Cornwallis Public Comments: First stage categorization (in order of most to least support)

In section 4 all the public and stakeholder submissions and comments have been summarized and categorized. The verbatim submissions will be used by the Department of Natural Resources. They are not being published due to privacy issues. As mentioned, some well-organized groups were better at getting members out to sessions and that is reflected in some of the numbers around points.

*Attendance: 60
*Includes comments from Paper Questionnaires and flip charts
*Numbers indicate the number of individuals making identical comments

QUESTION 1
How can we best use the 1.5 million acres of Crown land and the associated resources in the Western Region to most beneficially and sustainably grow and diversify Nova Scotia's economy?

Tourism and walking, skiing, canoeing and hunting/ fishing (27)

• Ecotourism 11
• Protect waterways for pristine wilderness fishing and paddling experiences 3
• Non-motorized recreation 2
• Tourism (Milford House) 4
• Parks and Recreation 2
• Hunting, fishing, trapping, outdoors activities: leave access for this 2
• Allow access to areas for historical use of fishing, trapping etc
• Protect lands by policing; keep land for wildlife habitat for hunting, bear-baiting, bear hunts as a business
• Continue to maintain trails and canoe routes that were operated by Bowater/ Annapolis County partnership

Forestry (20)

• Community forests, small scale forestry (using sustainable practices; FSC certified or better). But ensure that community effort can be sustained 9
• Forestry resources should not be under the control of the mills or lumber industry, who would create a monopoly
• No logging
• Cutting wood, let the people use the land
• Operate Sustainable Forest by cutting, silviculture, road building; hire local people to do so and process products locally; create jobs by not spraying hard wood suckers: use men with clearing saws, better for everyone. Use small and big operations
• Keep the 5-6 mills in the region operating
• Forestry practices should at least be FSC certified or better would be NAGVAI standards
• Prevent whole tree harvesting and the break in the nutrient cycle
• Manage harvesting of wood properly
• Forget about large scale biomass
• Fairness in wood allocation. All mills/ companies should have opportunity for crown licence for forestry
• Fair market prices: e.g. stumpage for crown land should be the same as for private woodlot owners

Vehicular, ATV & snowmobile access (11 total) In favour (6)

• The Medway district is big enough to allow careful trail planning for ATV’s
• Use funds raised (stumpage) to keep access to some roads, not just until wood is gone
• As a hunting guide if I don’t have vehicle access in these new proposed wilderness areas I will be put out of business and if I am not allowed to put bear baits in these areas I will be out of business
• Leave land open for ATV’s to travel so people can fish, hunt and canoe 3
• In order to use wilderness area resources vehicle access needs to be allowed

Against or policy suggestions (5)

• Restrict access of motorized vehicles
• Remove bridges and old Bowater roads
• Decommission some Bowater roads to reduce habitat fragmentation
• Protected means protected - No ATV’s
• Keep the gates closed: unlimited ATV access could ruin land and roads

Balance environmental, social and economic sustainability (6)

• Environment and Economy are linked; social benefit comes from sustainable economy 2
• Development that includes all externalized costs (=public subsidy) in its cost-benefit analysis
• Well considered development in response to informed public choice
• Maximize protection of the environment while allowing for sustainable, responsible industry
• Maximize economic/social utility of land in each area

Resource extraction(1)

• Only allow mineral extraction that has minimal impact on ecosystems and watersheds, and no open pit mining

  Consolidate parcels of land and sell peripheral pieces (4)

• Maintain core Bowater lands and sell small isolated periphery lands to public 2
• The province should plan its land mass to consolidate the land into more usable parcels; selling or trading bits that are outside the main blocks to create economic opportunities in the private sector and make land management for NR&R more cost effective (survey, boundaries)
• Sell off border areas of land on public roads ie. 400ft for housing development

Other (6)

• Think outside the box
• Value added products
• Take advantage of Acadian forest mix for employment and industry
• Other resources should be looked into such as: Wild mushroom market, Maple syrup markets, Medical markets – from plants in the woods
• Improve youth employment rates
• Keep out the large companies and businesses

QUESTION 2
What activities would be the most effective use of Crown land in the Western Region that would generate the most sustainable economic, social and environmental benefits for your community and Nova Scotia? Where would you locate these activities on these Crown lands?

Note: Comments without specific local geographic references were included under Question 1 above. Broad policy suggestions were included under Question 3 below.

• Limit access to non-consumptive use in certain waterways (Mersey, Milford lakes, Crocket Lakes)
• Community forestry around Medway district. Responsible, sustainable forestry, have a board with interested stakeholders committed to the land. Use areas for different purposes (forestry, tourism, protect species at risk). Will help with wildlife corridors across Tobeatic Wilderness Areas, Medway Wilderness Areas, McGill Lake Wilderness Area, and Cloud Lake Wilderness Area
• Extend the proposed Nictaux River parcel to the highway by using crown land around there. This will provide easy access to the new proposed wilderness area
• Maintain access to camp on Lake Mulgrave via former Bowater road that passes between Northeast Lakes
• Tourism opportunities related to Milford House are included in Question 1 responses
• Protection for SAR noted under Question 3 include references made by a number of people to areas around Gana, Thomas, Heier, Boot, Hang, Fisher and Thomas Lakes

QUESTION 3
What other points do you feel are the most important for the Department to consider as it develops the land and resource management plan?

Protected areas (20)

• Protected areas 15 -Including major headwaters, waterways, wildlife corridors + connectivity, natural landscapes and areas, old forest, unique ecozones, species at risk (SAR) including Blandings Turtle, dragonflies, rare plants in/ around Gana, Thomas, Heier, Boot, Hang, Fisher and Thomas Lakes
• Take this opportunity to exceed 12% target for protected lands
• Protect the forest from the Nova Scotians
• Close access to old growth on good all weather roads
• Protect areas included in Parks planning process
• Railroad is not proper, look at Ontario, New Brunswick. Have wilderness areas

Education and knowledge creation to create economic advantage (5)

• All lands should be used to educate Nova Scotians in some way 2
• Create more links between economic and scholastic communities. Create integrated relationships that create knowledge spill over unique to our economy creating competitive advantage
• Link university programs matched with alternative energy policies and technology
• Try to push educational uses of land, if its protected have it available for study, if it’s not target growth industries and companies willing to share educational responsibilities with government and scholastic branches

General access (5)

• Make sure all Nova Scotians have access for all kinds of activities. Lands can be protected with guidelines to allow everyone to use them. Such as restricting motorized access only partially (spring fire hazard)
• Crown land should have existing access maintained as much as possible without conflicting with designated uses 2
• If protected areas proceed then allow access through the existing roads 2

Vehicular, ATV & snowmobile access (2)

• Remove roads from wilderness areas
• Need a permit system for ATV use

Environment and sustainable forest management (3)

• Incorporate the CFS criteria & indicators for sustainable forest management
• Increase old growth forest % in the province; Increase forest natural age class
• Beware of the degrading environmental benchmark

Other (4)

• Assess if NS Gov is able to capitalize on each opportunity on its own. If not then an investor should be found. E.g. Wind turbines
• Allow free use of crown land for marketing of small business along highways
• DOE & NR&R connect and communicate more
• Focus on integration all stakeholders into decisions. Not necessarily meaning ask permission on every choice, but always communicating so none of your relationships erode