Yarmouth Public Comments

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: 40
*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 (18 total) In favour (15)

• If access is completely denied, consider permits for ATV clubs on existing trails. Differentiate permit costs if non ATV club make it more expensive (e.g. $100 permit or $20 if joining a club). All Terrain Vehicle Association of Nova Scotia (ATVANS). Self policing 6
• Permits for vehicles and ATVs (1 year) through club or NR&R so know who is in there. 5
• Complete access except for sensitive areas
• Limited access doesn’t work
• Some maintenance needed
• Last generation who wants to go in woods Against or policy suggestions (3)
• Limit ATV use and stop littering and garbage dumps 2
• Keep closed when roads soft

Access (general) (4)

• Let all people use the land for work and play not all protected 2
• Maintain access for hunting and fishing
• Maintain liberal access to the resources

Forestry (17)

• Use sustainable harvesting; replant & repair damage. No clear cutting; use selective cutting 6
• No long term licenses on crown lands as was done with Bowater and Scott Paper etc 3
• Introduce community forest projects on a local scale. Do not allow major industry to gain control
• Do not allow cutting to support biomass
• Facilitate commercial forestry and local sustainable use of the land
• Maintain productive land for forestry 3
• Merchantable cropping: Silviculture (no scotch pine)
• Consider issuing leases to individuals to cut fire wood as done in past

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

• Recreation, tourism 2
• Develop backpacking/ hiking trail system along with appropriate camping opportunities –it will attract tourists 5
• Backpacking, canoe routes, maintain primitive campsites, guided fishing canoe trips 2
• Give courses in survival training (map, compasses training)
• Not so much “protected” and more useable multipurpose trails (including ATVs) for tourism and business building. Good trails would help reduce biking on private lands 3
• ATV tours (environmentally friendly)
• Develop ATV trail system using the “ferry” for U.S. tourists to NS e.g. Newfoundland - way to trails to accommodations etc

Protected areas (8)

• See about trading some 555,000 acres of Bowater lands for the proposed protected areas for others that are not traditional fishing and hunting i.e. the smaller areas
• Make up part of 12% from Bowater lands rather than the smaller areas
• If do protected, access via existing trails and offshoots from main access trail 2
• Reserve 12% of all of the original Bowater lands for Protected areas
• The 30,000 acres planned for protection is a good start but should protect more
• There needs to be more enforcement of the protected areas. Stop destruction of environment and littering 2

Resource extraction; other (2)

• No fracking, waste or other (do not destroy land)
• Keep land productive; don’t let the land lay dormant

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 - for and against (8)

• Hike through Indian Falls through to Keji. Don’t think there should be ATV access
• North Kempt up through Sissiboo Falls – Maintain access for ATV
• Roads left open for part of year to key access roads for camping and canoeing e.g. up to Tobeatic Lake (through W. Brook)
• Continue to use existing trails in areas to be protected (Silver River area)
• Shubenacadie Lake access must remain available for private land owner use.
• Maintain access by car between Lewis Lake and Little Round Lake Yarmouth county
• Access to North Carrying Lake area by ATV or power boat for hunting
• Present roads should be left open to ATVs; current camp owners should have access to their camps without applying for a permit

Tourism and walking, skiing, canoeing and hunting/ fishing (2)

• More hiking trails across the central part of the province
• More hiking trails and more camping opportunities in Tobeatic and other protected areas

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?

Protection and balanced sustainable development (7)

• Aim to protect underrepresented ecosystems and under protected species at risk
• Systematic areas connected for environmental values of usefully acquired lands
• Keep lands much like they are now
• Keep it as pristine as possible
• Give priority to balance of protection and local sustainable management of resources
• No licenses to expand industrial entities or no sales of crown land
• A condition of all leases/licenses should be the sustainable use of the resources

Consultation processes (5)

• Continue to have a transparent consultation process for ongoing input into the use and maintenance of these crown lands and protected areas. Local consultations essential to avoid mistakes 3
• Thanks for caring; hope the consultations give you helpful inputs 2