Dear Premier McNeil,

Dear Premier McNeil,

You are getting bad advice from the Department of Natural Resources. For example:

• Promote SPF monoculture by supporting practices like glyphosate spraying and clearcutting. 
• Eviscerate the Natural Resources Strategy.  Abandon targets and ignore fundamental goals.
• With large scale biomass for electricity generation a proven non-starter, keep the forest products industry on life support.  Short term jobs and quarterly reports trump long term planning.
• Permit heavy industrial clearcuts on lands directly abutting protected areas.  Ignore that prime goal of our Natural Resource Strategy which says:  "Establish clear and effective leadership and governance related to biodiversity in Nova Scotia." 

Backward policies and initiatives, our province lags seriously behind states, provinces, territories, and countries which are setting examples which we could emulate.

In short, Mr. McNeil, it is not the volume of wood we cut, but how we cut it that is important. 

Per the Natural Resource Strategy, the alternative is to work with willing Nova Scotians, indigenous people, industry, academia, communities, and the general public, people who helped draft the Natural Resource Strategy, people who have written to you or spoken with you, who on a volunteer basis have dedicated years of their lives to this cause, to draft and implement wise policies to utilize our forests to best effect.  "Netukulimk" is the Mi'kmaq word, I believe - live now with respect for seven generations down the road. 

For the sake of our forests and for our future, we appeal to you once again to listen and act on these arguments.  You are getting less than half the story.