Media Clipping — Wednesday May 7th, 2008, The Canadian Press

Report says changes in N.S. not enough to save province's forests.

The Canadaian Press

A new report says measures intended to save the severely degraded forests in Nova Scotia are too little, too late.

The Halifax-based research group GPI Atlantic says much more needs to be done to counteract decades of over-harvesting, clear cutting and other bad practices.

GPI says there has been some progress in forestry practices, but it's a "far cry" from what's needed to deal with a massive increase in logging and clear cutting over the last 25 years.

The report says there has been a marginal increase in selection harvesting and a small drop in clear cutting, along with more land being placed under protection.

But the group makes eight main recommendations it says are necessary to begin to restore and protect the value of Nova Scotia's forest wealth. They include more incentives to woodlot owners to improve forest management, a sharp reduction in clear cutting, and development of a value-added forest strategy.

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