We need to speak out once again to protect our access to public land use.

Over the next short while Nova Scotia’s natural resources including land we use for trails are under review, a series of meetings hosted by Voluntary Planning, an arm’s length provincial agency, will allow Nova Scotian’s to express their ideas about the future of the province’s natural resources.
"This is an important opportunity because the results will help determine how our natural resources are going to be used for the next 10 years," centre spokesman Jamie Simpson said.
NATURAL RESOURCES MEETINGS
Voluntary planning meetings take place from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
May 12 — Saint Thomas More Church Hall, 79 Church St., Pugwash
May 13 — Blockhouse Fire Hall, 510 Highway 325
Parrsboro Fire Hall, 35 Willow St.
Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre, 606 Reeves St.
May 14 — NSCC Annapolis Valley Campus, 295 Commercial St., Middleton
May 20 — Ecole secondaire de Par-en-Bas, 360 Highway 208 North, Tusket
Black Cultural Centre, 1149 Main St., Dartmouth
Inverness County Centre for the Arts, 16080 Highway 19
May 21 — Musquodoboit Valley Education Centre, 12014 Highway 224, Middle Musquodoboit
Gaelic College, 51779 Cabot Trail, St. Anns
Royal Canadian Legion, 9938 Highway 1, Saulnierville
May 22 — Debert Hospitality Centre, 130 Ventura Dr.
New Minas Civic Centre, 9209 Commercial St.
May 26 — Shelburne Fire Hall and Community Centre
May 27 — Centre Acadien, 35 Baron Rd., Cheticamp
Hants County War Memorial Community Centre, 78 Thomas St., Windsor
June 3 — St. Mary’s Lions Club, Highway 7, Sherbrooke
Masonic Hall, 42 Sprott Lane, Sheet Harbour
Royal Canadian Legion, 24 Black St., Weymouth
June 4 — Membertou Trade and Convention Centre, 50 Maillard St., Membertou
Royal Canadian Legion, 75 Parade St., Yarmouth
June 9 — Holiday Inn, 1980 Robie St., Halifax
June 11 — Royal Canadian Legion, 43 Henry Hensey Dr., Liverpool

This not about clearcutting only, but all public land uses!!!!!!

http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1055279.html

It is very important as many sledders possible attend these meetings. You can be sure the meetings will be well attended by the Sierra Club and EAC. Their mandate will be to shut all crown lands down to motorized use. We need to stand up and make sure our vote and opinion is heard loud and clear. Crown land is our land!!

I'm going to the one in Halifax for sure, could use a lot of help too, as I'm sure it will be the most attended one by EAC and Sierra Club.
They will know that I think all established trails through current and future WPA's should be exempt and be open for OHV traffic. I also think the trail systems should be linking to the dozens of Provincial Parks throughout the province, we have them, why not use them.

Ya RIGHT ON!! No meetings north of the Park. And none in Victoria County at all.

Good Job Voluntary Planning Committe, good friggin' job

Nasty, isn't St. Anns in Victoria County? Looks like the closest to your area is the Gaelic College in St. Anns on May 21st and Centre Acadien in Cheticamp May 27th. Sounds like a good chance for everyone from your area to tell VP what they think about crown land use.

We need lots of loud voices out there so we don't get passed over again.

ya, sorry i missed that. rither way, their both south of the park. I'll try get to both, but one at least. I wish the VP committe would have a meeting in say Ingo or Cape North

I believe that much of the current “protected” area’s were based on protecting land for no other reason than having the ability to say that the province has protected lands.
.
I agree protecting sensitive areas make sense but and when developing or maintaining existing trails that we minimize our impact to sensitive areas and animals.

But the current mentality of protecting large blocks of land for the sake of “protecting” the environment, and then tell us we need to build trails around the protected area’s makes no sense. In fact maintaining existing trails in protected areas has less impact than developing new trails around these areas.

Your 100% correct, much less impact. Now if some of the other groups would just use some common sense we might just get somewhere.

Unfortunately, due to family issues, I was not able to get to either the Pugwash meeting last night, or Parrsboro tonight.

I heard there were 4 members of Cumberland Wilderness (the group that wants to 'protect' the Chignecto Game Sanctuary) at the Pugwash meeting. Will likely hear about the Parrsboro meeting tomorrow. I really hope more of us can get to these meetings.

EDIT: More people need to actually read the Environmental Goals & Sustainable Prosperity Act. It is what is driving all of this by laying out the 12% protected goal. The preamble in the Act is all about balancing the environment, with the ECONOMY. But, the ECONOMY will be negatively impacted in meeting the 12%. There are also outs in the Act, with respect to periodic reviews, and assessment of goals etc. (unrealistic?), that it seems are being ignored. If people could read the Act to gain some understanding, then pass on concerns arising to their MLA, it could only help. I don't think most MLA's have much of an understanding of that Act. They are going to have to do some dirty magic tricks to meet the 12%, it will only get harder for them the closer they get to it and they have a ways to go yet. Scary stuff.

ns503 I agree and below is a link to the act for everyone's refrence;

http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/legc/bill...d_read/b146.htm

Yes ,,, many people need to speak up , on many topics regarding the recreation sports we all love.....

But what we ALL need to do first and fore-most is JOIN A CLUB ,,,,, get good representation. The government is surely not going to listen to a handful of individuals on any matter. You need the power of numbers to get any attention at all , an organized group of individuals concerned about the future and the rules and regulations trying to be jammed down our throats. In the province of Nova Scotia there is less than 2% of the registered off highway vehicle owners registered as a club members of any organizations , any groups or clubs.... 2% --- Think about that....Our clubs , for the most part , kept most of us involved with the sport , especially snowmobiling. If there were no groomed trails and no regular trail maintenance , half of us would have gave up long ago. Clubs get small amounts of funding , but depend on members for support with memberships and as a volunteer. Then as a member along with your friends , come out and show concern and express your opinions on important matters such as this , the future of land use. The future of our sports.........!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is an important matter , Do not just read and think nothing of it.. The meetings are being held in an effort to gather "citizens" , that includes the tree huggers and other activists , views about the future of the provinces' natural resources and the future plans for Crown land. The highlands area is almost 80 % Crown land,,,and if the privileges of access and use is taken away,,, then so is Snowmobiling in Cape Breton...and many other great areas within this province....[/size]

looks like the meeting in Cheticamp will be in french so looks like st.anns for me. or inverness. Shouldn't any public meeting concerning land rights be held in both offical languages.

I am going to the Tuesday night meeting on Main in Dartmouth
It is a shame us as sledders have act as police for our sport that we pay way to much money for the amount we use them
just to enjoy them for a few months a year .
But with groups wanting to close our trails to all. To bad we all can`t respect everyones wants and needs.

I just went to ATVANS' and SANS' websites and theres no mention of any of these meetings or anything related to it.I heard it here thats it................does anyone else find that strange?How would people find out about these meetings?
I hope we're not just depending on me or Joe Blow from down the road to write up a presentation and deliver it,I don't know about Joe but I am not doing it.
Surely every branch of SANS and ATVANS will have reps. there with presentation in hand.YA THINK?

Its on the ATVANS website (under announcements and news in the forum, go to Public Consultation topic), and SANS sent the information to the clubs.

Here is what I posted awhile back after I read in the Halifax!!!!!




> > Gulley Lake Wilderness Area
> >
> > I am very disappointed to read in the only Halifax newspaper last week that groups are working on putting hiking trails through this area.
> > How I look at it snowmobiles do less damage on the ECO system than hikers (right BrianC) and now they want to add more
> > Hiking Trails with support from Gov. They have taken snowmobiles out of the picture we make and maintain a lot of trails even in this area again with Gov. help also. Before the area was Wilderness Area.
> >
> > I am sorry it has come to this but I must protest this move. Why is one group allowed free rain and snowmobiles loosing areas.
> > Is it because they have gas motors? Even with very harsh emission standards for today?s market.
> >
> > One quick question how do Hikers get to this area in there Big SUV or Volvo seems a bit hypocritical.
> >
> > My 2 cents worth
> >

I believe this email below was circulated by the President of SANS to member clubs and the info has been posted on some of the club sites.

"FUTURE OF NS SNOWMOBILING WILL BE DECIDED !!
It is of utmost importance that we attend these meetings when they are in our area. The future of organized snowmobiling could be decided at these meetings. Your positive voice can help make the difference.
See you there,
Steven McLelan
President
Snowmobilers Association
of Nova Scotia
president@snowmobilersNS.com
www.snowmobilersns.com "

I talked to the coordinator at VP today, they had 240 people at the Blockhouse meeting. I think they were shocked to say the least. Looks like the OHV community has woken up and are taking the VP process more serious this time so we don't get rail roaded like we did last time. Keep up the good attendance.

I made the meeting in Debert and made the following observations.

As they passed the mike around the room at the onset of the meeting I was surprised at how may of the landowners large and small recognized recreation and specific OHV use as a positive use of our forested lands. It was also a welcome sight to see a number of OHV users at the meeting.

They normally break the participants off in 4 groups; Biodiversity, Forests, Minerals & Parks, but with a large group of OHV users they created a fifth session for Recreation.

About 76 people in total showed up.

Some extracts from the review;

Biodiversity
Biodiversity is defined as the variety and interconnectedness of life, including all secies of plants, animals and other organisms, the genes they contain, and the ecosystems and ecological process of which they are a part.

Forests
For as long as people have lived in this province, forests have been a vital part of Nova Scotia’s character, heritage and economy. Forests help define our natural environment by supporting plant an animal life, contributing to the quality of water and soil, supplying Nova Scotians with recreation, cultural and aesthetic pleasures.

Parks
Nova Scotia’s provincial park system has evolved to more than 120 operating parks, including 20 campgrounds, more than 100 day-use parks and 1,500 kilometres of rail corridor.