About this project

Across the province, dedicated groups have been working hard to protect some of the best remaining natural sites. We created this website and map to highlight these community-proposed protected areas and the groups advocating to protect them.

 

The interactive map is a joint project by the Ecology Action Centre and the Healthy Forest Coalition.

The Ecology Action Centre is Nova Scotia’s oldest and largest environmental advocacy organization. The Ecology Action Centre has been a voice for the environment for over 50 years and works closely with citizens and communities across the province to provide support and assistance when they need it most.

The Healthy Forest Coalition is a grassroots alliance of scientists, forestry professionals, environmental groups, and individuals in Nova Scotia. We advocate for fundamental reforms in provincial forest policy to replace industrial clearcutting with ecologically based forestry and to better protect ecosystems, wildlife habitats, watersheds, and the promotion of a sustainable, value-added forestry industry.

Special thanks to GIS mapping expert Shanni Bale for creating the interactive map of community-proposed protected areas across Nova Scotia.

 

American marten by Jeremy Hynes

More Information

Site selection

Based on local knowledge, citizen science, and gap analysis, community associations and public interest groups have nominated special sites across Nova Scotia for legal protection. All of the sites are on public land.

Each of these community-proposed protected areas meets one or more of the Provincial Foundational Ecological Priorities and the national and international criteria for protected areas selection, such as ecological connectivity, watershed protection, and rich species diversity.

These community-proposed protected areas will still need to be properly studied and evaluated by the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change, and that the boundaries of the sites may be refined per that government assessment. We are asking the government to direct the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change to start that process now.
 
Furthermore, there may be proposals from other community groups that we are not aware of.
This online map includes data from the Department of Service Nova Scotia (SNS). The incorporation of data sourced from the Department of Service Nova Scotia within this map shall not be construed as constituting an endorsement of this map by the Department of Service Nova Scotia. Data obtained from SMS is reproduced and distributed with the permission of the Department of Service Nova Scotia.
Several proposed Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) have been brought to the government’s attention. Those sites are not shown on our map because at this point, we don’t have all of the necessary details (that is a nation-to-nation process between the Nova Scotia government and the Mi’kmaq). However, it is our understanding that (like the community-proposed protected areas) the provincial government is not advancing the protection of those important sites.
 

If you have questions or would like to get involved in support community-proposed protected areas, please feel free to email us at info@nspubliclands.ca.