On the state of Triad Forest Management in Nova Scotia

From NS NRR Twitter feed

The current government deserves credit for moving faster than its predecessor to “implement the Lahey recommendations”. However in regard to Lahey’s directive that protecting ecosystems take priority over all else, the jury is still out.

From Natural Resources and Renewables News Release (italics inserted):

The Province has dedicated a high production forest zone, completing its triad model of ecological forestry.

This will support the economy while ensuring that 90 per cent of Crown land is managed with biodiversity as the top priority.

Continue reading →

The Big Question: Will we see an end to “Highgrading at the Landscape Level”  on Crown lands on Jan 1, 2023?

‘Just wonderin’ re: items (c) and (d) below and ‘The Big Question” (right).

The current* NS Government’s Commitment (clause 10 in the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act, As Passed on Nov 5, 2021, bolding inserted):
*A PC Government was elected with a majority  on Aug 17, 2021, replacing two successive Liberal Governments (2013-2019).

 The Government’s goals with respect to the protection of land are

(a) to conserve at least 20% of the total land and water mass of the Province by 2030 as protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, including Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, in a manner consistent with national reporting criteria;

(b) to support the goal in clause (a) with a collaborative protected areas strategy to be released by December 31, 2023;

—->(c) to implement by 2023 an ecological forestry approach for Crown lands, consistent with the recommendations in “An Independent Review of Forest Practices in Nova Scotia” prepared by William Lahey in 2018, through the triad model of forest management that prioritizes the sustainability of ecosystems and biodiversity in the Province; and

—->(d) to identify by 2023 the percentage allocation of Crown land dedicated to each pillar of the triad model of forest management referred to in clause (c).

There was lots left to do as of July 13, 2022

There has been very little info and essentially no public consultation coming from the government through 2022 in regard to fully implementing the Triad system of forest management by the beginning of 2023 (re: commitment stated in item 10c in the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act of Oct 2021, and lots remains to be done (View post July 13, 2022).

A related commitment under item 10 –  (a) the protection of 20% of land and water area by 2030 and (b) a strategy for the same by December 31, 2023 – is highly relevant to implementing the Triad.

The scuttle has been that “nothing is really happening” in regard to new Protected Areas but it seems the pressure is on, with the release of ad for a Planner to play a “leading role in developing and implementing various priorities directed towards legally designating new areas.”  It’s  a Term Position – a sign, I guess, that this government has no plans to go beyond 20% Protection (the national goal is 30%).

Continue reading →