Saulnierville 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: 41
*Includes comments from paper questionnaires and flip charts
*Numbers indicate the number of individuals who supported a comment or made an identical comment (the number indicates the total number of times that comment was made and/or supported)

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?

Vehicular, ATV & snowmobile access / General access (21)
In favour (19)

• Encourage economic benefits from ATV use 2
• This land has been used for activities, hunting, fishing, for many many years. It would be sad and disappointing to restrict the people of the area from this past life to a now (new) way of using the wilderness of our ancestors 2
• Do not prohibit vehicles on established roads
• If I kill my deer off your main roads how can I get it out without use of existing trails
• Attract American ATV users to NS
• Organized ATV guided tours of Nova Scotia could bring in excess of $1,500/week to NS motels, restaurants, tour guides, fuel sales , nightly activities, repairs, souvenirs
• Use these lands for hunting fishing recreation with ATV camping
• Keep the roads open to the land locked people so they can keep hunting, fishing and camping which we have been doing for years
• ATV runs like Poker Rallies there used to be a couple runs per year now there are none because of laws and protected lands adding crown land in Blackadar Area will not help these activities (example: Clare canoe trip on Easter weekend will no longer be done and will effect where ATVs pass by
• If you try to stop ATVs from going in the woods there are a lot of businesses that are going to lose work and more if you push too much. The young people are not going to stay they will move away.
• Maintain ATV access
• Let the thousands of people use existing roads so you can go in fishing and canoeing
• Crown land should be accessible to Nova Scotians
• The elderly and handicap should have access
• Land locked parcels need to be accommodated in some way.
• Industry and recreational use must be permitted but mot to permit destruction of the land and resources
• Why let a few loggers close all the land that WE bought and the thousands of people who pay taxes not allowed on (but that is how government work) all for the rich

Against or policy suggestions (2)

• Nova Scotia’s beauty should not be restricted to what you can see in a car
• ATV must have some limitations

Forestry (14)

• Stop clear cutting 2
• How to ensure level playing field for private woodlots competing with those cutting on crown land?
• Certification of private land – how can they afford it? Who manages the big picture? Integrated plan needed to meet needs of private woodlot owners
• Logging on private land on all 3 sides on crown lot
• Use the public more to semi cut the hard wood on crown land
• I think that they should let the people buy firewood
• Stop using large companies to shelter cut wood
• Use small cutters with smaller machinery
• Give chances to the people wanting firewood by thinning out hard wood lots
• Log some land or sell some
• Forestry is an important part of the economy
• Limit Clear cutting

Infrastructure/trails (13)

• Roads going into these lots should be maintained 6
• Bridges on these roads should be the first thing maintained 6
• The taxes from gas and fishing licenses will help and maintaining roads will make people happy

Broader Policies (10)

• Recreational use, social well being and enjoying the use of crown land should be a given right
• Let the people do what they’ve done for generations
• Have some rules and regulations in place
• City people and office people should leave us alone, we want to hunt and fish
• Corporations have taken our resources and profits out of province and left Nova Scotians with little to use or enjoy
• Industry and recreational use must be permitted but not to permit destruction of the land and resources
• Enforcement of reasonable regulations
• Dept. of Natural Resources is in need of more officers to put pressure on and enforce what is currently on the books
• Corporate, private loggers, ATVs, hunters, fishermen, campers, canoers have to know that NR&R is not far away. Make it work.
• Our gift to our children and grand children is at a crossroads. Land decisions have to be taken with the future in mind. We have taken from Nova Scotia land since we have landed here 400 years ago. NS government have mismanaged the resources since day one. Let’s start again from this day on let’s make a change for the good of all. We have an opportunity before us let us take full advantage of it
• Proper management of Crown lands so that the economy benefits

Protected Areas/Ecological Protection (7)

• Crown land should not be protected. Crown Land is already protected from the people. You can’t cut wood or anything on crown land. So why protect crown land
• Do not protect the land as proposed by the 12% land proposal in SW Nova Scotia
• I employ 10 people that are directly affected by restricted land use, use of outboard motors, ATVs and generators will be affected if we cannot get to the fishing area
• No protection, it is only waste of land
• Encourage protection
• You don’t ask us for your money but you take it and do what you want. I have no problem in conserving some land but too much is too much
• More attention needs to be given to protect plant species and birds, animals that are endangered

Tourism and recreation, walking, skiing, canoeing and hunting/ fishing (6)

• Hunting, fishing, off road vehicles, logging, truck, trapping
• Let hunters and fishermen use their woods to do the sport that they enjoy
• Create a tourism opportunity by improving trails and roads for ATVs, use NFLD as an example
• The land is good for hunting and trapping wild life
• Develop inter tourist activities to stimulate stagnant evening at this time
• Consideration of traditional use

Increase home-building/Camps (2)

• Allow private taxpayers to acquire lots on lakes and rivers (income for government). Pay taxes to municipalities. Building costs help economy
• People are buying land and trailers in Florida! Make lakefront property available here so people don’t move to Florida for 6 months/ year

Value Added Products (1)

• People should understand value-added

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?

Vehicular, ATV & snowmobile access (7)

• Blackadar lot: Eel Lake to Wentworth Lake, camps with access through crown ATVs, fishing, hunting, canoe route, etc. Next to this lot, is an area known as “Les Petite Cabane” or “the small cabins” in the Clare area. For generations, this whole area was used for recreation such as hunting, fishing, trapping, snowmobiling, ATVing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing etc. not only by the owners of these cabins, but by the general public of Clare. Not only is the main road used constantly, but also the small existing logging roads and trails
• For generations, this area has been used year around. Some of the older gentlemen in the area there is no way for them to get to their historical hunting, fishing and trapping locations other than by ATVs. In my recollection, there have never been any problems caused by any of these people. Some have even fixed roads with no assistance. This is a prime recreation area which now is accessible to all ages. A shame to stop this historic recreation. The road should also be maintained, not just for these reasons, but for firefighting access
• Blackadar lot; Trapping and hunting area. Drive through to hunt @ back of lot. Access to private land, logging in area road used for timber removal
• Access Road to Blackadar Block of lands
• Allow vehicles on existing road if becomes wilderness area in Medway
• If we are not harming the land, why are we going to be forbidden to use existing roads that have been used by the people for hundreds of years? I have a piece of land on Germain Lake (Blackadar) that has no access except across crown land
• Let the people use the roads for travelling with ATVs or other vehicles. We are mostly taking off the Blackadar lot

Protection (6)

• The Blackadar land and the Porcupine Lake and Wentworth Lake properties have been productive forestry land in this community for 200 years. This land should not be taken out of the economic equation. These lands should be divided up into 100 acre lots and auctioned off to the public so they remain productive and allow more families to remain in the area and create jobs and wealth for the community
• Blackadar Block should not be protected. Lots of people use it for recreation –camping fishing hunting – access to land beyond. What is in there to protect? What’s special?
• Blackadar lot: Private lands bordering Big Pine Lake and Beaver Lake need access via crown land roads already in existence and maintained by government. Will there roads continue to be maintained by government?
• Will existing ATV trails be impacted by the proposed wilderness areas? Blackadar area has many camps, ATV trails and etc
• Land under negotiation (wilderness area/nature reserve). Will the designation limit access for wilderness camping, canoers?
• How do you plan to protect the area and do I need a permit to cross the crown land

Tourism and walking, skiing, canoeing and hunting/ fishing (3)

• Tourism: Nouvelle-France (Electric City)
• Develop New France as tourist area at original site
• Blackadar is located a prime recreational area

Forestry and resource extraction - for and against (3)

• Concern with no markets for wood. Since Oakhill closed. May get worse if crown allows companies to cut on crown land
• Forestry: Comeau Lumber Mill closed
• Make the sawmill in Metegan operable, make some work for the young people to stay here

Infrastructure (1)

• Blackadar has infrastructure on it such as roads bridges, private camps. If that land is protected all those things we have been using, maintaining and our entire lives will be lost

Food production/ agriculture (1)

• Poor quality soils are used in France to grow great quality wine. Why not use some of the land for vineyards?

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?

Vehicular, ATV & snowmobile access (1)

• Why not stop logging and let people access it?

Protection (1)

• Why does the land need to be protected?

Other (1)

• Printed material for those of us who don’t use computers