424.7723 (office)
902.499.9948 (mobile)
