NSNDP

December 2nd, 2020

Action on forestry questions needed

HALIFAX -- The NDP Caucus is calling for a moratorium on clearcutting on Crown land until the Liberal government reaches key milestones in implementing the Lahey Report. Had there been a fall sitting of the legislature, the NDP would have tabled legislation making responsible stewardship of Crown land a priority.

“People are worried about what’s happening in our forests,” said NDP Lands and Forestry spokesperson Lisa Roberts. “Two years after the Liberal government accepted the Lahey report and its recommendations, clearcutting is still the norm and there is no evidence of a shift to ecological forest practices. These delays have eroded public confidence.”

The NDP Caucus sent a letter on October 30th to the new Lands and Forestry Minister asking for a pause on clearcutting and expressing particular concern about harvests approved for mainland moose habitat between the Tobeatic and Silver Lake Wilderness Areas. The Minister has not responded.

“The continued delays implementing the recommendations of the Lahey report are very concerning. Any harvests equivalent to clearcuts should be paused until new management guides have been instituted,” said Dr. Helga Guderley, a founding member of the Healthy Forest Coalition. “Essentially, an immediate moratorium should be placed on any further clearcutting on Crown land until the government adopts the Lahey recommendations for ecological forestry in full.”

The NDP bill is based on recommendations from the Lahey report which the Liberal government said it would act on over two years ago.

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