CPAWS tells Halifax Regional Municipality to "stand firm" in defense of regional plan
27 Nov 09
November 27, 2009
HALIFAX – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society is telling the Halifax Regional Municipality to “stand firm” in defense of the HRM regional plan.
The City appears to be backing away from its promise to protect the Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes wilderness, near Halifax, as a regional wilderness park. In 2006, the Halifax Regional Municipality passed a 25-year regional plan to guide future development in the city and to identify green space for the citizens of Halifax. That plan identifies the Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes wilderness as a prime site for a new regional park and states that the city will work over time to acquire those lands for conservation.
Since that time, the city has not acquired one single hectare of land for the regional park. And now, a development proposal is making its way through City Hall proposing high- and medium-density residential and commercial development for these same lands.
“The city needs to stand firm in its commitment for the regional park”, says Chris Miller, National Manager of Wilderness Conservation and Climate Change, based in Halifax. “Thousands of citizens across HRM participated in the HRM regional planning process over several years of public consultations. They crafted the plan and their interests can’t be tossed out”.
Earlier this year, the provincial government designated all of the Crown lands in the vicinity of Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes as a protected wilderness area.
“The city has to hold-up its end of the bargain,” says Miller. “They can’t rely solely on the province to implement their plan. They have to roll-up their sleeves too and make sure that adjacent lands are acquired for the regional park as well”.
CPAWS is looking to the Municipal government to come up with a proposal that allows the lands to be acquired by the city at fair market value for the regional park. There are a number of options available to the city, including land purchases or land exchanges or density bonusing credits.
The City needs to be encouraging development in growth sites identified in the regional plan, and controlling sprawl in areas in between. The HRM regional plan identifies Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes as lands for a regional park and the City needs to stick with the plan.
Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes is significant for its vast forests, interconnected lakes, and recreational opportunities only 10km from downtown Halifax. It also contains rare arctic-alpine plants and habitat for the endangered mainland moose, and its headwaters help protect the water quality of Kearney Lake and Paper Mill Lake downstream.
View regional map here.