But the process has been dogged by complaints of a closed process that favours industry. Indeed, the Natural Resources Department, which designed and has been overseeing the process has a resource development mandate. Like the public, other departments like Environment and Tourism have had little opportunity to influence the plan

After repeated delays, the Department of Natural Resources revealed their draft plan for public comment in September 2000. The plan astounded and angered conservation groups from across the province. It adds less than 1% of Crown lands to Nova Scotia's existing protected areas system, despite a previous government commitment to complete the parks and protected areas network by the year 2000.

The NSSA is watching what Natural Resources has in store for several large tracts of land within Nova Scotia's best known watersheds. And it doesn't look good.

The Department has proposed that, apart from a small handful of tiny "postage stamp" properties, no more lands will be protected in the vast Margaree or LaHave River watersheds. Ditto for the Maccan, West River (Antigonish Co.), River Philip, and Wallace watersheds in central Nova Scotia, the Musquodoboit, Liscomb, St. Mary's, Sheet Harbour Rivers and Fish River system on the Eastern Shore, the Nictaux, Tusket, and Clyde Rivers in western Nova Scotia and the Grand and Mira watersheds in Cape Breton, just to name a few.

Natural Resources is claiming that Crown forests can sustain both resource extraction, including clearcutting, while providing adequate protection for watersheds. We've seen the scars of logging and hauling roads on Nova Scotia's forests and river - we don't buy their assurances. Anything less than legal protection for several key areas will place yet another strain on Nova Scotia's lakes and rivers - and our fish.

We can only hope that common sense prevails. Unlike other provinces, just 28% of the land in Nova Scotia is provincial Crown land. The lion's share of that public land base needs legal protection to help prevent forest loss, erosion, and disruptions in water flow that typically follow road building and forestry.

In response to shortcomings of the IRM plan, the NSSA and several of our river affiliates, along with the Ecology Action Centre and dozens of conservation, tourism, and community organizations recently created the Nova Scotia Public Lands Coalition. The coalition is pressing the Government of Nova Scotia to overhaul the Natural Resources plan and establish new Wilderness Areas in several of the province's key watersheds.

For much more on the IRM planning process and Nova Scotia's public lands, including profiles and maps of proposed Wilderness Areas and the position statement of the Nova Scotia Public Lands Coalition, we invite you to visit the Ecology Action Centre's website on public lands at www.publicland.ca. Their website includes an e-postcard to Premier John Hamm. We urge you to send it!

Our forest - Our future?