Chignecto Sanctuary In The News

[monsterbuck]

Group: Sanctuaries sacred
Mining, logging practices in wildlife preserves
By DAVID JACKSON Provincial Reporter
Sat. Oct 25 - 5:32 AM


Harry Thurston, spokesman for the group Cumberland Wilderness, stands in a clearcut carried out in the Chignecto Game Sanctuary. The Cumberland environmental group is calling on the province to place a moratorium on industrial activity inside the sanctuary. (Photos by TOM McCOAG / Amherst Bureau)




Author Harry Thurston: ’Government has got to wake up to the fact that you can’t have a sanctuary in which you allow industrial activity like forestry and mining.’ (TOM McCOAG / Amherst Bureau)




To some Nova Scotians, the term "game sanctuary" conjures up peaceful images of forest critters in their natural habitat, protected from human activity.

But that isn’t the case, with mining and logging permitted in the province’s game sanctuaries, which makes some wonder how they can be called sanctuaries.

"It’s a contradiction," says Harry Thurston of the group Cumberland Wilderness. "Government has got to wake up to the fact that you can’t have a sanctuary in which you allow industrial activity like forestry and mining. The public recognizes that."

According to the province, wildlife in designated sanctuaries is protected from activities like hunting, but the animals’ habitat isn’t protected.

The issue is in the news again with three provincial departments involved in approving an application by Eastrock Resources Ltd. to do seismic testing in a portion of the 22,082-hectare Chignecto Game Sanctuary in northern Nova Scotia.

The testing, looking for signs of oil, will include cutting out strips of the forest and using dynamite. The company’s permit took effect Tuesday and is valid to Dec. 31.

Mr. Thurston and his group have been lobbying the province for years to designate Chignecto as a wilderness area, which would mean no logging or mining.

He said Friday he’s concerned the testing will disturb the endangered mainland moose during mating season.

But spokesmen for the Natural Resources and Environment departments said Friday that they expect the testing’s effect on wildlife to be minimal.

"It’s been reviewed by our wildlife staff, and they had no concerns regarding what’s proposed in the testing and the locations where they’re doing it affecting the wildlife," said Dan Davis at Natural Resources.

Part of Eastrock’s permit lays out environmental conditions for the testing. In them, there’s a mention that a committee that will recommend spaces for protection to government will likely recommend large sections of the area.

Mr. Thurston said that just adds more of a conflict to the decision to allow the testing.

Environment Department spokesman Bruce Nunn said staff don’t think the testing will diminish the value of the area for conservation.

And if the testing leads to development, Mr. Nunn said, there are ways to minimize the impacts and it’s possible any project would be subject to an environmental assessment.

Before hurrying off the phone because he was at the bank, Eastrock official Peter Coleman said the situation was laid out in a Chronicle Herald story Friday. He could not be reached later.

Brad Armstrong, conservation officer with the Friends of Nature, has blasted the province in the past for not protecting habitat in sanctuaries, including for allowing clearcutting in Chignecto and in the Liscomb Game Sanctuary on the Eastern Shore.

"(Natural Resources) biologists seem to go along with whatever benefits the extraction of our resources," Mr. Armstrong said. "Clearly, if clearcutting was so good for moose, we’d have moose everywhere."

Mr. Armstrong also said the province doesn’t seem to be following a three-year-old report on game sanctuaries that found the public supported more habitat protection.

Mr. Nunn said the strips Eastrock cuts can be a maximum of three metres wide, the company is not to cut large trees and it must stay near existing roadways where possible. The strips to be cut on Crown land are about nine kilometres, eight kilometres and five kilometres long.

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Seismic testing OK’d in game sanctuary
Environment minister: Decision doesn’t mean firm will be allowed to drill for oil if it finds some
By JEFFREY SIMPSON and DAVID JACKSON Staff Reporters
Fri. Oct 24 - 3:12 PM
Nova Scotia has given a drilling firm permission to conduct seismic testing within a Crown-owned wildlife sanctuary in Cumberland County.

David Morse, the natural resources minister, said Thursday that Eastrock Resources Ltd. is exploring for oil in some parts of the Chignecto Game Sanctuary, a 22,082-hectare tract of land that’s home to moose and deer.

"Basically, as long as they put the brush back after they cut the strips that are necessary to do the seismic testing, then we’re agreeable," Mr. Morse said in an interview.

"We are satisfied that it’s not sufficiently intrusive that it’s going to cause any major disruption to the wildlife and we did ask for that opinion from the biologists."

Mr. Morse said the Environment and Energy departments were also involved in consultations about any possible adverse effects drilling would have on moose and other wildlife in the area before granting approval to Eastrock.

"This is something we took very seriously," he said.

"We basically hold the land in trust for the people of Nova Scotia. So we’re just trying to provide that balance between the interests of the different departments and, clearly, the people of Nova Scotia, some of whom would like to see development and some of whom want to make sure we don’t compromise the integrity of the sanctuary."

About 500 hectares of the sanctuary are privately owned and Eastrock will do most of its exploration in eight sections there.

But the firm also wanted to cross into Crown-owned land in a few places, Mr. Morse said.

Eastrock’s approval to do testing in the sanctuary doesn’t mean that it will be automatically allowed to drill for oil if it finds some, he said.

"That is only a first step," he said. "There would be a whole battery of approvals that they’d have to obtain if they find oil or gas.

"They would have to go through a very extensive approval process.

"They do take the risk that they may find reserves and still do not satisfy the approval process."

The sanctuary was created in 1937 with the hope of preserving and boosting the population of moose in the area. The mainland moose is an endangered species.

The Ecology Action Centre, a past opponent of clearcutting in the sanctuary, opposes the testing.

"The sanctuary needs a moratorium on new industrial developments because every development, be it clearcutting or cutting these lines, just further carves up the habitat for animals like moose into smaller and smaller pieces," said Kermit deGooyer, the centre’s conservation planner.

"Wildlife like moose are very sensitive to large blocks of habitat being fragmented into smaller pieces."

Mr. deGooyer said he’s also concerned about the possibility of ATV riders using the lines after the testing is done.

An Eastrock official couldn’t be reached for comment.

The area consists of about 19,778 hectares of woodland, 1,864 hectares of water and wetlands and 125 hectares of barrens, with the rest made up of roads.

[monsterbuck]

Premier agrees with MLA on testing
MacDonald suggests pre-judging results putting cart before the horse
DARRELL COLE
The Amherst Daily News

HALIFAX - Those suggesting the province is going to abandon protections offered by the Chignecto Game Sanctuary in the name of oil and gas exploration are putting the cart before the horse, says Premier Rodney MacDonald.

"We don't want to get ahead of ourselves considering we're only talking about seismic testing. If there were commercial amounts, that's an issue we'd address at that time," the premier said Thursday. "There would be environmental protocols that would have to be followed."

Responding to concerns about planned seismic testing in the protected game sanctuary, the premier echoed comments made Wednesday by Cumberland South MLA Murray Scott, who said the province has to find out if there are resources under the sanctuary.

As a game sanctuary, the premier said the property can be used for other purposes. While no rules are being broken to permit the testing, he said every effort will be made to minimize the impact on the area.

Scott said the province can't simply say no to exploration when it needs the resources and the revenues they would provide.

Earlier this week, Harry Thurston expressed concerns about the planned seismic testing saying it's inappropriate to have any industrial activity in the game sanctuary.

Thurston's group, Cumberland Wilderness, is working toward the goal of having the sanctuary and contiguous Crown lands established as a protected area under the Wilderness Protection Act.

He's afraid of what could happen should seismic testing come back with favourable results for oil or gas resources.

[e-mail]

[monsterbuck]

Jamie Hicks from NS writes: I cannot believe this is happening, and more then that I also cannot believe Murray is going along with this .

A Few years back when there was word that Irving was in the works to clearcut a huge section I started a petition to save that from happening and received over 10,000 votes throughout the province for that not to happen . Murray was the one that presented those votes to the House of Commons at the time and the logging was stopped .

Now they are back again but not for logging now . This time for seismic testing which still will be cutting strips no more then 5 meters wide . This for the wildlife of the Chignecto Sanctuary will not harm but make for better browsing as it starts to grow back up . Still the what if's are there ,if they find any amount . Scott said the province can't simply say no to exploration when it needs the resources and the revenues they would provide.

Thats bull , for the amount of time and energy they spend trying to help and save the mainland moose population grow is now going the other way . I am an owner of an Outdoor Website which is Cobequid Big Game Adventures and I promote the Chignecto Sanctuary in any way I can possible. I presently own the Sign In ,Sign Out mailbox that is situated at the entrance to the Chignecto Sanctuary and keep it updated for visitors to obtain mapsand information etc. This mail box takes information from the amount of bowhunters and visitors utilizing the Sanctuary . Inside the box is a sign in sheet that has different sections to write the numbers of game seen and a comments section as well. This info I will pass on to the DNR at the end of the year in hope that it will be useful for statistics each year . I have done alot of research over the past years and know that the population of moose present there this year is higher this year then in the past 10 thats a fact . The moose sign is significant and easy to tell that they are doing ok . Why do they have to do this seizmic now? After all the animals been through and now the moose are on the up swing ? I recently guided 5 Bowhunters from Yarmouth ,Saulnierville etc in the Chignecto Sanctuary. These bowhunters were amazed at the scenery around them and had the time of their life as it was the first time any of the 5 had every been there . They were more then pleased that the roads were kept so well and the clearcutting was very minimal . But just as the hunt was over on last Thusday Oct 23 they seen the marking tape and trucks in there and knew it did not look good . They were right .Much to our surprise they were up to no good !! I have hunted the Chignecto Sanctuary for 10 years now and have seen that the population of wildlife is more and more all the time .. Thats exciting !. Please understand I use to reside in River Hebert and spent more time in that Sanctuary then most and know it like my home . It is a wonderfull place to take your family on a picnic ,such as to Welton Lake where you can listen and watch the Loons or down the Aub Brown road to see moose sign .It is all wonderful, I just hope they can leave it that way .I will be posting a Poll question on my website regarding this seismic issue and I encourage any one to log in and vote .. My website is www.cobequidbiggameadventures.com . Thank you for the support and I will keep updating the site to keep you up to date .

[monsterbuck]

This seems to be more positive for the Chignecto Sanctuary but we will see what happens . I have never heard back from Harry Thurston in regards to this issue .

Chignecto Game Sanctuary could get protection, group says
Permit that allows seismic testing says partial development ban may be on way
By TOM McCOAG Amherst Bureau
Wed. Nov 5 - 6:35

AMHERST — Some good news may be hidden inside the permit that allowed seismic testing inside the Chignecto Game Sanctuary, says the head of Cumberland Wilderness.

"For the first time ever, the province has publicly indicated a large portion of the sanctuary may be recommended for protection," Harry Thurston said in a recent interview.

He pointed to a section of the permit that allowed Eastrock Resources Ltd. of Calgary to do the work last month.

The Environment Department "anticipates that a sizable portion of Crown lands in this (game sanctuary) area will be recommended for protection by the Colin Stewart Forestry Forum," the permit states.

The forum is a non-governmental group consisting of major players in the forest industry and the environment field. The group is working together to identify potential areas to be protected that would help the province meet its goal of protecting 12 per cent of Nova Scotia’s land mass by 2015.

"Since the province is aware that the (forum) is going to recommend the sanctuary be protected, we would call on them to bring forth that recommendation now and act upon it immediately," Mr. Thurston said. "With the threat of mining for oil in the sanctuary, we cannot afford to wait."

The sanctuary is not now protected from development. Lumbering takes place inside the 22,000-hectare site that was created in the middle of Cumberland County in 1937 in hopes of boosting the population of mainland moose, now considered an endangered species.

Declaring the sanctuary a protected wilderness area would provide the protection for moose and their habitat that is now missing, Mr. Thurston said.

"The public has made it clear that they want this to happen ever since the province reviewed game sanctuaries in 2005," he said. "The province made a commitment to upgrade the sanctuary back then, but so far they have failed to honour it. It’s time they did."

A Facebook group called Don’t Drill for Oil at the Chignecto Game Sanctuary is urging its 174 members to write to Environment Minister David Morse asking him to act now to protect the sanctuary.

Lisa Emery of Amherst said she joined the group because she was appalled that seismic testing was allowed there.

"We want exactly what Cumberland Wilderness wants," she said. "That area needs to be protected."

Kermit DeGooyer of the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax said the province failed to follow its own Endangered Species Act in allowing the seismic testing to take place.

The act requires the province to identify areas of core habitat in the recovery plans for any endangered species, but the plan that Natural Resources developed for the mainland moose "does not do that," Mr. DeGooyer said.

"They have told me they haven’t established core habitat location for mainland moose because they need to do more research," Mr. DeGooyer said. "That doesn’t wash because of the act’s precautionary principle that clearly states that when full scientific information isn’t available, they must err on the side of ensuring habitat for species at risk is protected."

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Sanctuary support builds

By TOM McCOAG Amherst Bureau
Sat. Nov 8 - 4:46 AM

The list of groups calling on the province to upgrade the protection offered in the Chignecto Game Sanctuary is growing.

On Thursday, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society became the latest organization to call on the province to declare the 22,092-hectare sanctuary a protected area as defined in the Wilderness Area Protection Act.

"The province needs to step up now and make the designation as quickly as possible. They must act before we lose one of the few precious wilderness areas we have left in the province," Chris Miller, the society’s national manager of wilderness conservation, said in a telephone interview from his Halifax office.

"Until that’s done the sanctuary will remain vulnerable to clearcutting, open-pit mining and development."

The society joins Cumberland Wilderness, the Ecology Action Centre and a Facebook site called Don’t Drill for Oil at the Chignecto Game Sanctuary in urging the province to declare the site a protected wilderness area. With 20,000 members and 13 offices, the society is Canada’s leading grassroots, non-government wilderness conservation organization.

Mr. Miller’s comments come two weeks after it was learned that Eastrock Resources of Calgary had received a permit to carry out seismic testing inside the park’s boundaries in a search for natural gas.

The testing was allowed because the sanctuary’s protection level forbids certain types of hunting but does not protect habitat. Upgrading it to a protected wilderness area would prohibit forest harvesting, mining, road building and other types of development, Mr. Miller said.

The society "has been scientifically examining the ecological significance of the Chignecto area for three years and concentrated on the park for the last year," Mr. Miller said. "Our studies lead us to believe the Chignecto Game Sanctuary is nationally significant. Not only is it one of the few remaining strongholds for the endangered mainland moose, but it contains some of the best remaining examples of intact Acadian forest ecosystems (diverse tree types) in eastern North America."

The sanctuary is also significant for its large interior forest, old-growth forests and ecosystem diversity, he said. "It has one stand of old-growth sugar maples that are the best I’ve ever seen."

(Interior forests are large tracts of undisturbed forests populated by different species and aged trees while old-growth forests are generally made up of trees that are 100 years old or more.)

The province has known for several years ago that the public wants game sanctuaries better protected, Mr. Miller said.

"It’s time they acted on the Chignecto Game Sanctuary because it is one of our province’s last, best wilderness areas and must be protected," he said.

[monsterbuck]

Well I will start this off by saying it was a sad day in the Chignecto Sanctuary Sunday . My family decided to make a trip to pick up the sign in sheets and stuff and pick up my stand and camera also and after we arrived I had wished I had just stayed home . The sign in box WAS GONE !!!! Someone had kicked it off and took it . I was just entering the Sanctuary and seen one of the guys that works there was just going in the building so I went over to aks him if he had seen it and as usual he was a s rude as hell . I cannot believe some of the guys they have working for them there . This guy we all met before and he is such an ass .If he hates his job so much he should just retire . He said no never seen it and that I should have known better and that was it . This really pissed me ,so now my day was off to a bad start . Then as I was going in I seen hellicopters and big trucks with brand new 4 wheelers and everything on the back so I knew what they were up to rigth then . Just more to upset me again ..... So on my way back Kelly and I was talking and it had me so upset you would not believe that I had my heart set on that sign in box and thought it would be great for info for statistics and such that I was quite proud of it . My dad had told me that it does not matter what you try to do around here there is always someone that is jealous of someone else . And WAS HE EVER RIGHT !!! I could not belive it that some idiot was such a low life enough to do that . It was not hurting anything . So back to the drive in the Chignecto........ERRRRRRR the roads are all to hell now and there is junk all over the place from the blasting and traveling in there it is pathetic !!!!!!!!! You would never notice the roads in there now ,,,they are a mess. I just happened to be taking some pics on the way in and a guy pulled up beside me and gave me a dirty look as much to say what gives you the rigth to take pics of what we are doing ,,, so I took a pic of him and his mug along with his truck .he was not happy with me and I was not pleased with him neither so there . He made it obvious that he was being an ass by slowing down in front of me so I could not get to where I was going. So when we came upon the rest of the crew well you should have seen it they were all out site the buildings set up and they were standing there smoking and all looking at us as if we were tresspassing on THEIR PROPERTY !!!! Man they have building all set up in there and everythnig ,,,WE ARE TALKING BIG MONEY HERE BOYS !!!! Thanks to the GOVERNMENT ,,,,,WE CAN THANK THEM !!!! I could not believe that after we went by him he decided to follow me and then my blood started to boil even more ,,,he followed me right to our stand and then turned around as if we were doing something wrong ...... I was getting more upset by the minute . Why in the hell would they be in there doing that stuff anyways ,could they not find another place to do that foolishness then the Chignecto Sanctuary ? The crew well you had never seen anythnig like this ever before . Most of them had mowhawks and the rest were just as bad .. They were working right around the clock ...Remember this was on SUNDAY SO LOOK AT THE MONEY THERE !!!!!!!BIG $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. All the plastic caps they are using for blasting are just left laying around and everything , they are not cleaning up nothing ......... I got pics of all of the mess too . They did not even fill the holes in that they blasted . And another question who will fix the roads when they are done ?? ???Surely not then .NO ONE WILL, they will stay like that I bet you !!! Well after getting my treestand I was fit to be tied so I was really quiet on the way out . Kelly said man did they ever piss in your cornflakes ,,and yes they did . I can not believe that do not think this will not affect the wildlife in there . Thats BULL !!! The foolish GOVERNMENT SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER THEN THIS ,,,,a few years ago it was the moose interests now it is MONEY ,MONEY ,MONEY , TO heck with the moose ..... Thanks MURREY SCOTT !!! I felt really bad that i just had to sit back and watch it all happen . They got roads cut all over the place for 4 wheelers and they are all posted with signs SAYING BLASTING IN PROGRESS !!!!!. THIS IS REALLY SICKENING GUYS !!!!IT HAS TO STOP !!!! Am I the only one who thinks like this or is there anyone else that feels the same ? Here are some pics of what was going on and I also made a video but will have to post it later when I get to a high speed computer ......

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[huntwisely]

Jamie, Sad to hear of the mailbox, I know a couple of folks had used it.

My apprroach would be to get pics of the mess left behind, hopefully somthing that ties it to the seismic crew that left it as from what I hear there were a couple of groups involved - one that did the line work, another the drilling and ones that did the seismic.

I believe that some of the sanctuary is privately owned and that the owners were or will be compensated for any damage.

The crew that did the seismic at ST Mary's left no visible damage or garbage ather than some flagging tape in case they had to redo it.

Once you have the photos, send copies to DNR recording the date and to who you sent it to. If no response within a month or a month and a half (slow government wheels turning here) then send to the Department of the Environment and as many newspapers as you can find

[buckknife]

It is sad knowing the gov. doesn't give a sh!t about anything but $$$$$$$$$profit.When the testing shows that what they are looking for is there,THEN its gone ,no more hunting ,fishing or just plain enjoying what you once knew.It is a shame somebody busted off the box like that,gee could it be mr.arsehole that followed you???I am glad i don't live there,i'd be in jail .lol

I just had a run in with this a-hole trying to rifle hunt in our neighborhood,he got permission from the property owner who knows nothing about hunting,and thought he would build himself a stand and rifle hunt next to 5 houses ,one woman called me as this guy was easily visable from their kitchen windows,and it made their kids scared to death.When i went to talk with him he got real smart and spit on me.I know he was real sorry about that cause he told me so for the next 5 minutes,and he quickly took his stand down ,and went to the house and apologized for scaring their kids too.Wasn't much of a hunter if you ask me ,wanting to hunt where kids play with their bikes and buggies.No need for that,imho.World is full of funny people Jamie,hopefully it works out that there is nothing there they want to mine out,then they might leave it alone.

[monsterbuck]

I have lots of pics and such I will post them from home as I am at work and don't have them here on this computer.

[huntwisely]

By all means post them here, but to make a difference, send them to DNR and give DNR 1 chance to respond the give the pics to Environment andthe papers.