Inverness County chapter to hold public forum - clearcutting

[Oscar]

Inverness County chapter to hold public forum on clearcutting in Nova Scotia, March 5

[ http://canadians.org/blog/inverness-cou ... ia-march-5 ]

February 16, 2017 - 8:54 pm

The Council of Canadians Inverness County chapter will be holding a forum on forests in Nova Scotia this coming March 5.

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) Nova Scotia chapter has noted, "Over a half-million hectares of forest have been clearcut in Nova Scotia since the 1990's, or roughly 15 per cent of the province's forests. Rates of disturbance are highest in Central Nova Scotia, where over the past two decades 27 per cent of the forests in Colchester County have been cut down and 20 per cent of Pictou County. Only about 17 per cent of the provincial forest remains in an intact condition, in stands larger than 500 hectares in size. Quite simply, clearcutting is ruining our forests."

Inverness County chapter activist Johanna Padelt has commented, "People are seeing a lot of clear cuts around them. They’re aware that there are truckloads of logs going down the road. I live on Route 19, and I see them every time I go out. Because we are a group that’s concerned about protecting the environment, this is the sort or awareness rising that’s part of our mandate.”

In her book Boiling Point: Government Neglect, Corporate Abuse, and Canada's Water Crisis, Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow writes, "If we continue to destroy and endanger Canada's forests and wetlands, the burden on our already stressed waterways will grow. Protecting forests means also protecting wetlands, and all levels of government, First Nations and communities must work together to protect, restore and rejuvenate the damaged forests and wetlands of Canada."

As noted in this local news article, the chapter also organized a well-attended public forum on this issue last December. [ http://porthawkesburyreporter.com/talki ... inverness/ ]

At that time, Padelt noted, “We’re hoping this will be the first of a number of panel conversations on the same topic, and each time there’ll be different panellists taking part. Basically, we’re looking to make people aware of what’s going on."

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Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
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