Media Clipping — Wednesday November 14, 2001, CBC Nova Scotia

Video Transcript

A call to save our forests

By CBC TV reporter Kathryn Morse

“If we lose the next 20 years, it could be too late.” — GPIAtlantic

Halifax, N.S. - A Nova Scotian research group, GPI Atlantic, is warning that the province's forests are being overcut to the point of no return.

Too many trees are being cut too fast and too small in Nova Scotia. That's the conclusion of a four-year study by GPI Atlantic, a non-profit research group.

The director of GPI, Ron Colman, says Nova Scotia's forests are like the groundfish stocks in the early '90s.

"We've experienced the consequences of an economic collapse," says Colman. "We've been through that pain, and I don't think people want to see that happen again."

But, the province doesn't agree with that assessment. In fact, this year the government is allowing more trees to be cut on crown land, and on land owned by forest companies.

"I certainly believe we're at sustainable levels, especially with our sustainable forestry fund," says Natural Resources Minister, Ernie Fage.

Even though the province is spending some money on reforestation, GPI says that's not enough. The group wants to see limits placed on clear-cutting, and immediate protection for disappearing old growth forests.

"If we wait, if we lose the next 20 years, it could be too late," says Colman.

GPI, which stands for genuine progress index, says when job creation, habitat protection and recreation are factored into economic equations, current forestry practices don't make economic sense.

Copyright © 2001, CBC