tel. 902.429.2202 fax. 902.405.3716

2705 Fern Lane, Halifax, NS, B3K 4L3

ecologyaction.ca

Reasons not to support the conclusion of the staff report regarding the Nature Trust purchase at BMBCL

1. Much of the staff report makes a strong case for why the municipality should contribute to this land conservation project. This includes the fact that protection of the site would be a concrete contribution to protecting land for a wildlife corridor, the need for which was identified in the Halifax Green Network Plan. The site is exactly where multiple corridors have been recommended. The staff report finds that protecting land in the area is not taking away from the potential to approve development in a Growth Centre. 2. This is a rare opportunity for the city to save a substantial amount of money on what will become a piece of green infrastructure in HRM. The Nature Trust has tentative put in place 70% of the funding for the project from other sources. The Nature Trust will also be the one to care for the property, meaning the long-term maintenance and stewardship costs are not on HRM. Protection of the site will provide wildlife habitat and habitat connectivity in an area already identified as having outstanding ecological value, and it provides recreational access for Haligonians for generations to come. The other sources of funding won’t be around forever, and it is exceptional that the Nature Trust has tentatively secured them. The Canada Nature Fund did not exist two years ago, and may be done in two years. Securing funds for protected areas at this time, from the Province, is remarkable. The NS Crown Share Land Legacy Trust is a limited pool of money that may be all spent in a couple of years. Lining up these funding sources at this time may not be possible in the future. 3. The Parkland Reserve it rightly identified as a legitimate funding source for this request. However, the idea that “the municipality may need to use this reserve for other pressing parkland needs” seems unsupported. In fact, this is just the pressing parkland need for which Parkland Reserve funds are desperately needed. HRM’s current capital budget for 2020-2021 does not include enough funds in the Park Land Acquisition line item ($100,000) to significantly help with the Nature Trust acquisition. In addition, this $100,000 may also be needed for other parkland acquisition. The Parkland Reserve is $5,745,532 - the request from the Nature Trust would only be 13% of the total. This leaves room for other “pressing parkland needs” to be addressed.

ecologyaction.ca

4. Regarding the “indirect opportunity cost” to HRM (Report page 6), the Conservation Property Tax Exemption Act (probably what is meant in the report by “Nova Scotia Conservation Lands Tax Exemption Act”): the report states that “the Nature Trust can apply for exemption, resulting in the loss of an existing tax revenue to HRM (this was $172 in 2019).” That is incorrect. Though the Nature Trust can and would likely apply for a property tax exemption under the conditions of this Act, the Province “provides a grant from the Province to municipalities in lieu of taxes to compensate for lost revenue” (see Protected Areas Branch website). The Nature Trust was actually the group that proposed this Act and worked with all parties to have it passed unanimously in 2008. It has successfully reduced a barrier to private land conservation in Nova Scotia without any costs to municipalities. 5. The subject lands are outside the area called Park Boundary in Map 11. The full title of Map 11 is Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes Conceptual Park Area. The title of the map indicates that the Regional Wilderness Park includes all of the map, including the elements that extend westward to and including Cox Lake Provincial Park Reserve, Provincial Wilderness Area land, and the Nature Trust proposed conservation lands. The subject lands are within the Core Wilderness that is vital for a large-scale, resilient park proposed in the definition of a Regional Park. HRM has already acquired land outside the area called Park Boundary but within the Core Wilderness. See the Map 1 and 2 below. Of the 522 acres of land acquired by HRM in 2018 and 2019 for the purpose of building Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes Regional Park, 72% of the land was outside the area called Park Boundary. Council needs to reaffirm that the concept for a large, functional Regional Wilderness Park includes the Core Wilderness in order to reflect the ecology of the area, the land conservation opportunities, and the other conservation landowners in the area (land owned by NSE and potentially the Nature Trust). In addition to contributing to the Nature Trust acquisition, HRM should clarify, officially, that the Conceptual Park Boundary for the Regional Wilderness Park includes the Core Wilderness section. It should include all land protected by the Province, by HRM, proposed lands by the Nature Trust, and all intervening lands.

tel. 902.429.2202 fax. 902.405.3716

2705 Fern Lane, Halifax, NS, B3K 4L3

ecologyaction.ca

Maps 1 and 2 – Map 11 from the Regional Plan shows a conceptual Park Boundary that is outdated and no longer encompasses all protected lands (by HRM or the Province). The conceptual Park Boundary should be expanded to include the whole Core Wilderness, which is also where the site proposed for protection by the Nature Trust is located. The second map was recently placed on HRM’s webpage about Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes Regional Park. One can see that significant land acquisitions since 2017 fall outside of the conceptual Park Boundary.

tel. 902.429.2202 fax. 902.405.3716

2705 Fern Lane, Halifax, NS, B3K 4L3

ecologyaction.ca

6. The grant is actually not as sizable a contribution or high proportion as other requests HRM has recently supported. Given the full, actual cost of the project ($2,525,250), HRM’s contribution is only 30%. This $750,000 is less than the amount HRM contributed to the Shaw Wilderness Park (SWP) ($4,100,000), the proportion of the total is lower (HRM contributed 51% of overall cost for SWP), and the cost per acre at BMBCL, achieved by the Nature Trust, is less than for the SWP ($4,407 per acre at BMBCL, $21,108 per acres at SWP). The Shaw Wilderness Park is a conservation and recreation success for all partners involved, and HRM should seek to also create massive gains at Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lake Regional Park through partnering with a land trust again. 7. Covid-19 has impacted the financial situation of HRM, but the future is not entirely unknown. Here are a few knowns: i) There is widespread public support for growing Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes Regional Park. Just one example of this is the 1,500 letters received by HRM regarding a 2016 report that recommended development in the area instead of a park (the people want a park). To date, we believe this is the largest number of letters received on a single subject by HRM. ii) Green infrastructure gains in value, instead of costing more over the long term, like built/gray infrastructure. Securing the subject lands as a protected area means they will continue to trap carbon, clean the air, protect the waters, and provide wildlife habitat, forever. They will not need city infrastructure such as roads and water. HRM is not fabricating more green space… we only have what is left to choose from. iii) People want to get out into parks and wilderness. A recent study by the national not-for-profit Park People regarding COVID-19 found that:

• 82% of Canadians say parks have become more important for their mental health during COVID-19

• 70% say their appreciation of parks has increased during COVID-19

• 55% of municipalities have seen increased park use during COVID

• 57% of municipalities say COVID-19 is likely to have a negative impact on park budgets within the next year

Working with the Nature Trust reduces the city’s cost in providing a natural resource that residents want more than ever.

ecologyaction.ca

Map 3 - Below is the Nova Scotia Nature Trust map showing the critical Connector land purchase opportunity in yellow. You can easily see how this piece of land is a critical link between two separate pieces of the Provincial Wilderness Area and a key piece of the puzzle in terms of creating the someday Regional Wilderness Park.