Editor’s Note: This campaign has now been fully funded. Concerned citizens, raised the requisite funds in just 6 days, which shows how passionate people are about saving Owls Head Park Reserve.
Go Fund Me Campaign: https://ca.gofundme.com/f/lets-go-to-court-to-save-owls-head
Update From Eastern Shore Forest Watch Association (ESFWA)
We are in the process of closing down this fundraising campaign. If you are still interested in donating, please send a check made out to:
EASTERN SHORE FOREST WATCH ASSOCIATION
22 Debaies Cove Road
Lake Charlotte, NS B0J 1Y0
Once again, Forest Watch and Bob Bancroft, the two applicants in this lawsuit, send their heartfelt thanks to everyone who donated thus far. You will be able to find more information on the progress of the lawsuit in updates on this page, and on the Eastern Shore Forest Watch Association Facebook page.
Original Message from ESFWA
YOU CAN HELP SAVE THIS AREA. $15,000 is needed to stop the sale.
Going to court is the only short-run solution that can stop the government from going through with its plans. So the Eastern Shore Forest Watch Association and wildlife biologist Bob Bancroft are bringing a lawsuit asking the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia to find that the province acted unfairly when it secretly delisted Owls Head Provincial Park.
We do not have time to wait. Lands and Forest Minister Iain Rankin has already signed a Letter of Offer, and he refuses to reveal the contents to the public. He could sign off on the sale at any time. And this land, Owls Head, is one of many other pieces of Crown land that could be delisted as protected parkland and sold to private developers for all sorts of purposes. Secretly.
Your help is needed! The private developer claims to want to build three golf courses. But our concern is not simply for his plans for our land. The Nova Scotia government secretly made this decision almost a year ago. The land contains a globally rare coastal habitat ecosystem home to several species of conservation concern. But most important, we need to show the government it cannot act without consideration for the people and the ecosystems that support us all.
Going to court isn’t free. We’ve lined up one of the province’s best environmental lawyers, Jamie Simpson. He’s the lead attorney right now for another lawsuit against the Department of Lands and Forests for failing to uphold the Endangered Species Act.
We need to raise $15,000 as quickly as possible to take this lawsuit through the courts. Every dollar you give sends a message to the government that we’re not going to put up with this secret decision-making about the fate of our public lands.
Thank you so much for your support. All funds will go to the Eastern Shore Forest Watch Association to pay for this court case. Forest Watch’s Treasurer, Patricia Egli is handling all funds. We’ll be posting regular updates on the progress of the lawsuit here.
P.S. For more news and background on the lawsuit, you can sign up for the Facebook group, Save Little Harbour/Owls Head, or check out the Eastern Shore Cooperator newspaper’s Owls Head Resources Page
*The government likes to claim that Owls Head was never protected. But for the last 45 years, the land has been identified as a park or a protected reserve on many government documents.
