In our news today, we continue yesterdays redressing of oversights amidst the present elections imposed shale gas conversation, looking at New Brunswicks forests and environment, and their role and value both provincially as well as globally. CONSERVATION COUNCIL PARTY LEADERS SURVEY ON THE ENVIRONMENT: The Conservation Council of New Brunswick released a survey this week, asking party leaders to speak to their commitment concerning such topics as air and climate protection, forest management, clean water, and the development of energy projects in the province. While the Liberals, Green Party and NDP responded to the survey, the Conservatives and People’s Alliance did not. CCNB Executive Director Lois Corbett commented that the results were heartening, with parties taking position favourable to environmental protections, even if some could take a harder line outside of staple election issues. Highlights from the survey include: Concerning the Crown Lands and Forests Act, the NDP would enforce and expand existing regulations and launch a judicial review of the acts legality, the Greens would create a new Crown Land Forest Sustainability Act, protecting the Acadian forest and creating community Forest Licenses, and the Liberals would review the effectiveness of the Alward governments Act. The NDP and Greens would ban shale gas exploration, while the Liberals would impose a moratorium. With consideration to water protections, the Greens would prioritize and enhance classification under the existing Clean Water Act, while the NDP would enforce classifications under the act. The Liberals would centralize conservation, inspection and enforcement functions. Finally, more aggressive greenhouse gas reduction targets would be put in place by the Greens, while the NDP would establish a new Chief Provincial Scientist office to oversee enforcement and legislation. The Liberals would not commit to reviewing greenhouse gas reduction targets but pledged a greater focus on renewable energy. Complete survey results are available at conservationcouncil.ca. CANADA LEADING THE GLOBE IN RAPID FOREST DECLINE: Adding to concerns over the Alward governments new Crown Lands and Forests Act, research released this week shows that Canada is leading in the world for decline and degradation of forests. Forest Watch Canadas Peter Lee told the Ottawa Citizen this week that Canada has now placed number one globally for the total area lost of intact forest landscapes since 2000, due primarily to fires, logging, and energy and industrial based exploitation. Using satellite imaging, researchers have discovered that Canadas boreal forests from the Maritimes to Alberta have suffered greatly, including parks and reserves, with the oil sands area between Fort McMurray and Lake Athabasca having been almost totally eliminated. 47 percent of global degradation has occurred in the boreal forest belt that primarily spans Canada and Russia, with worldwide pace of decline accelerating, having lost 104 million hectares, or 8.1 percent of undisturbed forests, between 2000 and 2013. NEW BRUNSWICKS ROLE IN FOREST DEGRADATION: Although a small part, New Brunswicks Crown Lands and Forest Act would expedite that decline in the Maritimes, allowing an increase in 20%, or an additional 660,000 cubic metres of wood to be cut. 48% of the increased allocation will come from reducing New Brunswicks conservation forests, reducing the amount of public forests off limits to industry from 28% down to 23%. Presently an injunction filed by 10 Mikmaq and Maliseet chiefs is being ruled on by the Court of Queens Bench to halt 25 year binding deal, on the grounds that inadequate consultation with First Nations has been conducted, and as such is in violation of aboriginal and treaty rights. During initial deliberations, it was revealed that of the five companies holding Crown timber licences, JD Irving Ltd. had already quietly signed on to the deal. [Attached: Shared here previously upon publication in July, the Conservation Council of New Brunswick produced this short discussing parallel loss of forests in New Brunswick during the same span of time examined nationally and globally by Forest Watch Canada, from 2000 through 2013.]
Posted on: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 14:19:44 +0000
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