Windsor 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: 50
*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 (39)

• Maintain access 10
• Maintain and develop the trail network for OHVs. Designated trails that are already in place maintained and cared for by district clubs over seen by ATVANS 11
• Open all roads for recreational use; will need policing of vehicles or TV monitoring for spot checks for garbage 10
• Road access for recreation, sport & residential (lo-impact) can be identified 3
• Accessible areas for disabled to fish, swim, travel for nature tours
• Maintain road access to the lake and cabin
• ATV access to develop more camps as economic activity
• Maintain for fire roads
• Roads must be marked as non-passable if vehicles not suited to an unused area. All roads do not need to be 100% repair as they can safely be used by Off Highway Vehicles

Forestry and resource extraction (17)

• There should be a definite presence of sustainable forestry operations in the area 5
• Community forest projects and management cooperatives, in non-sensitive ecological areas 4
• Allow local/small operations loggers to selectively and sustainably cut stumpage lots 2
• Allow forestry
• Any cutting done should include re-forestation
• Replant some clear cut messes
• Stop clear cutting our forests! Create jobs! Harvest trees with a plan that is good for the long term- silviculture- replant areas that have been cut clear with nothing left
• Tender of outsource planting/PCT in Jan-Feb
• No hydraulic fracturing or uranium mining

Tourism and walking, skiing, canoeing and hunting/ fishing (15)

• Recreation: People should be able to snowmobile and bike, hike, camp, hunt and fish on all these properties all contribute to the economy 8
• Ecotourism
• Crown leases for ecotourism
• Areas for dark skies viewing
• Projects that will lead to tourism; Limit river systems like the LaHave to re-establish Salmon + Sea trout runs 2
• Protect old growth trees by making camping sites (Parks) to surround these areas + promote hiking; birding; and fishing etc
• Tourism of ATV use like NFLD

Access (general) (6)

• Open the lands for public access 6

Protected areas (3)

• Conserve very substantial areas for plants, animals and amphibians, birds 2
• Important to protect substantial corridors of forest & water; also trail (multi-use) corridors

Other (1)

• Create jobs locally – do not haul raw material away

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 to specific areas (17)

• OHV access to trails. St. Margarets Bay 6
• Access to camps and cottages fishing holes Lakes 3
• Continue use of land for E2C Challenge (search and rescue) 2
• Access needed to approx 10-12 cabins with leases at Five Mile Lake, Hants County 2
• Community trail for OHV out of Halifax to the Valley 3
• Access to Long Lake and maintain all existing trails

Other (4)

• The St. Margarets Area seems the most vulnerable, due to urban pressures. Identify as moose habitat & best forest, logging potential are totally incompatible. Go for the mooses protection, with some locally-managed community forest activity where it can be set up
• Have more protection in various areas e.g. Ponhook Lake hemlock
• New Germany: there are better soils, pastures that are not showing that are suitable for agriculture
• Lease land and open access around the headwaters of Mersey River and Medway river

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?

Camps, leases and land sales (32 total)

• You should consider making some lands available to lease for people to build camps for recreation 11
• Maintain/ renew leases for the long term for camps. These folks create spin off effects and help local economy 7
• Holders of leases on the newly acquired lands should be offered this same option in 15-20 year blocks (terms) as to be fair on camp investment 3
• Renew leases under Bowater, and allow transfer of lease to someone else
• Are leases going to remain the same?
• Develop economy by leasing land to the public

Selling lots (7 for; 1 against)

• Selling of these lots [on former Bowater land] might also be an option as property on purchased/private lands generates hugely more tax dollars
• Are lease sites going to be for sale [with] right [of] way to cabins and roads? 2
• Lake frontage should be subdivided in isolated areas. Have a lottery for the lots. It can only be sold to Nova Scotians. This should be done in areas with minimum impact on sensitive areas 2
• Leases to remain and the lease to have the opportunity to buy a small parcel of land surrounding cabin (1-2 acres)
• Allow purchase of 9 acre island on which our cabin sits
• No sale of leased lands

Broader Policies (4)

• For this large & very varied number of parcels take time to decide. It will need commitment to dedicated knowledgeable staff, continuing through the years with regular re-evaluations. A resource that NS is unlikely to acquire again. First priority: take time. No hurry to log, no need for standard logging at all. Precautionary principle
• This province has a golden opportunity to develop a plan for this. Please consult widely with scientists and environmentalists going forward. These consultations are a good start. Take as much time as you need to plan wisely
• Ensure balance between sustainable economic development, habitat protection and access for recreation
• This province needs a transparent, overall plan for both protection of our environment and development. I have also concern for the protection of clean water. Clear cutting leads to increased erosion around lakes and rivers