Conservation Successes

• 2019
  • 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.
• 2018
  • 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.
• 2017
  • 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. 
• 2016
  • Federal government says “No” to Giant Mother Canada statue in Cape Breton Highlands National Park
  • Halifax Regional Municipality turns down development proposal for Birch Cove Lakes and reaffirms commitment to regional park.
• 2015
  • 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.
• 2014
  • 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
• 2013
  • 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
• 2012
  • 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
• 2011
  • 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
• 2010
  • Sable Island chosen to become Canada’s newest national park
  • NS government purchases 56,000 hectares of private land owned by several forest companies, mostly for conservation
  • NS government commits to reducing clearcutting by 50% in 5-years and banning whole-tree harvesting
  • Parks Canada initiates Bay of Fundy study to identify potential conservation sites for a National Marine Conservation Area
  • New offshore marine protected area promised for Eastern Scotian Shelf
• 2009
  • Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area officially estabished
  • Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area officially established
  • Shelburne River Wilderness Area officially established
  • Colin Stewart Forest Forum negotiations completed with recommendations for new protected areas
  • Commitment by NS government to establish a “large” new protected wilderness area at Chignecto
  • Commitment by NS government to establish the Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area
• 2008
  • Chignecto Isthmus Wilderness Area established on public lands owned by the Town of Amherst
  • Nova Scotia Crown Share Land Legacy Trust established to help land trusts purchase high conservation value private lands
  • Five new nature reserves established in southwestern Nova Scotia
  • NS government commits to establishing a new nature reserve on the West Branch of the St. Mary’s River at Hemlock Falls
• 2007
  • NS government commits to protecting Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes as a protected wilderness area
  • New legislation introduced to expand the protected areas system in Nova Scotia
  • NS government purchases 10,000 hectares of private land owned by Bowater for conservation purposes
  • Blandford Nature Reserve established
  • Agreement reached to protect Ship Harbour Long Lake as a protected wilderness area
  • Whites Point mega-quarry and marine terminal proposal for Digby Neck and Islands rejected by Federal and Provincial governments
  • NS government commits to establishing the Shelburne River Wilderness Area