Wilderness Area Designation
Province commits 1350 hectares of public land for protection
In October 2007, the Provincial government committed to protecting 1,350 hectares of public land in the Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes wilderness as a legally-designated protected wilderness area under the Wilderness Areas Protection Act.
This announcement follows a four year campaign led by the Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Society to have these public lands designated as protected. The coalition of groups working to protect this area include, Ecology Action Centre, Halifax Field Naturalists, Canoe Kayak Nova Scotia, and Halifax North West Trails Association, in collaboration with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.
When officially designated, Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes will become one of Canada’s largest near-urban wilderness protected areas and will be twenty times larger than Halifax’s Point Pleasant Park.
The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society applauds the government’s efforts to permanently protect the public lands of Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes as a wilderness area.
Click for government information sheet
"Honourable Mark Parent, Minister of Environment, applauds the creation of the Blue Mountain - Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area at the official government announcement" (Photo credit: NSE)
"Community leaders celebrate the Blue Mountain - Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area announcement (left to right: Chris Miller, CPAWS; Bob McDonald, HFN, HNWTA; Wendy McDonald, HFN, HNWTA, Diana Whalen, MLA Halifax Clayton Park; Dusan Soudek, CKNS; and Raymond Plourde, EAC)" (Photo credit: contributed)
"Councillor Debbie Hum celebrates the announcement of a wilderness area for Blue Mountain - Birch Cove Lakes at the official ceremony" (Photo credit: NSE)
"Blue Mountain - Birch Cove Lakes announcement is celebrated (left to right: Chris Miller, CPAWS; Debbie Hum, Coucillor Rockingham - Wentworth ; Mary Anne MacGrath, community leader; Minister Len Goucher, MLA Bedford; Minister Mark Parent, Environment; Minister Barry Barnet, MLA Hammonds Plains - Upper Sackville; Gary Meade, Councillor Hammonds Plains - St. Margaret's; Raymond Ploude, EAC)" (Photo credit: NSE)