Last month, the draft of the revised Old-Growth Forest Policy in Nova Scotia was publicly released with a call-out for public consultation. The draft can be found here.
Dr. Alana Westwood and graduate students from her Ecology & Management course submitted their feedback on the proposed policy update.
Their key recommendations for updating the policy includes:
- Justifying the 1 ha minimum size for an old growth forest stand.
- Including Indigenous knowledge and consulting the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia.
- Defining ‘public interest’, which can be used to remove designation for old-growth forest areas.
- Providing more details about the application of the policy to private lands.
- Being more specific about recreational and educational opportunities.
- Adding specific timelines and mechanisms for restoring old growth.
- Providing monitoring plans and protocols.
- Thoroughly editing the Revised Policy to ensure it is appealing and accessible to a broad public audience.
Citation: Westwood, A.R., Baillie, J., Ceci, S., Collison, B., Machat, H., McLean, S., MacNeill, B., Niesink, C., Shaw, J., Sodeinde, O., Suppanz, S., Sutton, P., & Vail, C. (2021). ENVI5050: Special Topics – Forest Ecology & Management class submission to the Government of Nova Scotia regarding the Revised Old Growth Forest Policy. Westwood Lab, Dalhousie University, 11pp. Available at https://westwoodlab.ca/?p=1026
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