Logging paused in Annapolis County forest after identification of species at risk

Scheduled logging has been paused after environmentalists in Annapolis County, N.S., say they have discovered several at-risk species of plants in a large wooded area of Crown land.

About a dozen volunteers conducted a bio blitz to document the biodiversity of the western side of Goldsmith Lake last month.

They identified eight species at risk in the area including black ash, blue felt lichen and frosted glass whiskers lichen. The blue felt lichen has recently been named Nova Scotia's provincial lichen.

"We would love to show the government what we as citizen scientists are learning and discovering about what is in these beautiful forests," said Lisa Proulx.

They also stumbled upon a brand new logging road. They wrote the provincial government to ask them to freeze tree cutting and road-building immediately in forests in three areas near Goldsmith Lake, part of the Annapolis River watershed.

"There is now a 100-foot-wide by two-kilometre clearcut that has happened here to put in an 18-foot-wide road," said Robert Bright, vice-president of the Arlington Forest Protection Society. "This was completely unnecessary to put this road in and it represents six hectares of a clearcut."

Stacks of recently cut trees line both sides of the road.

Late Monday, a provincial spokesperson told CBC News that the harvest plans have been paused in light of the new information. 

A plan by WestFor to harvest 343 hectares had been approved by the province but the government is now directing WestFor to conduct surveys after new information was reported to the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, Adele Poirier said in an email to CBC News. WestFor cannot harvest any trees until the province has reviewed the surveys, she added. 

The  Arlington Forest Protection Society wants the old-growth forest saved and says it would be a step in the right direction because Nova Scotia has already pledged to protect 20 per cent of provincial lands and waters by 2030.

"We appreciate them coming to us with this and we are always open as a department [along with the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables] to discussions," Tim Halman, Nova Scotia's minister of environment and climate change, said last week.

Halman said his department is planning to roll out a collaborative strategy by the end of 2023.

"If residents want something added to a list then certainly we'll listen," said Halman. "Once we get into 2023, our two departments will be working to develop the methodology by which we'll get to 2030."

The Nova Scotia government keeps a record of Crown land protection proposals by the public. Those lands currently have no special conservation status and are managed by Natural Resources and Renewables which says it takes a variety of factors into account, including information on species at risk.