Read the Chronicle Herald's "WestFor statement on mainland moose challenged"
Demonstrating concern on the ground: The Moose Blockade Winter 2020-2021
On October 21st, 2020, a group of Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists, some of whom are also HFC supporters, demonstrated their concerns over the impact even-age harvesting is having on woodland species by establishing a camp near New France on the northern edge of proposed Harvest Area DI068550E, blocking access to all but one small patch of DI068550 and all DI099964 and DI099963.
The blockade registered the group’s agreement with ‘the demand being put forward now by groups across the province for a moratorium on all even-aged harvests on crown and other public land. This encompasses all clearcuts and clearcut equivalents such as “Variable Retention”, “Salvage”, and “Uniform Shelterwood” cuts.’ Specifically they wanted ‘an immediate moratorium on all proposed and current logging on Crown lands from Fourth Lake south to the Napier River in Digby County. This must remain in force until ecologically based landscape use planning for the area has been conducted by independent ecologists and biologists, as recommended by Dr. Lahey. The area is known habitat for mainland moose. It should be assessed for Protected Area potential, safeguarding connectivity between the Silver River Wilderness area and the Tobeatic.’
The group noted that the requirements of mainland moose ‘are not adequately factored into current Department of Lands and Forestry's guidelines.’ It dismissed DLF’s proposed 'Special Management Plan' to govern harvesting in the area as ‘completely unacceptable’, and, in view of the departments failure to protect endangered species, called for transferring responsibility for wildlife and Species at Risk should be transferred out of the Department of Lands and Forestry.
After several days on the site Nina Newington, representing the group, wrote to Minister Mombourquette as follows:
The group noted that the requirements of mainland moose ‘are not adequately factored into current Department of Lands and Forestry's guidelines.’ It dismissed DLF’s proposed 'Special Management Plan' to govern harvesting in the area as ‘completely unacceptable’, and, in view of the departments failure to protect endangered species, called for transferring responsibility for wildlife and Species at Risk should be transferred out of the Department of Lands and Forestry.
After several days on the site Nina Newington, representing the group, wrote to Minister Mombourquette as follows:
Congratulations on your recent appointment as Minister for the Department of Lands and Forestry. As spokesperson for the group of citizens currently blocking access for logging equipment to an area of Crown Land in Digby County, I am requesting you meet with me and two other people knowledgeable about mainland moose and the impacts of forestry as soon as possible. We will be happy to meet in person or by video-conference.
I spoke with Donna Hurlburt on November 7th. I understand she has filled you in on our concerns. To summarise, we have been blocking the logging road that accesses proposed cut areas on Crown land near Birch and Rocky Point Lakes, south of Fourth Lake, since October 21st. We are prepared to continue doing so. We have taken this action as a direct result of your government's delay in implementing the Lahey report's recommendations and its failure to protect the endangered mainland moose as required by law.
Donna Hurlburt assures me that work is progressing on the mainland moose recovery plan and core habitat definitions. The fact remains, however, that the Department of Lands and Forestry is allowing logging in an area where moose are frequently present. If we had not blocked access to the area around Rocky Point Lake when we did, it is likely that the 500 acres (200 ha.) approved for Variable Retention 10 and 30% harvests would have already been cut. The expansion and extension of the logging road deeper into what had been intact habitat makes it clear the cuts approved a year ago were going ahead.
There are even-aged harvests underway on the Crown lands to the south of us, between the Silver River Wilderness Area to the west and the Tobeatic Wilderness Area. This area has already been subjected to extensive cutting, including a 720 acre (290 ha.) clearcut. New cuts are reaching ever closer to the Tobeatic. Connectivity between the Wilderness areas is being destroyed.
We are asking for an immediate halt to all logging activities on the Crown lands bounded by Fourth Lake Flowage to the north, the Tobeatic Wilderness Area to the east, the Napier river to the south and a combination of the Silver River Wilderness Area and private lands to the west. This suspension of logging approvals should be accompanied by an independent review by biologists to establish best management practices for the area with the primary goal of protecting mainland moose and creating the necessary conditions for their recovery. This means that any forestry in the area must be keyed to a moose recovery program.
It is obvious from numerous conversations with hunters and others who stop by our camp, that we are in historic moose habitat. You should know that the vast majority of our visitors say they are 100% supportive of our action. When we show them the cuts your department approved for the area, they are horrified. These cut areas include exactly the multi-aged, multi-species forests that are needed by moose but becoming ever less available under the current regime of destructive and out-moded industrial forestry.
If mainland moose are to recover, we need to give them more, not less, habitat so that they can sustain larger populations. Those habitats must be based on what moose need to survive. Any discussion of moose habitat must be ecosystem based. Tweaking current inadequate protections while accommodating the forestry industry will not be enough.
Your government, Minister Mombourquette, has committed to implementing the Lahey report's recommendations. Foundational to these is this statement from the executive summary:
“I have concluded that protecting ecosystems and biodiversity should not be balanced against other objectives and values as if they were of equal weight or importance to those other objectives or values. Instead, protecting and enhancing ecosystems should be the objective (the outcome) of how we balance environmental, social, and economic objectives and values in practising forestry in Nova Scotia.”
Had your government acted on this in a timely way, and had your government fulfilled its obligations under the Endangered Species Act, we would not be in the situation we are in now. Citizens would not be preparing to camp on a logging road through the winter. Your government would not be embarrassed by the extensive media coverage we have received.
I hope that, in your new role as Minister of Lands and Forestry, you will signal a change of direction for the department by halting logging in the area in question so that the fate of this piece of crown land can mark a new approach, one in which the protecting and enhancing of ecosystems is the overarching objective. Nova Scotians across the province will applaud you."
I look forward to hearing from you,
Nina Newington
Congratulations on your recent appointment as Minister for the Department of Lands and Forestry. As spokesperson for the group of citizens currently blocking access for logging equipment to an area of Crown Land in Digby County, I am requesting you meet with me and two other people knowledgeable about mainland moose and the impacts of forestry as soon as possible. We will be happy to meet in person or by video-conference.
I spoke with Donna Hurlburt on November 7th. I understand she has filled you in on our concerns. To summarise, we have been blocking the logging road that accesses proposed cut areas on Crown land near Birch and Rocky Point Lakes, south of Fourth Lake, since October 21st. We are prepared to continue doing so. We have taken this action as a direct result of your government's delay in implementing the Lahey report's recommendations and its failure to protect the endangered mainland moose as required by law.
Donna Hurlburt assures me that work is progressing on the mainland moose recovery plan and core habitat definitions. The fact remains, however, that the Department of Lands and Forestry is allowing logging in an area where moose are frequently present. If we had not blocked access to the area around Rocky Point Lake when we did, it is likely that the 500 acres (200 ha.) approved for Variable Retention 10 and 30% harvests would have already been cut. The expansion and extension of the logging road deeper into what had been intact habitat makes it clear the cuts approved a year ago were going ahead.
There are even-aged harvests underway on the Crown lands to the south of us, between the Silver River Wilderness Area to the west and the Tobeatic Wilderness Area. This area has already been subjected to extensive cutting, including a 720 acre (290 ha.) clearcut. New cuts are reaching ever closer to the Tobeatic. Connectivity between the Wilderness areas is being destroyed.
We are asking for an immediate halt to all logging activities on the Crown lands bounded by Fourth Lake Flowage to the north, the Tobeatic Wilderness Area to the east, the Napier river to the south and a combination of the Silver River Wilderness Area and private lands to the west. This suspension of logging approvals should be accompanied by an independent review by biologists to establish best management practices for the area with the primary goal of protecting mainland moose and creating the necessary conditions for their recovery. This means that any forestry in the area must be keyed to a moose recovery program.
It is obvious from numerous conversations with hunters and others who stop by our camp, that we are in historic moose habitat. You should know that the vast majority of our visitors say they are 100% supportive of our action. When we show them the cuts your department approved for the area, they are horrified. These cut areas include exactly the multi-aged, multi-species forests that are needed by moose but becoming ever less available under the current regime of destructive and out-moded industrial forestry.
If mainland moose are to recover, we need to give them more, not less, habitat so that they can sustain larger populations. Those habitats must be based on what moose need to survive. Any discussion of moose habitat must be ecosystem based. Tweaking current inadequate protections while accommodating the forestry industry will not be enough.
Your government, Minister Mombourquette, has committed to implementing the Lahey report's recommendations. Foundational to these is this statement from the executive summary:
“I have concluded that protecting ecosystems and biodiversity should not be balanced against other objectives and values as if they were of equal weight or importance to those other objectives or values. Instead, protecting and enhancing ecosystems should be the objective (the outcome) of how we balance environmental, social, and economic objectives and values in practising forestry in Nova Scotia.”
Had your government acted on this in a timely way, and had your government fulfilled its obligations under the Endangered Species Act, we would not be in the situation we are in now. Citizens would not be preparing to camp on a logging road through the winter. Your government would not be embarrassed by the extensive media coverage we have received.
I hope that, in your new role as Minister of Lands and Forestry, you will signal a change of direction for the department by halting logging in the area in question so that the fate of this piece of crown land can mark a new approach, one in which the protecting and enhancing of ecosystems is the overarching objective. Nova Scotians across the province will applaud you."
I look forward to hearing from you,
Nina Newington
Minister Mombourquette did not reply and on Monday, November 24, four members of the group went to his office intending to deliver a copy of the letter and request an answer. They sat down on the floor inside the office. Departmental staff told them ‘you don’t get a meeting this way… you have to go through the proper channels’ . To which they replied: ‘that's exactly the point - that's the reason we are here - you've ignored (a) formal request for a meeting - it's been completely ignored.’"
Francis Campbell of the Chronicle Herald described what happened after the group had waited about an hour:
Francis Campbell of the Chronicle Herald described what happened after the group had waited about an hour:
They gave us clear warning that they were going to arrest us,” said Eleanor of the Extinction Rebellion group. Eleanor, who preferred not to have her last name used, said the four were sitting on the floor outside the office and asked to speak to Minister Derek Mombourquette but were told he wasn’t in." "They then said they would leave peacefully if the minister would call Nina Newington, spokeswoman for the Extinction Rebellion group that is blocking access for logging equipment in Digby County but were told by reception that they didn’t have the minister’s contact number.
Eleanor said she was handcuffed and dragged down the hall, to the elevator and through the building atrium to a police car.
She and another sit-in protester were charged with failing to leave the premises when asked and fined $237.
(Double-pronged clearcutting protest results in two arrests at government office’ Chronicle Herald Nov. 24, 2020)
Before they were taken away Eleanor was allowed to make a statement that was caught in this video.
The incident aroused public outrage and strong media coverage. As Bev Wigney described it:
More and more people are becoming very angry about the forest issues. You can barely speak to anyone about forestry these days without them going off about something horrible that has happened near them. That's right across the province. I'm often sent private messages by people who are enraged by something going on near their house, cottage or hunt camp. I can give them info and advice for putting up a fight, but I can't fix things for them. As it happens, the anger is spreading at about the same pace as the clearcutting or maybe even faster in advance of it.
People are more aware of the threat than before. It used to seem like someone else's problem, but now it's happening in their own backyard. The only ones who seem to defend and crow about how great things are happen to be those higher up in the government, and those making money off of the pillaging. I don't even hear that many forest workers singing praise for the forest industry anymore. I think they're seeing that there's no honour among thieves and contracts are going to out of province operators or workers. A few of the forestry people are actually pretty vocal on some of the forestry groups.
A number of HFC supporters – and, of course, XR members - have visited the camp, to encourage the blockaders. Hunters also have expressed their support and commented on the government’s folly in encouraging clearcutting (or ‘even-age harvesting) in the moose’ habitat.
On December 10, the court granted WestFor an interlocutory injunction prohibiting the blockaders, ‘or anyone acting on their behalf, from blockading roads or interfering with access anywhere where WestFor is licensed to cut, anywhere on crown land in South West Nova where cuts have been approved.’ (Quoting from a statement issued by the Extinction Rebellion Nova Scotia, Moose Country, Digby County).
On the afternoon of Friday, December 11, a plain clothes RCMP officer served the injunction, nailing one copy to a tree. After he left a uniformed RCMP officer explained that the injunction instructed the participants to stop blocking the road. Nothing further happened that day, but the blockaders expected to be arrested in the next few days and charged with contempt of court. As one of them put it, she was ‘feeling these days like a conscientious objector in our society's war on nature.’
Read the full XR press release here.
All of us can assist the blockade by expressing our support to the press. our MLAs, the Premier, and, if we happen to be Liberals, to the three leadership candidates.
On December 10, the court granted WestFor an interlocutory injunction prohibiting the blockaders, ‘or anyone acting on their behalf, from blockading roads or interfering with access anywhere where WestFor is licensed to cut, anywhere on crown land in South West Nova where cuts have been approved.’ (Quoting from a statement issued by the Extinction Rebellion Nova Scotia, Moose Country, Digby County).
On the afternoon of Friday, December 11, a plain clothes RCMP officer served the injunction, nailing one copy to a tree. After he left a uniformed RCMP officer explained that the injunction instructed the participants to stop blocking the road. Nothing further happened that day, but the blockaders expected to be arrested in the next few days and charged with contempt of court. As one of them put it, she was ‘feeling these days like a conscientious objector in our society's war on nature.’
Read the full XR press release here.
All of us can assist the blockade by expressing our support to the press. our MLAs, the Premier, and, if we happen to be Liberals, to the three leadership candidates.
