Staff to Participate in Millennium Projects
NATURAL RESOURCES Staff to Participate in Millennium Projects
What do trails, geology, wildlife species, sustainable forestry, forest fires and the environment have in common? They are all projects that Department of Natural Resources' staff will work on in 2000 to celebrate the new millennium.
"These projects focus on the geological, wildlife and forest resources of Nova Scotia," said Natural Resources Minister Ernest Fage. "They will help promote a better understanding of our natural environment."
The Trans Canada Trail Millennium Project is a provincial undertaking. The Department has been involved in the acquisition of abandoned rail corridors and other lands for use in trail planning.
The Last Billion Years is a geology text for the Maritimes. Natural Resources staff are participating in the development of this project, which is an initiative of the Atlantic Geoscience Society. It is scheduled to be published this year.
The General Status of Wildlife project will produce an Internet publication that summarizes scientific assessments of hundreds of wildlife species in Nova Scotia, such as mammals, reptiles and butterflies. The Biodiversity Program is developing this project.
The sustainable forestry project will expand the current educational programs offered by the Department to the Internet. This will allow for delivery to a wider audience, including woodlot owners, teachers, students and recreational users.
Interface Fires 2000 is an international conference being hosted by the Department of Natural Resources and the Office of the Fire Marshal. The conference will address the growing concern about forest fires that threaten homes and communities. It will be held in Halifax from Sunday, May 7, to Wednesday, May 10.
Canon Environthon is a student environmental program. The Canadian and Nova Scotia forestry associations are hosting the 13th annual championship from July 31 to August 6 at Acadia University in Wolfville. Departmental staff are contributing to the event.
"These projects reflect the value that Nova Scotians place on our natural resources and highlight our unique natural heritage," said Mr. Fage. "They are being carried out within existing programs."
More information on these projects is available on the Internet at http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr .