Shared on January 21, 2020
Dear Chris:
Thank you for being in touch about the important issue of Owls Head and its sudden removal from the provinces list of protected areas.
As you may well know, Owls Head has been on a list of protected areas since the Our Parks and Protected Areas report was released in 2013. This list of hundreds of new protected areas was compiled as a result of extensive consultation and input from people across the province under our NDP government. Owls Head is a significant piece of our coast and has been described by experts as “a unique coastal habitat, home to several species of conservation concern”, one that people were given to believe was protected indefinitely.
It is our belief that the public needs to be at the centre of conversations about how we protect the environment. That the government has delisted Owls Head behind closed doors, at the apparent behest of a private developer, is unacceptable and undemocratic.
Habitat and biodiversity protection are critical in the fight to address climate change, yet the province is still short of meeting its goal of protecting 13 percent of Nova Scotia’s landmass. The public expects our government to be working to protect more of Nova Scotia’s beautiful and significant natural landscape, not plotting behind closed doors with golf course developers to remove it from protection.
I appreciate the time you’ve taken to write me about this, and our caucus will continue to press for transparency and accountability on these fronts.
Very best,
Gary
Gary Burrill, MLA
Halifax Chebucto
Categories: Speak Your Piece
