Protect Ingram River Wilderderness Area
Nova Scotia is legally required to protect approximately 330,000 hectares of its lands and waters within the next five years. Ingram River Wilderness Area, widely recognized as one of the most significant areas for public land conservation in Nova Scotia. It is incredibly well-positioned to be protected as part of this requirement.
A few points that make the case for the protection of the proposed IRWA:
1. It contains the oldest documented forest in the Maritimes, with one tree that is 535 years old.
2. It has 17 Species at Risk and 72 species of conservation concern documented to be within its boundaries. With over 500 observations of Species at Risk, it is not a stretch to call this area one of great conservation significance.
3. Protection is supported by over 50 businesses and nonprofits, including the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq and the Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia, with a combined membership of 50,000.
4. The area has been identified as core habitat for Mainland Moose, meaning that the protection of this land is essential for the long-term survival of the species.
5. Protection will still leave the majority (over 60%) of the area open to forestry, mining, and other extractive values, while enabling the reasonable support for ecological and community values that protection brings. This includes hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, and ATVing on designated routes.
This leaves us to question, why hasn’t the Ingram River Wilderness Area been protected yet?
