Voice in the wilderness

Citizens find new logging road in proposed Annapolis County harvest sites

When concerned residents walked a piece of Crown forest on the South Mountain during the holidays, they were amazed at the eight-foot circumference black birch trees.

They were just as amazed that a logging road had mysteriously appeared since mid- July when the two lots they went to look at are only now in the public comment stage of the province’s proposed harvest process. And one lot looks like it’s already been cut.

“It’s supposed to be able to be commented on until the 19th of January but we see evidence that they may have already started,” said Sue Skipton, one of 18 residents who converged on Neaves Road and expected they would arrive at the right co-ordinates and have to rely on compass and GPS to navigate through the woods. “Why is there already a road in here leading to this area when it’s still under comment?”

The two parcels, AP068637B and AP068637D, are 21.48 and 18.88 hectares respectively and are located between two lakes – Corbett and Dalhousie - just west of Morse Road. The comment period on the Department of Lands and Forestry Harvest Plans Map Viewer site is until Jan. 19. Go to https://nsgi.novascotia.ca/hpmv/.

LAWRENCE POWELL Biologist Donna Crossland stands beside a large black birch tree. She estimates it’s at least 200 years old. It’s one of many on a plot of crown forest being proposed for harvest beside Corbett Lake west of the Morse Road between Bridgetown and West Dalhousie.