Independent Review of Forest Practices Released

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NOTE: This release is on behalf of Professor Bill Lahey, project lead on the Independent Review of Forest Practices.

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An independent review of the province’s forest practices is recommending fundamental changes to the way forestry is conducted in Nova Scotia.

University of King’s College president Bill Lahey submitted his report today, Aug. 21, to the Minister of Lands and Forestry, Iain Rankin, after a year-long review.

The report suggests the province adopt what is known as the triad model of ecological forestry. Prof. Lahey says the top priority in ecological forestry is to protect ecosystems and biodiversity. In addition, it attempts to balance environmental, social and economic values in forestry.

“Ecological forestry’s objective is not to protect the environment by eliminating or prohibiting forestry,” said Prof. Lahey. “It seeks to combine conservation of nature with a productive and profitable forestry industry. It is a model that is designed to emulate the natural processes, development and life spans of forests.”

In all, the report includes 45 recommendations to improve forest practices. Prof. Lahey conducted the review with a team of expert advisors, attending approximately 80 meetings, receiving more than 250 written submissions, and reviewing relevant forestry documents and reports.

The full report, including conclusions, recommendations and independent technical papers, is available at https://novascotia.ca/natr/forestry/Forest_Review/ .

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Source: Release