New study says Nova Scotia's forests in trouble
25 Jun 09
A new study has just been released by Global Forest Watch Canada that shows massive over-harvesting of Nova Scotia’s forest.
The report, entitled “Recent anthopogenic changes within the forest landscapes of Nova Scotia”, shows that 12% of Nova Scotia’s forests have been harvested over a 17 year period.
It also shows that the rate of harvesting in Nova Scotia is twice as high as harvesting levels in other parts of the country, including Northern Ontario and Interior British Columbia.
“We are very concerned about these results”, says Chris Miller, National Manager of Wilderness Conservation and Climate Change for CPAWS. “This report clearly shows that our forests are being heavily impacted by industry”.
CPAWS is calling on the provincial government to quickly expand the protected areas system before the last remaining unfragmented stretches of forest are harvested, and to develop regulations to control the size, extent, and amount of clearcutting in the province.
The Department of Natural Resources has committed to reviewing its natural resources strategy for biodiversity, forests, minerals, and parks.
The Global Forest Watch Canada study used satellite images and GIS analysis to track changes to Nova Scotia’s forests over a 17-year period.
A copy of the report can be downloaded from the Global Forest Watch Canada website:
http://www.globalforestwatch.ca/