Today, I attended the Save Our Old Growth Forests (SOOF) meeting at the Centrelea Community Hall. The hall was full, about sixty in attendance, of all ages.
The meeting was part of the SOOF campaign coordinated by the Arlington Forest Protection Society (AFPS) (see previous post Saving Forests),
It is surprising to me; it is four years since we were camping out in protest against the clearcutting and spraying on South Mountain (see previous posts Anatomy of a Protest, A Green Future?, and Striking Balance).
Besides the excellent lunch, we received an update on the proposed Goldsmith Lake and Beals Brook Wilderness Areas. This will be followed by a public meeting at the Bridgetown Legion (next Sunday, 1:30 – 3:30 pm).
’Over 23,000 acres have been identified by the NS Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, as potential sites for clearcutting and spraying on Crown Land in Annapolis County.’
At the meeting today, I learned that there are petitions in Pictou, Colchester, Cumberland, Yarmouth, Halifax and Digby, as well as Annapolis County.
Today’s event raised a number of questions.
What was the condition of the Forest in Nova Scotia, after the shipbuilding era?
Is there agreement on the definition of Old Growth Forest?
When the provincial government looks at crown land in Nova Scotia, what is their definition of old growth? Is it the same as AFPS’ definition?
What is the probability there will be further clearcutting and spraying on Crown Land in Annapolis County?
Acknowledgements
Rob and Laura Bright at AFPS for organizing the event. Nina Newington for sharing her experience of old growth in Annapolis County.
References
YouTube video The Return of Old Growth Forests, New England Forests
Ernest Blair Experiment 