Letter from: J H Martin Willison
To: Russell MacLellan
"N.S. New Democrats"
"Caucus P.C."
Cc: Halifax Herald Newsroom
Subject: Protected Areas Legislation
Dear Premier MacLellan,
It has come to my attention that the Bill, An Act to Protect Wilderness
Areas in Nova Scotia, is now unlikely to see passage in the current sitting
of the provincial Assembly. It is an understatement to say that I am disappointed.
This legislation has been delayed now for several years by political foot-dragging,
crude political manipulation by self- interested parties, and simple lack
of decisiveness on the part of more than one government.
While it might seem that lack of this legislation is not too serious
because the areas to be protected as wilderness are on crown land and are
protected under a moratorium, this is an over-simplified view. There are
pressures on these areas now, and spinelessness on the part of the government
will serve only to dismay the public and delight the few who seek to profit
from the opportunity afforded by lack of clear legislation. While I do
not view the proposed legislation as perfect, it is surely better to have
an imperfect tool to protect the few precious remaining gems of wilderness
on crown land in this province than to have no tool at all.
It is clear that the current sitting of the House has achieved much
less than I (and no doubt many other Nova Scotians) expect of their government.
This has been the first opportunity for over a year for government to use
its democratically-elected power to create necessary legislation. I request
that you prolong the session, at least until this Bill has the opportunity
to become law.
The incursion of all-terrain vehicles (and other means of off-road motorized
transportation) into wilderness areas is the most serious threat to these
areas that is not currently being addressed adequately by your government.
If foot-dragging turns out to be the order of the day again, I request
at a minimum that you instruct your departments to use the power of existing
legislation to ensure that the 31 sites proposed for protection as wilderness
are not further damaged by unwanted and (usually) illegal incursions by
off-road vehicles. These noisy, destructive, oily, polluting machines carry
people whose main purpose is often to kill the living organisms that make
their homes in the very wilderness areas that the overwhelming majority
of Nova Scotians have shown they wish to protect as natural homes.
Sincerely,
Martin Willison
Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies,
Dalhousie University
