Friday, November 07, 1997

After almost a year of political controversy and public outcry, the environment and wild Atlantic salmon have scored an important victory in Nova Scotia. On October 29th, Premier Russell MacLellan announced he was returning the area known as Jim Campbells Barren to the list of Parks and Protected Areas. Declaring the Barren “to be protected from development and preserved for the natural enjoyment of our people”, the new premier has made it off limits to mining and other hard development. “We must protect a priceless piece of our natural endowment rather than risk its loss to the uncertainties of exploitation,” he said. “I have taken this decision in the belief that it is essential to protect the integrity of our environmental decision making in this province – that once a decision is made to protect lands and spaces from development that such decisions be unrevokable”

Jim Campbells Barren is a 12-kilometer bog/barren plateau in northern Cape Breton, near the world famous Cabot Trail and just south of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. It is also part of the headwater mountains feeding the Margaree River and it’s smaller and more remote neighbour, the Cheticamp. The salmon conservation community, environmentalists and citizen groups from all walks rallied to protect this sensitive place and this special river.

Premier MacLellan’s announcement that he was reinstating protected status was the culmination of a year long battle to save the Barren. The area had originally been included in a list of 31 spaces to be protected in 1995, following extensive public hearings and consultation. It was removed from the list by former premier, John Savage’s government after intense behind-the-scenes lobbying by mineral interests. Regal Goldfields of Toronto wanted access to the environmentally sensitive and much-loved wilderness area to explore for gold and other minerals. When the public got word that the Barren had been pulled from the list, with no public consultation, they were outraged.

At issue was the corruption of the public consultation process, protection of important wilderness areas and the threat to one of about a dozen remaining healthy river systems supporting runs of wild Atlantic salmon. Nova Scotians have already lost too many rivers to acid rain and were not willing to stand by and watch this near-pristine river system threatened. Over 50 groups from across the province and beyond came together to fight for the return of the Barren. At the forefront of the effort were the Nova Scotia Salmon Association, Atlantic Salmon Federation, Margaree & Cheticamp Salmon Associations, Sierra Club of Canada and World Wildlife Fund. Letters from across Canada, the US and Europe poured into Provincial government offices calling for the return of the Barren and the protection of the watersheds. A petition signed by almost 10,000 Nova Scotians demanding the return of the Barren was presented to government leaders. The story made national news for months. A year of public outcry, revelations of possible insider trading and an RCMP investigation brought the issue to the top of the provincial government agenda. The wrong had to be put right.

On December 9th the government introduced legislation to permanently protect all 31 sites – including Jim Campbells Barren. The act will protect almost 20 per cent of the province’s Crown lands, a higher percentage than in any other province in Canada. In his announcement, Premier MacLellan promised “These 31 natural masterpieces of biodiversity deserve perpetual protection and that is what they will get”. Upon introducing the legislation he added, “There will be no mining”.

Salmon anglers were particularly thankful to have the Margaree this past season, as it was just about the only river in the province to receive either rain or fish. And due to the Jim Campbells Barren controversy, were all made very aware of how important it is that she be protected. To that end, the salmon conservation family will have to remain active and vigilant. We hope our grandchildren will also know the thrill of seeing flashing silver in the deep, dark Seal Pool.

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