Wetlands Habitat for Wildlife in Nova Scotia

by: Fred Payne
FALL 1991

The Province of Nova Scotia was the first public agency in eastern Canada to purchase wetlands specifically to benefit wildlife, and with this purchase the government gained recreational benefits for its citizens. With the help of the local fish and game clubs, it was also the first province in eastern Canada to develop a waterfowl sanctuary program.

In the late 1950s, Clarence A. Mason was appointed as the first Director of Wildlife Conservation in Nova Scotia. It was largely through his leadership that public agencies in the Maritimes developed wetland habitat protection and management programs. Mr. Mason brought together federal representatives from Canada and the United States and sought the help and cooperation of Ducks Unlimited by inviting them to set up a regional office in the east.

In 1960 negotiations began to acquire 2,400 ha (6,000 ac) of the Missaguash Marsh on the Nova Scotia-New Brunswick border. This was the first acquisition in eastern Canada made specifically for wildlife habitat development. Also in those early days, the Amherst Point Bird Sanctuary (since turned over to the federal government) and the Debert Sanctuary (now the Debert Wildlife Management Area) were established with strong support of local fish and game clubs.

In 1963, the Melbourne Lake Game Sanctuary in Yarmouth county and Brule Point Game Sanctuary in Colchester county were established, again with the cooperation of fish and game clubs.

Although Clarence died in 1963, his vision for providing recreational opportunities for Nova Scotians has carried on.

In 1965, Ducks Unlimited flooded approximately 1,000 ha (2,500 ac)of the Missaguash Marsh to water depths favourable for the production of waterfowl. This was the largest wetland development project in eastern Canada and still may represent the largest publicly owned, developed wetland in the region. This marsh has produced literally thousands of waterfowl and hundreds of thousands of non-game species. The success of this project encouraged the Canadian wildlife Service to acquire and develop border area marshes as well.

In 1968 the Antigonish Fish and Game Association recommended the creation of the Antigonish Game Sanctuary (now the Antigonish Wildlife Management Area). Its establishment, like others, has provided benefits to hunters, bird watchers, and other naturalists.

In 1969-70 the Maccan Marsh complex was acquired, and development started with strong support from Ducks Unlimited. Now the Maccan Wildlife Management Area's five impoundments, created by dyking and controlling water levels, are used by people for nature study as well as by hunters and trappers.

In 1972, two additional marsh units of 65 ha and 28 ha (160 ac and 70 ac) were flooded to create wetland habitat below the existing area managed for wildlife on the Missaguash River. beaver Dam Meadows and Chebogue Meadows in Yarmouth County were also flooded by Ducks Unlimited in 1972 and 1973 respectively.

In 1974, the Martinique Beach game Sanctuary was established near Musquodoboit Harbour in Halifax County, and the acquisition of the Amherst Marsh in Cumberland County was begun. In the late 1970s, the Eastern Shore Island wildlife Management Area was declared in cooperation with the Nova Scotia Bird Society and others. The Island Area protects nesting sites for eider ducks as well as other birds that nest in colonies of several hundred on each island.

The Minas Basin wildlife Management Area in Kings County and the Shubenacadie Game Sanctuary in Colchester County were established to encourage more birds to stay in those areas. The crown-owned Peter's Brook Marsh in Victoria County was flooded by Ducks Unlimited to increase the production of wetlands wildlife.

Ducks Unlimited partially flooded the 1,500 ha (3,700 ac) Amherst Marsh in 1980 by construction of a dyke and water control structure. this made the wetlands more productive and improved wildlife diversity and abundance. The Three Mile Brook Project was also developed by Ducks Unlimited on Crown land in Hants County. In 1981, a new Ducks Unlimited plan was signed by the Minister of Lands and Forests, and in 1982 the Amherst Marsh development was completed. In Kings county the extremely productive Dewey Creek Wildlife Management Area was established.

In 1983, Ducks Unlimited built a small impoundment to conduct wetland research in the Tobeatic Wildlife Management Area. In cooperation with the Nova Scotia Power Corporation and Bowater Mersey, researchers added fertilizers to find out how increases in nutrients affect the productivity of wetlands for plants, ducks, and other animals. The ecologists were right! Nutrients increase productivity at both plant and animal levels.

Shared Funding Arrangements
In 1985, a $5.5 million agreement was signed between the Province of Nova Scotia, ducks Unlimited, and wildlife Habitat Canada. Under this agreement, the Akin Marsh in Hants County, the Daggers Woods Marsh in Antigonish County, the goose bay Dyke Marsh in Yarmouth County, and the Halfway River Marsh in Cumberland County were purchased and then improved for wetlands related wildlife by Ducks Unlimited. In addition, the majority of the Elderbank Marsh in Halifax County was purchased.

In 1991, the Honourable C.W. MacNeil, M.D., Minister of Lands and Forestry, entered an agreement called the Eastern habitat Joint Venture under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP), which provides for the purchase of additional wetland, habitat improvement, and stewardship programs. Already more than 324 ha (800 ac) have been acquired and a wetland stewardship agreement ha been signed with Bowater Mersey.

Under the NAWMP the Nova Scotia taxpayer provides 6.25 percent of the funds and shares another 6.25 percent with other Canadian taxpayers. Another 6.25 percent comes from Habitat Canada (primarily funded by the sale of habitat stamps that duck hunters are required to purchase). But the bulk of the funds are provided directly or indirectly by duck hunters in the United States and Canada. Ducks Unlimited through matching fund agreements provides about 40 percent of all the money in the program.

True Benefits of Wetlands
Some provincially owned wetlands are developed by Ducks Unlimited to provide better habitat for waterfowl. but since ducks require a wide diversity of plant types, the wetlands produce far more non-game species than they do waterfowl. On the marshes developed by Ducks Unlimited in Nova Scotia, 10 species of birds have been recorded breeding in Nova Scotia for the first time. Among them are the purple gallinule, American coot, least bittern, black tern, Virginia rail, sora, and long-billed marsh wren.

So consider this:

  • If non-game bird species have economic and recreational benefits because they are rare, then these new breeding records must be significant at least to all Nova Scotians.
  • If the economic and recreational benefit of all birds is in their diversity, then the 204 species recorded in association with developed marshes must be significant.
  • If the recreational benefit of developed marshes is in their availability to the public, then these areas provide existing and future realized benefits.
  • If the benefits are duck hunter, their presence during October can be heard at daylight and dusk.

The non-game enthusiast is often critical of the efforts of hunters who appear to have self-serving interests in producing ducks to shoot. But the waterfowl hunter must buy a provincial small game license (tax by the provincial government), a migratory bird hunting permit (tax by the federal government), and a wildlife habitat stamp that provides funds for a variety of habitat projects. IN addition, many duck hunters make substantial personal contributions to Ducks Unlimited.

The Province of Nova Scotia has five sanctuaries and seven wildlife management areas specifically for waterfowl. The province's publicly owned wetlands, which have been improved by Ducks Unlimited, are open to public use for nature study during 10 ½ months of the year and to duck hunters for a month and a half.

The protection given to all these wetland habitats by purchase and development was primarily driven by and paid for by duck hunters. before one criticizes others for serving themselves, ask what are you doing to serve your wildlife interests?

The key to wildlife abundance is habitat securement and management. Habitat without management is not realistic in a world dominated by people, and wildlife interests must have input into that management. If you disagree with the benefits provided through wetlands management by Ducks Unlimited or if your interests are in other wetlands species, you might consider donating money to the Nature Conservancy of Canada or to Wildlife Habitat Canada.