Comment: On Protection and fostering of “Old Growth in Nova Scotia”.
– david p for NSFM drafting
The identification and conservation of “Old Growth” on Crown lands dates to 1999 with the publication of
Nova Scotia’s old growth forests: interim old forest policy. Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources (NSDNR). 1999a. – no longer available on novascotia.ca
In 2008 this doc was published:
Implementation of Nova Scotia Interim Old Forest Policy “A Status Report”
Bruce Stewart & Peter Neily, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources REPORT FOR 2008-1
Old Growth stands were first formally defined by NS provincial foresters/researchers in 2012 with publication of Nova Scotia’s
Old Forest Policy, NS Natural resources Report FOR 2012-4*
* The link is to an archive on the Web Archive as the 2012 doc is no longer listed on current NS Gov web pages, that following publication of a revised policy in 2022
From that doc:
• DNR staff will identify old growth and the best old forest restoration opportunities on at least eight percent of publicly owned forest land in each of the province’s 38 forested ecodistricts (Ecological Land Classification for Nova Scotia, Neily et. al., 2003), as outlined in the Policy Guidelines Section 7.0.
• Forest identified under the policy will be designated C2E class land under the Integrated Resource Management system.
• Forests identified under the policy are set aside for long term conservation with the priority on natural development of old growth forest conditions.
• The location and status of forests identified under the policy will be maintained as a spatial layer in the provincial Geographic Information System (GIS).
There is no legislation protecting Old Growth on private lands, but Old Growth stands, formally defined as such or not, are protected on many properties held by NS Nature Trust and the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
Old Growth stands in recognized “Protected Areas” on Crown lands of Nova Scotia are automatically protected (without having to be formally defined as Old Growth) under the Wilderness Protection Act.
In 2022, the NS Gov. added “Policy Protection” to recognized (by NRR/DNR) Old Growth stands on Crown lands outside of Protected Areas. See N.S. adds ‘policy protection’ to old-growth forests on Crown land by M Gorman for CBC, Aug 18, 2022.