©Prov of Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is proposing to expand its network of protected lands and waters, with plans to designate more than 5,100 hectares as new wilderness areas. The proposal includes parts of the Margaree River watershed and old-growth forest in Cape Breton, a coastal area along the province’s Eastern Shore, and a mix of forest, coastline and lake shoreline in the Halifax region. The province opened a public consultation on Friday that will run until Oct. 20, giving Nova Scotians the opportunity to weigh in on the proposed protections, which include: three new wilderness areas, additions to seven existing wilderness areas, and an addition to one existing nature reserve. If approved, the new designations would help move Nova Scotia closer to its goal of protecting 15 per cent of its land and water by the end of 2026, building on the roughly 800,000 hectares, or 14.56 per cent of the province, that are already under protection.

Additional information from the Province of Nova Scotia: Public Consultation Opens on New Protected Areas