For many Nova Scotians, protecting wild spaces is instinctive; these spaces are special places to enjoy, learn about, and care for our natural heritage.
Protecting our wild spaces is also necessary. Parks and protected areas play an important role in conserving Nova Scotia’s biodiversity and protecting our access to clean air and water.
Nova Scotians have expressed a desire for a more comprehensive plan to address long-term viability. Our Parks and Protected Areas: A Plan for Nova Scotia will do just that. It builds on extensive consultations and activities over the last several years that yielded the Colin Stewart Forest Forum final report, the Our Wild Spaces discussion paper, and The Path We Share, the Natural Resources Strategy. Through these consultations, members of the public, including Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq, helped to identify potential lands for protection, and provided input about our provincial parks.
This plan advances Nova Scotia’s efforts to protect and conserve the natural landscape, potentially adding 220 properties and more than 249 000 hectares (ha) – a combined landmass equal to nearly one-quarter the size of Cape Breton Island. And it will protect 13 percent of our province’s outstanding lands.
Find a protected area.