UPDATED MARCH 26, 2021

Letter-Premier-Bill 4-follow up-032621

March 15, 2021

In recent weeks, we have had discussions with members, neighbouring Chambers of Commerce and other organizations expressing concerns about a proposed Biodiversity Act, Bill No. 4, that has received First and Second Reading in the Nova Scotia Legislature.

Letter-Premier Rankin-March15-21-Biodiversity

Read the Proposed Biodiversity Act, Bill 4, Here:

Nova Scotia Legislature – Bill 4 – Biodiversity Act (nslegislature.ca)

https://nslegislature.ca/legc/bills/63rd_3rd/1st_read/b004.htm

 

Some have expressed serious concern that the proposed Act poses a threat to private-landowner rights by granting the Minister broad and unprecedented authority over activities that can be carried out on privately owned land.

Resources:

The Concerned Private Landowners Coalition now has a website and twitter feed:

https://twitter.com/CPLC_NS

https://www.facebook.com/CPLCNS

www.stopbill4.com

See fact sheet from the Cumberland Forestry Advisory Committee

Biodiversity Fact Sheet

NS Biodiversity Act Summary (004)

We encourage members to reach out to Sherry Martell, [email protected] to share their thoughts on the proposed Act or to express their concerns in writing to the Premier, the Minister of Lands and Forestry and their local MLAs.

Download a Template Letter to Personalize to Submit your Concerns to government

TEMPLATE LETTER RE. BIODIVERSITY

Template letter -Biodiversity-March 15

Truro -Colchester Government Contacts

Queens-Shelburn MLA Kim Masland speaks about the Bill during the second reading in the legislature on March 13th expressing concerns about the broad authority and unprecedented power that the Bill will give the Minister and the Government

2021-03-12_masland-biodiversity.mp4 – 031221_masland-biodiversity.mp4 – Frame.io

https://app.frame.io/reviews/3c9c90a7-c55a-47e0-ae70-6dfcb8bdc5a1/09189d1a-4d63-4f13-ad69-6ed16df0671c

“The Biodiversity Act as it has been introduced will give the Minister the power to potentially stop and restrict management on land that is privately owned,” Kim Masland, Queens-Shelburn MLA

 

Stories about the ACT in the News:

March 11, 2021, Chronicle Herald

Hybrid legislature in Nova Scotia gets down to work, revised biodiversity bill introduced | Provincial | News | The Chronicle Herald

https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/news/provincial/hybrid-house-in-nova-scotia-gets-down-to-work-revised-biodiversity-legislation-introduced-562557/

 

Nova Scotia government brings back Biodiversity Act, CBC

March 11, 2021

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/nova-scotia-government-brings-back-biodiversity-act/ar-BB1euKZi

 

CTV, March 11, 2021

Nova Scotia tables revised biodiversity bill, modifications to Crown Lands Act | CTV News

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/nova-scotia-tables-revised-biodiversity-bill-modifications-to-crown-lands-act-1.5343786