NS Nature Trust wins fight to rezone land around Williamswood

The Nova Scotia Nature Trust has received approval from the Utilities and Review Board to rezone some protected land as residential. The Nature Trust successfully argued that Halifax made a mistake when it zoned the land “protected.”

This may sound slightly ironic, but here’s why: as the UARB’s decision explains, the Nature Trust wants the option to sell the lots, which it doesn’t consider ecologically significant, and use the money to purchase and protect land that is more ecologically significant.

I was fortunate to do a story on the Nature Trust last summer, and we actually talked about the trade lands program. I met Darlene Stone, the woman who originally owned the land in question. She gave it to the Nature Trust knowing that it was not ecologically significant, but intending the money to protect land in other parts of the province. 

The three properties are on the western shore of Moody Lake in Williamswood.

Here’s the decision:
http://www.nsuarb.ca/images/stories/pdf/Decisions/11Feb/185649%20nova%20scotia%20nature%20trust.pdf