Steve Reid

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December 11 2014

La Nouvel accord sur les forêts publiques démontre pourquoi le gouvernement doit le modifier

La section néo-brunswickoise de la Société pour la nature et les parcs du Canada (SNAP-NB) exprime de grandes inquiétudes à propos des détails contenus dans l’Entente d’aménagement forestier que le gouvernement a signé avec J.D. Irving Ltd durant l’été.

Cette entante énonce des conditions contraignantes qui s’étendent sur au moins 35 ans dans le futur. La SNAP-NB est surtout préoccupée par les parties de l’entente où il est apparent que la compagnie aura le contrôle sur les règles et les normes qu’elle aura à respecter sur nos terres publiques durant les prochaines décennies. Ceci s’ajoute aux problèmes reliés aux réductions de la conservation des forêts anciennes ; ceci, comme le déclarent les écologistes de la faune, va sérieusement compromettre notre capacité de conserver la faune dans nos forêts.

Roberta Clowater, Directrice générale de la SNAP-NB déclare : « Nous espérons sincèrement que le gouvernement provincial va faire des changements importants à cette entente, ainsi qu’aux plans qui en font partie. Il semble que la compagnie forestière aura un droit de veto sur tous changements que le gouvernement voudrait faire aux règlements que la compagnie doit respecter. Ceci enlève au gouvernement le pouvoir de gérer les ressources publiques d’une manière responsable. »

À titre d’exemple, dans le cadre de cette Entante sur la gestion des forêts, si le gouvernement voulait ajouter de nouvelles mesures de conservation à l’avenir, basées sur les impacts climatiques, ou sur une grande incendie de forêt, ou sur une nouvelle compréhension scientifique de ce qui est nécessaire pour conserver nos forêts ou la faune, il lui faudrait obtenir l’approbation de la compagnie. Cette entente ‘coule dans le béton’ les utilisations actuelles de nos forêts publiques, empêchant ainsi toutes autres utilisations économiques à l’avenir.

« La SNAP-NB apprécie bien que le gouvernement fait cette première démarche en matière de transparence en publiant cette entente. Le gouvernement provincial s’est engagé à examiner le plan et à ouvrir un dialogue avec les Premières Nations, les chercheurs spécialistes de la faune, les organismes de conservation et les propriétaires de boisés privés afin d’adopter une direction plus durable. Nous avons hâte de travailler avec eux pour atteindre un meilleur résultat. Nous croyons que le public sera très indigné d’apprendre le montant de contrôle sur la prise de décision à propos de nos forêts publiques qui a été accordé à la compagnie forestière. Nous espérons également que le gouvernement va cesser de signer des Entantes d’aménagement forestier similaires avec d’autres compagnies, de sorte que les questions juridiques potentielles ne soient pas aggravées, » ajoutait Clowater.

March 13 2014

News Release: Environmental Group, Wildlife Researchers Deeply Concerned

Steve Reid News

Environmental Group, Wildlife Researchers Deeply Concerned New Brunswick Forest Strategy Going Below Limit of Sustainability

(Fredericton) – Wildlife biologists are adding their voice to that of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society in expressing serious concerns with the New Brunswick government’s new direction for Crown forest management, announced yesterday.

Roberta Clowater, Executive Director of Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – NB Chapter (CPAWS NB) says, “The government is taking away more than one-quarter of the amount of our public land that used to be specially managed to conserve fish, wildlife habitat and protect our rivers, and they are giving it over to increased logging, including clearcutting. This is a regressive plan that takes us backwards thirty years, and leaves us behind every other province in Canada.”

Two years ago, on March 30, 2012, the Minister of Natural Resources announced a plan that was supposed to conserve a minimum amount of habitat for wildlife, and appropriate buffers along rivers and streams. That plan would have maintained 28{a3162b1395e34f5bc6dd788a255c8e2a209e2a614c3b42176989b624267eff88} of Crown forest with a conservation priority – barely enough to conserve healthy wildlife populations and old forests. The 2012 plan would have reduced clearcutting in certain Acadian mixed-forests, and reduced the amount of wood logged from hardwood stands to make sure there will be enough hardwoods to log in the future.

The new forest strategy will reduce conservation forest to 23{a3162b1395e34f5bc6dd788a255c8e2a209e2a614c3b42176989b624267eff88} of Crown land, a one-quarter reduction from the current 31{a3162b1395e34f5bc6dd788a255c8e2a209e2a614c3b42176989b624267eff88}. Researchers are very concerned that it will be difficult to maintain viable populations of all our wildlife under such a plan.

Tony Diamond, Research Professor of Wildlife Ecology at the Biology Department and Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management at UNB says, “They are knowingly going below the threshold of what is sustainable – going below the amounts of forest land government wildlife managers have in the past said were necessary to allow wildlife to thrive and for our rivers to flow clean, cold and with even flows. What is at risk goes beyond wildlife and rivers. We are risking the very ecological health of the forest resource upon which we have built a significant portion of our economy. ”

Roberta Clowater says, “Government is deliberately going against what the public has said they want from our Crown lands. The public, through the Select Committee on Wood Supply hearings in 2003, and through the largest survey ever done about public views on forests in New Brunswick, said clearly they want government to focus on conserving rivers, water supplies, and wildlife, and then allow forest harvesting that is consistent with these priorities. The New Brunswick government’s decision does the opposite. They are deciding how much wood is wanted by industry, and reducing conservation measures to allow that to happen.”

“We can no longer claim to be balancing industrial forestry with conservation, as the premier recently did in his annual State of the Province speech. Balance implies that there is enough for all the needs, and fairness in the way that land is allocated. Government is ignoring extensive research that shows we need at least the amount of conservation forest we have now, and likely more, to balance off the risk of the industrial activities that happen on Crown land – forestry, mining, agriculture, wind farms, and numerous other new uses that are being approved for public land,” says Dr. Marc-André Villard, Professor of Biology at the Université de Moncton.

“If managed sustainably, a diverse forest can provide the flexibility to respond to changing product needs and changing world economy, and stands a better chance to withstand the impacts of climate change. This is not simply a question of balancing diverse interest groups. We are very concerned that the forest ecosystem will not be able to sustain this amount of pressure,” says Roberta Clowater.

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Contact:
Roberta Clowater, 506-452-9902; cpawsnb@nb.sympatico.ca

Marc-André Villard, 506-858-4292; marc-andre.villard@umoncton.ca (bilingual)

March 7 2014

Scientists Concerned Upcoming New Brunswick Forestry Plan will Eliminate too Much Habitat

Steve Reid News

We are writing as a collective of concerned scientists and professionals who have spent many decades studying the needs of wildlife, healthy forests, and rivers in New Brunswick. Less than two years ago (March 2012), the Minister of Natural Resources announced a new 10-year Crown forest management plan that, while not acceptable to all, at least attempted to hold the line on keeping a minimum amount of habitat for wildlife, and appropriate buffers along rivers and streams. This was a plan that the Department developed after a year of consultation with wildlife researchers, forest companies, hunting and angling groups, environmental groups and First Nations. It was supposed to have set the amount of forest managed for conservation goals at 28{a3162b1395e34f5bc6dd788a255c8e2a209e2a614c3b42176989b624267eff88} of the public forest. This was the bare minimum deemed necessary by government wildlife managers to make sure we have enough old forest to maintain healthy populations of our wildlife. The 2012 plan would have reduced clearcutting in certain Acadian mixed-forests, and reduced the amount of wood logged from hardwood stands to make sure there will be enough hardwoods to log in the future.

We thought the 2012 plan was the path forward. Now we are deeply concerned to learn that a new plan has been in development behind the scenes, government is apparently ignoring previous recommendations from their own staff, and did not ask for input or feedback from wildlife researchers or others who could speak on behalf of the public’s stated priority values – water, wildlife and basic sustainability of the forest.

The Premier in his 2014 State of the Province address, and Minister of Natural Resources in recent media interviews, both alluded to a new strategy that will allocate more wood to the province’s mills. Having not been part of the discussions that led to these decisions, we cannot be sure where this wood will come from. Since all Crown forest is already allocated, we are concerned the wood will come from buffer strips on brooks and wetlands, from deer yards, and from the small pockets of forest used to maintain wildlife and old forest. We are left to wonder if the wood will come from these previously conserved habitat areas, taking us below the minimums that are deemed necessary for wildlife and the health of our rivers. If this is what is being proposed, we believe it would be an irresponsible plan that will have serious negative consequences for the sustainability of our public forests for a long time to come.

Roberta Clowater (Executive Director, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society-NB Chapter)

Dr. Tom Beckley (Professor, Forestry and Environmental Management, UNB)

Dr. Tony Diamond (Research Professor of Wildlife Ecology, Biology Dep’t and Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Management, UNB)

Dr. Graham Forbes (Director, New Brunswick Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Centre, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, Faculty of Science, UNB)

Dr. Roger Roy (Professor and Interim Director, School of Forestry, UdeM)

Dr. Marc-André Villard (Professor, Biology, Université de Moncton)

July 15 2013

News release: Worrisome track record for New Brunswick’s protected areas

Steve Reid News

Fredericton – In the run-up to Canada Parks Day on the 3rd Saturday in July, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) is releasing its fifth annual report on how Canada’s parks are faring. The report shows that progress on creating new parks and protecting existing ones has been uneven across the country over the past 12 months.
“In New Brunswick, the biggest news is that we are deeply concerned that New Brunswick is long overdue in meeting its commitment to increase our protected areas to 4.5{a3162b1395e34f5bc6dd788a255c8e2a209e2a614c3b42176989b624267eff88} of the province. It appears to be one step forward and two steps back in the case of New Brunswick,” says Roberta Clowater, Executive Director of CPAWS New Brunswick Chapter.
In 2012, the province committed to a small increase in the percentage of land protected, from 3 percent to 4.5 percent. This would have been a step in the right direction but would still have left New Brunswick in second to last place compared to other provinces and territories in Canada. The province went out to public consultation in October, 2012 with a suite of candidate protected areas. Now, even that small step forward may be in jeopardy, with the province delaying protection of their candidate areas while they consider how to deal with vocal opposition from the mining sector.
Clowater adds, “We encourage the government to make a decision soon that will respect their commitment to that proposed increase, and provide permanent legal protection to those important old forests, roadless areas and wildlife habitats that were identified last autumn. To credibly claim a balanced approach to Crown land management, there has to be a significant safety net of well-protected lands and waters.”
CPAWS noted that on the bright side, Canada’s largest provincial park was created in the past year – called Tursujuq – in Nunavik, northern Quebec. However CPAWS also warns that problematic trends continue in many areas, including inappropriate industrial and commercial developments, cutbacks to national parks and weakening commitments in some jurisdictions to expanding parklands. CPAWS has also identified opportunities across Canada where governments could take action to shift these trends in a more positive direction over the next year.
CPAWS has been issuing an annual report on the state of Canada’s parks since 2008. The first report lauded the rate of new parks creation by the federal government that year. Subsequent reports noted the slowdown in parks creation, the need to increase the number of marine protected areas, and some inappropriate developments that were starting to be noted.
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For interviews, contact: Roberta Clowater, Executive Director, CPAWS New Brunswick – rclowater@cpaws.org; phone 506-452-9902 (office)

Download the report: CPAWS-2013-Parks-Report.pdf

June 5 2013

News release: New Partnership, Get Outside! NB, Connects People to Nature in Our Parks

Steve Reid News

(Fredericton) Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – NB Chapter (CPAWS NB) is excited to be partnering with Parks New Brunswick, other NGOs and centres of learning to bring the Get Outside program to life in New Brunswick. As the Minister of Tourism, Heritage and Culture announced today in the legislature, Get Outside! NB is being launched this week in our provincial parks. Student Park Natural Leaders will organize nature-oriented activities all summer, using parks as the backdrop.

Get Outside was co-founded by our sister chapter CPAWS BC, in collaboration with BC Parks, Mountain Equipment Co-op and Child and Nature Alliance of Canada, and it’s in its third year. CPAWS Wildlands League chapter is also starting the program in Ontario this year, and CPAWS NB is keen to bring this vision and spirit to New Brunswick.

Roberta Clowater, Executive Director of Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, NB Chapter, said, “We’re pleased that New Brunswick has embraced this new program for connecting more people with nature. CPAWS NB is eager to have our staff be mentors to these young Park Natural Leaders all summer, and beyond. This is a great opportunity to train our next generation of conservation leaders and outdoor educators. New Brunswickers and visitors will benefit from their enthusiasm when they visit provincial parks this summer, with new activities and fun events.”

Get Outside! NB is led by a steering committee that includes: Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – NB Chapter; Parks New Brunswick; Nature NB; UNB Faculty of Kinesiology, Renaissance College, Maritime College of Forest Technology; Outdoor Educators of NB; with assistance from the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada.

CPAWS NB is grateful to the New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund for their support of our participation in Get Outside! NB.

January 21 2013

News Release: Bay of Fundy marine protection stalled

Steve Reid News, Ocean Campaigns Bay of Fundy, oceans

– A new report from the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) finds that the federal government has made little progress in the past 18 months in protecting important areas of the Bay of Fundy, despite years of study documenting the need for stronger conservation measures to nurture critical sea life including the North Atlantic right whale, cold-water corals and haddock.

CPAWS issued a challenge to governments in June 2011 to protect 12 special marine areas, including parts of the Bay of Fundy, by December 2012 as an important step towards creating long-needed networks of marine protected areas.

“In New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, we’ve seen no progress in establishing a Bay of Fundy National Marine Conservation Area. Despite its international status as a marine treasure, the very ecosystems that make it so valuable are not being protected from the combined impacts of dragging, aquaculture, shipping, tidal turbines, and potential LNG terminals and marine sediment mining,” says Roberta Clowater, Executive Director of CPAWS New Brunswick.

“Across Canada, we’ve seen marked progress by governments in protecting four of the 12 sites, limited progress on four more, and no progress at all on the remaining four, so it’s not all bad news. However, other countries – most notably Australia — have pulled far ahead of us in protecting their oceans, leaving us with a mounting challenge to catch up,” says Sabine Jessen, CPAWS National Oceans Program Manager.

Twenty years ago, Canada made an international commitment to establishing a network of marine protected areas by 2012 in response to the growing threats to ocean life of overfishing, industrial development, pollution and climate change.

“Canada has made some progress on developing a marine protected area network policy since 2011, but the failure to advance quickly on the 12 sites, or to move more speedily on getting protected area networks in place is serious cause for concern,” adds Jessen.

“The 12 sites we identified 18 months ago have long been studied, and the time was ripe to move ahead with protection measures, so it is frustrating that the pace of action has been so slow. And with cutbacks now to budgets at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment Canada and Parks Canada, we are seriously concerned about the government’s capacity to move ahead in creating and managing effective marine protected areas,” adds Jessen.

“It is like cutting off our noses to spite our faces. Marine protected areas are key to ensuring healthy stocks of fish and other forms of marine life for the future. There is absolutely no long term financial gain in failing to invest in marine protection,” adds Jessen.

The 12 marine areas that CPAWS recommended for protection by December 2012, listed below, are spread across the country:
• In the Pacific, the Hecate Strait Glass Sponge Reefs, Scott Islands, Southern Strait of Georgia, and Big Eddy are areas providing important habitat for sea life including Tufted Puffins, endangered Orca whales and rockfish.
• In the Atlantic, CPAWS recommended protecting the waters off the South Coast Fjords of Newfoundland, in the Laurentian Channel, St. Anns Bank off Nova Scotia, and parts of the Bay of Fundy, American Bank (La Gaspesie) and les Iles de la Madeleine in the Gulf of St Lawrence. These marine areas are home to a range of endangered sea life including Leatherback turtles, Right, Blue and Beluga whales, and nurseries for fish including herring, mackerel, flounder and Atlantic cod.
• In the North, CPAWS called for protection of the Arctic Ocean’s Lancaster Sound — critical habitat for Narwhal and Bowhead whales, as well as a biologically rich area in James Bay off Quebec, called Tawich.

In its report, CPAWS credits governments for significant progress towards protection of St Anns Bank off NS, Hecate Strait Glass Sponge Reefs, the Southern Strait of Georgia and the Scott Islands waters off BC, but laments the total lack of progress towards protecting BC’S Big Eddy, James Bay’s Tawich marine area, the Bay of Fundy, and the waters off the South Coast Fjords of Newfoundland.

CPAWS also raises concern that none of the 12 sites has received final legal protection, and the proposed conservation measures for the nine that have made some progress need strengthening to guarantee their long-term health.

CPAWS is recommending that Canada invest $35 million per year to create a network of Canadian marine protected areas.

“ Based on studies in other countries, the financial gain from protecting places within our oceans that nurture sea life and create better conditions for sustainable fishing and other local industries such as eco-tourism, are significant. We simply can’t afford to continue being world laggards in marine conservation – for our own sake and that of our children and theirs to come,” adds Jessen.

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View full report, “How deep did Canada dare? Assessing national progress towards marine protection by the end of 2012”, January 2012
View CPAWS’ Dare to be Deep campaign for more background information.
Contact: Roberta Clowater, rclowater@cpaws.org, 506-452-9902.

October 16 2012

News Release: New Brunswickers Urged to have their Say about Potential New Protected Areas

Steve Reid News

(Fredericton) The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, New Brunswick Chapter (CPAWS NB) is urging New Brunswickers to have their say on what New Brunswick’s protected areas future should look like. Government recently released a map of proposed protected natural areas and is seeking public input until November 15.

Roberta Clowater, Executive Director of CPAWS NB, said, “New Brunswick citizens have a chance right now to show their support for permanent protection of wilderness areas that the New Brunswick government has identified for potential protection. While this is a good step towards a protected areas network, much more is needed to truly protect New Brunswick’s wilderness heritage.”

“Near Fredericton, candidates include natural areas in the Nashwaak River watershed, which has recently faced an increase in pressure for industrialization. Candidates in southeastern New Brunswick include forests that protect the Turtle Creek drinking water supply for Moncton. Natural areas along the Magaguadavic River and the Piskahegan Stream are the largest candidates in the southwest. In northern New Brunswick, large forested areas along the Dungarvon River, the Tabusintac River and the Restigouche River have been included in the list. The candidate protected areas are important old forests, headwaters of significant fish streams, or sensitive wildlife habitats.

“Unfortunately, not all of the proposed areas will make the actual protection list, so it is important that people who have on-the-ground knowledge of any of the candidate protected areas provide that information to government. Government will choose which areas will go forward for full protection as a result of these public consultations.”

Clowater said, “These potential protected areas will move us from having 3{a3162b1395e34f5bc6dd788a255c8e2a209e2a614c3b42176989b624267eff88} of the province protected, to having about 4.7{a3162b1395e34f5bc6dd788a255c8e2a209e2a614c3b42176989b624267eff88} protected. New Brunswick would still be 2nd to last in Canada in the proportion of our land that is permanently protected from development, with only half the proportion that is, on average, protected in the other provinces and territories. We’ll need to protect all of these areas, and many more, if we’re going to do our fair share to protect the wilderness and wildlife that is so important to our culture, tourism and regional economies.”

Five open houses are planned over the next two weeks, starting with one in Fredericton on Oct.16, 6:00 pm, Hugh John Flemming Forestry Centre. For links to the maps, background information, the schedule of open houses, and more, click here.

A large map (pdf), courtesy of the government of New Brunswick, is available for viewing here.

Can’t make it to an open house? Have your say right now by sending a letter.

July 12 2012

News Release: New Brunswick’s National Parks facing growing threats to their ecological health

Steve Reid News

Fredericton – In the run-up to Canada Parks Day on the 3rd Saturday in July, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) is releasing a sobering report about the growing threats our parks are facing. The report highlights the dangers to our parks due to funding cuts; the loss of science and ecological monitoring capacity; and the growth of inappropriate developments within and adjacent to many current and proposed parks.
“In New Brunswick, budget cuts may be putting at risk important wildlife and habitat research in Fundy National Park. Fundy ecologists have been working for years on projects to conserve flying squirrels, black bears, Inner Bay of Fundy salmon and critical river habitats. We are concerned that recent cuts to research and staff may mean the Park is unable to continue some of this research, which is so important to nature conservation in the park and the region,” said Roberta Clowater, Executive Director of CPAWS New Brunswick.
“Across the country, the trend is extremely discouraging this year. Parks Canada has been hit hard by funding cuts, leading to the elimination of 638 positions across the country. In turn this means that nearly 30{a3162b1395e34f5bc6dd788a255c8e2a209e2a614c3b42176989b624267eff88} of the scientists and technicians restoring and monitoring the ecological health of our parks have been fired or reassigned. The cuts also mean many parks are cutting their seasons shorter, opening the door to inappropriate use of them with no supervision,” says CPAWS National Executive Director Eric Hebert-Daly.
“Not only are our parks facing growing threats to their ecological health from the funding cuts, the tourism community and nearby communities are also facing economic harm. The government’s own research shows that for every $1 spent on parks, $5 is contributed to Canada’s gross domestic product. Why isn’t the government recognizing the important benefits that result from investing in our parks?” adds Hebert-Daly.
Challenges facing New Brunswick’s parks
“Parks researchers at both Fundy and Kouchibouguac National Parks are first class experts at figuring out how to protect the natural values of the parks. Abundant wildlife, healthy forests, lakes and rivers, and pristine coastlines provide the underpinnings to the parks’ tourism appeal. Park staff does important work to ensure these national treasures and tourism assets continue to support nature, wildlife and quality outdoor recreation. Cuts to park ecologists and the ecological research budget for Fundy National Park may put at risk the park’s ability to attract tourists and contribute to the local economy,” added Roberta Clowater.

In New Brunswick, contact: Roberta Clowater, Executive Director, CPAWS New Brunswick – cpawsnb@nb.sympatico.ca; (Roberta is out of province, so please email to arrange a phone call)

Download the report: http://www.cpaws.org/uploads/pubs/parks/cpaws_parksreport_2012.pdf

May 14 2012

Press release: Lack of Marine Protection in Bay of Fundy Troubling

Steve Reid News

Fredericton — One year after the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) called on the federal government to create 12 new marine protected areas by December 2012, the good news is that it is making progress in designating many of them as legal entities. However, CPAWS is concerned that the conservation measures the government is proposing once these areas are designated for protection may be too weak to be effective.

Today, CPAWS is releasing a 20-page report, “Is Canada on track to create 12 new marine protected areas by December 2012?” assessing progress over the past 12 months and noting areas of concern.

“We’re giving the federal government low marks on its progress in negotiations with other levels of government, industry and local communities to designate sites in the Bay of Fundy that we’ve highlighted as potential new marine protected areas, “ says Roberta Clowater, Executive Director of CPAWS New Brunswick Chapter.

Progress on 9 of 12 sites in past year

Out of the 12 marine areas CPAWS has highlighted for action by December 2012, CPAWS has observed significant movement by the federal and other levels of government towards designating three as protected areas, some progress in creating another six, and limited or no progress on the remaining three.

Progress towards designating marine protected areas has been most significant for three sites off the coast of British Columbia – in the Southern Strait of Georgia, in Hecate Strait and surrounding the Scott Islands. In each of these locations, the federal government has made significant advances in consultations and negotiations to establish formal marine protected areas within the past year, and is moving on to the next stages required to finalize them.

In six more locations, off Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Nunavut and Quebec, some progress towards designating new marine protected areas has been made, although more significant steps are required to move them towards completion rapidly.

No progress on protecting 3 important marine ecosystems

The areas where no notable progress at all has been made towards protection are in the Bay of Fundy, the South Coast Fjords off Newfoundland, and the “Big Eddy” off the west coast of Vancouver Island.

“We are very concerned with the lack of protection in the Bay of Fundy, which stands in stark contrast to the incredible ecological richness of the Bay, and its international importance for humpback, fin and endangered North Atlantic right whales, migratory shorebirds and seabirds. We would like to see Parks Canada come forward with a proposed National Marine Conservation Area that includes strong conservation measures to conserve these values into the future,” says Ms. Clowater.

CPAWS has assessed progress towards protecting these sites on two sets of criteria: one for steps taken in the process to formally establish them as protected areas, the other for creating meaningful conservation measures to protect the long-term health of these marine ecosystems. The latter measures, based on leading science, include establishment of “no take zones” for fishing and rules against other forms of industrial development such as oil and gas drilling.

In all of the 12 areas CPAWS has identified, rare and important forms of sea life deserve protection, ranging from leatherback turtles, to dolphins, right whales and other types of whales, birds including puffins and Cassins auklets, and fish including cod and Atlantic wolffish.

Canada still has huge catch-up job

“We will be watching progress carefully over the next six months to see how much closer Canada gets to meaningful protection for these 12 marine areas by the end of 2012,” says Sabine Jessen, CPAWS national oceans program manager.

“This will be an important sign of how well we’ve laid the groundwork for more marine conservation in the years ahead. Canada still has a huge catch-up job to reach our international commitment of establishing networks of marine protected areas in all of our oceans,” adds Jessen.

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For media interviews, contact:
Roberta Clowater, 506-452-9902; rclowater@cpaws.org

To view CPAWS’ full progress report, executive summary and more about each of the 12 marine areas, visit www.cpaws.org/daretobedeep

April 1 2012

New Brunswick Still a Laggard on Protected Areas – New Crown Forest Plan Step Backwards

Steve Reid News

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, New Brunswick Chapter (CPAWS NB) says the new Crown forest management plan announced today by the Minister of Natural Resources is a step backwards for conservation.

Roberta Clowater, Executive Director of CPAWS NB, said, “The new Crown forest plan reduces the overall conservation of wildlife habitats and riverbank buffers. This is disturbing because we know that wildlife researchers believe that current conservation levels may not be enough to maintain all the kinds of native wildlife throughout the province. The government has now approved a plan to go even further below what is needed. This is the wrong direction for conservation.”

Clowater said, “While the plan approves an increase in protected areas from 4{a3162b1395e34f5bc6dd788a255c8e2a209e2a614c3b42176989b624267eff88} of Crown forest to 8{a3162b1395e34f5bc6dd788a255c8e2a209e2a614c3b42176989b624267eff88} of Crown forest, this will result in only 4.5{a3162b1395e34f5bc6dd788a255c8e2a209e2a614c3b42176989b624267eff88} of the province being protected. This is not even in the ballpark of what is needed to ensure conservation of our rivers, wilderness areas and sensitive wildlife. New Brunswick will still have the lowest protected areas proportion in Canada, only above PEI. As well, the new protected areas will come from the currently conserved old forest, so there is actually a net loss in area to conservation.”

“Given concerns about climate changes and uncertainty about how well we are currently conserving habitats and water, we are very concerned about the decision to go from a 5 year plan to a 10 year plan. We believe this is a risky move, one that locks us into very limited conservation objectives, and doesn’t provide the flexibility to improve conservation for another decade.”

“CPAWS NB appreciates that the Minister took the time to review the forest plan approved by the previous government, which would have severely rolled back conservation on public land. We’re pleased that the Minister consulted widely with the conservation community, and recognized the value of habitat conservation as in important factor in his considerations,” noted Clowater.

CPAWS had recommended that at least 17{a3162b1395e34f5bc6dd788a255c8e2a209e2a614c3b42176989b624267eff88} of Crown land (8.5{a3162b1395e34f5bc6dd788a255c8e2a209e2a614c3b42176989b624267eff88} of the province), including the largest patches of old forest, be designated by 2015 in permanent protected areas, where no logging or mining would take place. This amount would move us closer to the level in other provinces, where the average amount of land protected is nearly 9{a3162b1395e34f5bc6dd788a255c8e2a209e2a614c3b42176989b624267eff88}.