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All content in this area was uploaded by Karen F Beazley on Mar 26, 2021
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Statement'in'response'to'the'Government'of'Nova'Scotia’s'plans'to'amend''
the'Biodiversity'Act'prior'to'law'amendments'
In#response#to#the#Government#of#Nova#Scotia’s#announced#plans#to#amend#the#Biodiversity#Act#(Bill#
4)#prior#to#law#amendments,#we#submit#this#statement#on#behalf#of#Dalhousie#University’s#School#
for#Resource#and#Environmental#Studies,#Halifax,#Nova#Scotia.#
The#Biodiversity#Act#is#a#crucial#step#towards#addressing#serious#declines#in#biological#diversity#in#
Nova#Scotia.#Last#updated#in#2017,#the#Endangered#Species#Act#lists#71#species,#with#five#now#
globally#extinct#and#three#provincially#extinct#(extirpated).#Populations#of#many#other#species#are#in#
decline,#yet#not#officially#listed.#Attention#to#biodiversity#is#needed#prior#to#reaching#endangered#
status#and#to#support#recovery#efforts.#A#strong#economy#is#dependent#on#sustainable#ecosystems.#
Globally,#precipitous#declines#in#biospheric#integrity#are#at#or#beyond#planetary#limits,#threatening#
life#on#earth.#Immediate#and#transformative#actions#are#needed#to#stem#the#declines.#Biodiversity#
collapse#and#climate#change#are#twin#crises,#representing#emergencies#for#humanity.##
The#Biodiversity#Act#was#first#introduced#and#died#on#the#order#table#in#spring#2019,#pending#
further#refinement#through#public#consultation.#On#March#11,#2021,#it#was#introduced#for#the#
second#time,#incorporating#input#from#landowner#consultations,#primarily#that#the#government#will#
implement#a#collaborative#approach#with#landowners,#require#consent#of#private#landowners#
before#including#their#property#in#a#biodiversity#management#zone,#and#provide#compensation#in#
exchange#for#landowners’#efforts.##
On#March#23,#the#Government#issued#a#news#release#announcing#plans#to#amend#the#Bill.#The#
announced#was#prompted#by#landowner#concerns,#following#an#aggressive#forestry-industry#and#
landowner#lobby,#and#stemming#from#misrepresentation#and#misunderstanding#of#the#powers#and#
provisions#within#the#Bill.#Premier#Iain#Rankin#has#stated#that#the#changes#to#the#Bill#will#not#be#
released#in#writing#ahead#of#March#29,#when#the#Bill#will#go#to#the#legislature's#law#amendments#
committee,#where#the#public#has#the#opportunity#to#voice#its#opinions.#
We#understand#that#Premier#Iain#Rankin#seeks#to#institute#changes#to#the#Bill#that#rectify#and#clarify#
its#intent.#We#support#any#necessary#changes#for#clarification.##
We#also#understand#that#the#changes#will:#1)#remove#biodiversity#emergency#orders,#which#would#
grant#the#province#the#right#to#intervene#on#private#land#in#emergency#situations#where#the#act#was#
being#contravened;#2)#remove#offences#and#fines;#and,#3)#apply#to#Crown#land#unless#a#private#
landowner#wants#to#be#included#in#developing#a#biodiversity#management#zone#on#their#land.#These#
changes#represent#significant#weakening#of#the#act.#Crown#land#comprises#less#than#30%#of#the#
province.#Biodiversity#cannot#be#retained#and#recovered#by#provisions#that#apply#only#to#30%#of#
the#land.#These#three#elements#represent#provisions#that#are#crucial#to#achieving#the#objectives#of#
the#act,#and#thus#changes#should#not#be#made#to#remove#or#restrict#them#to#Crown#lands.#
We#are#concerned#that#changes,#whether#clarifications#or#substantive,#are#to#be#undertaken#prior#to#
law#amendments.#We#are#also#concerned#that#the#changes#will#not#be#released#in#writing#prior#to#
law#amendments.#These#practices#undermine#the#democratic#process#of#law#amendments.#
We#acknowledge#the#importance#of#the#Biodiversity#Act#and#support#the#Bill#in#principle.#We#urge,#
however,#that#changes#not#extend#beyond#clarifications.#Specifically,#we#urge#that#the#three#
aforementioned#crucial#elements#be#retained#and#not#removed.##
Submitted#by#Dr.#Michelle#Adams,#Director,#and#Prof.#Karen#Beazley,#on#behalf#of#the#School#for#
Resource#and#Environmental#Studies,#Dalhousie#University#
March#26,#2021,#Halifax#