News release

Natural Resources Steering Panel Selected

Natural Resources (to July 2018)

Natural Resources Minister Carolyn Bolivar-Getson has appointed two prominent Nova Scotians to a panel that will lead the development of a new strategy governing the province's natural resources.

Joe Marshall is the executive director of the Union of Nova Scotia Indians and the Mi'kmaq senior advisor for the Mi'kmaq Rights Initiative. He is a retired associate professor at Cape Breton University and a retired instructor at the Eskasoni Training and Education Centre.

Allan Shaw, is non-executive chairman of the Shaw Group, a director with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Public Affairs, and a past chair of Atlantic Provinces Economic Council. He is a Member of the Order of Canada.

The new panel members join retired Chief Justice of Nova Scotia Constance Glube, who was appointed chair of the steering panel in December.

"These individuals have distinguished themselves as experienced and dedicated leaders," said Ms. Bolivar-Getson. "I am pleased that the development of Nova Scotia's new natural resources strategy will be guided by such a distinguished and fair-minded steering panel."

The steering panel will oversee the balance of the strategy process, beginning with phase two, which will incorporate information collected through public consultations held in 2008.

In the third and final stage, the steering panel will review the strategy and ensure it accurately reflects what was heard in the first two phases. The strategy is expected to be completed by 2010.

Voluntary Planning, which managed phase one of the strategy process, will submit its final report to the minister soon.

"The steering panel will be guided by what Nova Scotians value most about their natural resources," said Ms. Glube. "Our panel will ensure that the strategy reflects the citizen values throughout the remainder of the strategy process."

The steering panel will review and recommend to the minister members for four, three-member panels of expertise to focus on the key components of the strategy: forests, minerals, parks and biodiversity.

Under the guidance of the steering panel, the four panels of expertise will define the process for researching the issues and themes that emerged during the public consultations. The panels will seek technical expertise and hold stakeholder consultations, while remaining faithful to citizen values articulated in phase one. The panels will prepare and submit draft reports and recommendations to the steering panel.

More information on the natural resources strategy process is available at http://gov.ns.ca/natr/ .