Halifax Regional Municipality acquires several additional properties for Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes Regional Park, totalling 135 hectares. Federal government provides $860,000 in funding to the City to help with the land purchases.
Federal government introduces \”minimum standards\” to prohibit industrial activities from new marine protected areas (MPAs) in Canada. This effectively prohibits oil and gas activities, bottom trawling, dumping, and mining from occurring within MPAs
Isle Haute to be declared a National Wildlife Area
Federal government provides $14 million in funding to the Nova Scotia government for the creation of new protected areas.
Halifax Regional Municipality acquires key property at Hobsons Lake for Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes Regional Park
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) announces two \”Areas of Interest\” for new marine protected areas in Nova Scotia; 1) Eastern Shore Islands, and 2) Fundian Channel – Browns Bank
Nova Scotia government officially establishes three new protected areas, including Wentworth Valley Wilderness Area.
St. Anns Bank Marine Protected Area offiically established. At 4,364 square kilometres, this is the largest protected area in Nova Scotia. All of the MPA is entirely off-limits to oil and gas exploration and bottom trawling. Approximately 25% of the MPA remains open to lower impact fisheries.
Province designates \”fourth batch\” of new protected areas from the Our Parks and Protected Areas Plan. A total of 7,008 hectares is protected in 15 sites, including the creation of Walton River Wilderness Area and the expansion of Chignecto Isthums Wilderness Area.
Nova Scotia government commits to FSC certification for all public lands in western Nova Scotia, including former Bowater lands
Province designates \”second batch\” of new protected areas, including hundreds of islands along the Eastern Shore and an expansion of Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area. A total of 18,000 hectares of land is protected, with 4 new protected wilderness areas, 11 new nature reserves, and 8 expansions to existing protected areas.
Department of Fisheries and Oceans initiates MPA network planning for Scotian Shelf Bioregion, including Bay of Fundy.
First batch of new protected areas from the \”final protected areas plan\” now official, with creation of 4 new protected wilderness areas in Cape Breton (Humes River, The Stillwaters, Baddeck River, and Ruiss Noir) and 16 new nature reserves, protecting a total of about 14,000 hectares of land.
Nova Scotia government acquires private lands on Aylesford Lake for conservation and in support of Brigadoon Village
Nova Scotia government unveils final protected areas proposal that will conserve an additional 250,000 hectares of land in the province
Sable Island National Park Reserve officially established
Nova Scotia government acquires 900 hectares of private land for conservation, including sites at St. Mary\’s River, Port Joli, Chignecto, and Ship Harbour Long Lake
Department of Fisheries and Oceans establishes two closure areas on the Scotian Shelf to protect globally unique aggregations of glass sponges; 259 square kilometres in total
Sackville Lakes Provincial Park officially established
Halifax Regional Municipality initiates land negotiations for Birch Cove Lakes regional park
Parks Canada publicly releases Bay of Fundy assessment identifying areas of interest for a National Marine Conservation Area
Nova Scotia government initiates first community forest on lands acquired from Bowater in southwestern Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia government acquires ALL Bowater land holdings in the province (220,000 hectrares in total), greatly expanding public land base.
Kelley River Wilderness Area officially established; largest new protected area in Nova Scotia since 1998; protects large intact forest at Chignecto; 20,950 ha in size
Raven Head Wilderness Area officially established; protects 41km of Bay of Fundy coastline near Chignecto; 5,270 ha in size
Parks Canada begins to manage Sable Island as a national park reserve
NS government expands nine existing protected wilderness areas
NS government commits an additional $3 million for land purchases for conservation
Nova Scotia government commits to establishing community-based forestry in the southwestern portion of province
NS government recommends two new wilderness areas to protect Chignecto, totalling 25,000 hectares
NS government moves to expand nine existing protected wilderness areas
Federal government announces St. Anns Bank, off the coast of Cape Breton, as an Area of Interest for a future marine protected area
Nova Scotia government releases proposal to significantly expand system of protected areas in the province, to protect an additional 189,000 hectares of land
Federal government and Nova Scotia government sign park establishment agreement to create Sable Island National Park Reserve
Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area officially established
$23.75 million in funding committed by NS government to acquire high conservation value lands from Bowater Mersey
$6.5 million in funding committed by NS government for Nova Scotia Environment to purchase lands for conservation
