by Nina Newington, Camp Now entry for Day 82
Feb 19, 2026: – ‘Shock and awe’ at DNR: Wildlife division gone, managers sacked, and restructured department geared for natural resources exploitation and extraction
Joan Baxter in the Halifax Examiner.
I was going to write a cheery post about the new warmth in the February sun; the joy of shadows on snow; the steady stream of visitors to camp, travelling from near and far to drink tea and talk and walk or ski.
But then came this in the Halifax Examiner: ‘News of massive changes to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff landed in an email today, according to a source who asked for anonymity to protect his career.
The source describes the changes and sackings as “shock and awe,” and compares them to Elon Musk’s dramatic and vicious slashing of the United States’ public service by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) last year.
The entire wildlife division in DNR is gone, replaced by something called “integrated resources planning,” which will be inside a new “Land Strategy and Planning Branch.” (…)
Sources also tell the Examiner that managers who were focussed on actual forest health – managers of biodiversity, of ecosystems and habitats, and the head of the wildlife division – were sacked.” Continue reading
