PRESS RELEASE: New polling shows majority of Nova Scotians want Province to protect more land

MI’KMA’KI (NOVA SCOTIA) - A new poll released this week has found that a strong majority of Nova Scotians believe more land should be protected in Nova Scotia. The survey, conducted by Narrative Research, shows that 67 per cent of Nova Scotians believe the province should create more protected wilderness areas.  

“A clear majority of Nova Scotians want the provincial government to honour its commitments to protect more land,” says Raymond Plourde, Senior Wilderness Coordinator for the Ecology Action Centre. These results are in line with past polling, which has consistently shown that the majority of Nova Scotians care deeply about the province’s natural wilderness and want to see more of it protected. “This is a sacred trust from present to future generations, and the government must meet that trust. The Houston government needs to accelerate their efforts and protect more public land quickly. We only have three and a half years left to get there.”

The Survey asked:  

“As part of a global effort to halt the rapid loss of nature and biodiversity, Canada has committed to reach 30 per cent legal land protection by 2030 and Nova Scotia has committed to reach 20 per cent by that time (Nova Scotia is currently at 14 per cent).

Some people say that protecting more wilderness areas in Nova Scotia is necessary to conserve native plants and animals and for outdoor recreation. Others say that there are already enough protected areas, and that to create more would be too costly, particularly for resource-based industries such as forestry and mining. All things considered, do you personally believe there should be…  More, the same amount or fewer protected Wilderness Areas?”

The respondents overwhelmingly supported protected areas, even when weighed against other considerations like industrial use:

• 67 per cent said more protected wilderness areas
• 27 per cent said the same amount of protected wilderness areas
• 3 per cent said fewer protected wilderness areas
• 3 per cent said they had no opinion

In 2021, the Houston government passed its flagship environmental legislation, the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act. Under the Act, the government is legally required to meet specific targets and deadlines including protecting 20 per cent of the provincial landmass by 2030. This is Nova Scotia’s part in reaching Canada’s national 30 per cent by 2030 target under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. The Houston government started out strong during their first term, designating dozens of new protected areas like Archibald Lake Wilderness Area in the St. Mary’s River district and Island Lake Wilderness Area in the St. Margaret’s Bay district. However, progress designating new sites since then has slowed dramatically as government focus has shifted to resource extraction.

"Nova Scotia's protected areas network is a vital safeguard for both wildlife and our economy," says Becky Parker, Executive Director of Nature Nova Scotia. "As an organization with predominantly rural member groups, we know how deeply these communities care about wilderness conservation, and this survey confirms that. An overwhelming majority (94 per cent) of respondents across rural Nova Scotia want the same or more protected areas. We hope the province will use this clear sign of overwhelming public support to immediately designate the remaining areas from the Parks and Protected Areas Plan, which have been waiting for protection for well over a decade, and to work with Nova Scotians advocating wilderness conservation in their communities."

The survey also captured the important role the protected areas network plays in supporting outdoor recreation. 

“The protected areas network are special places that enable hiking, fishing, camping and other eco-tourism activities,” says Darlene Grant Fiander, President of the Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia (TIANS). “Adventure tourism and recreation is one of the fastest growing sectors within tourism and Nova Scotia has been blessed with a natural environment that fuels the sector’s success. In 2025, tourism generated $3.7 billion dollars, and our natural assets played an important role in driving visitation. The new Tourism Strategic Plan also identified the role of protected areas and nature-based activities as a competitive advantage for Nova Scotia.”

Nova Scotia’s Protected Areas program has spanned eight different provincial governments of all political stripes; and while the current government has publicly endorsed the principles, work has stalled - it’s time to finish the job.  

“On Earth Day and beyond, we call on the government to fulfill its commitment to the Protected Areas Network and the people of Nova Scotia,” says Plourde.  

The Narrative Research survey was sent to a representative sample of 517 adult residents from across the province using Narrative Research’s East Coast Voice panel and weighted to ensure accurate representation of the population’s true distribution according to Statistics Canada 2021 census data.

-30-