The Ecology Action Centre is deeply concerned about the ecological and democratic implications of restructuring the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in order to “drive economic development.” As part of these changes to DNR, the Houston government abruptly fired seven people and completely eliminated the Wildlife Division at DNR. Managers of biodiversity, managers of ecosystems and habitats and the head of the Wildlife Division all lost their jobs, and Nova Scotia’s wildlife lost its dedicated voice within government.
Callous disregard for nature
Managing and conserving wildlife has been part of the core mission of DNR since its creation 100 years ago. Now, we are facing a global biodiversity crisis; species are going extinct 1,000 times faster than natural background rates, and one in every five wild species is in some danger of disappearing from Canada.
The Houston government’s recent actions are likely to undermine the recovery of Species at Risk—the most vulnerable wildlife species in the province—and further compromise the implementation of the Lahey Report’s "triad" model of forestry. Speaking to the Halifax Examiner about the repercussions, a concerned government employee said, “I doubt even senior DNR people fully understand what they’ve done.”
Protecting our wildlife is more important than ever before, yet the Houston government cut the Wildlife Division with no warning, no public consultation and no real plan. The message is clear: protecting our natural legacy is not a priority for this government.
No seat at the table
Disbanding the Wildlife Division was not just a departmental shuffle; it was an intentional maneuver to prevent wildlife from having a dedicated voice within government.
The DNR staff who were laid off were managers and scientists, tasked with sharing their professional advice on wildlife issues in the province. Some remaining staff from the Wildlife Division were moved to "integrated resources planning,” which is buried under the new Land Strategy and Planning Branch.
When we lose scientists and experts at the decision-making table within government, we lose the ability to make informed decisions. If there are decisions that the government couldn’t or wouldn’t have made with a Wildlife Division manager in the room, then those are decisions that shouldn’t be made, period.
The Wildlife Division at DNR was the provincial lead on several important activities and programs, including:
- Monitoring wildlife populations and diseases
- Responding to invasive species in our forests
- Coordinating the work of Species at Risk recovery teams
- Ecosystem mapping
- Identifying Key Biodiversity Areas
- Monitoring rare wildlife
- Managing and regulating the harvest of game species
- Producing the provincial State of Biodiversity Report
Even at times that the Wildlife Division was underfunded or overruled within government, at least someone in DNR was there to speak up for the Mainland moose, the piping plover, the wood turtle and countless other species that make up our province’s delicate biodiversity.
Pattern of bad behaviour
These actions are part of a larger pattern of behaviour in which the provincial government has forged ahead without public and stakeholder consultations, pushed resource extraction at all costs and used “efficiency” as a cover for reducing regulatory oversight. The government is hiding behind the sterile language of “restructuring,” “realignment” and “efficiency,” but this is about ideology, not efficiency.
This pervasive disregard for nature and checks and balances is consistent with the government:
- Arbitrarily lifting the ban on uranium mining and the moratorium on fracking without any scientific evidence or analysis
- Failing to protect areas of immense ecological value
- Abandoning the Coastal Protection Act
- Weakening the provincial Wetlands Regulations
- Suppressing the environmental racism report
A government that fails to respect and safeguard our natural heritage is a government that has neglected one of its most fundamental duties: to leave the province’s environment as good or better off than they found it.
A better path forward
Nova Scotians deserve a government that prioritizes environmental stewardship and democratic integrity. The government should:
- Immediately reinstate the Wildlife Division and its staff
- Respect that wildlife and their habitats have inherent value and are important for biodiversity
- Fulfill its legal obligation to protect 20 per cent of Nova Scotia by 2030 in order to safeguard critical wildlife habitat
- Listen to and incorporate recommendations from wildlife experts in the department into decisions about resource development
- Recognize that our wildlife and natural heritage are of great importance to current and future generations