July 22, 2019 the Honourable Catherine Mckenna Minister Of
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July 22, 2019 The Honourable Catherine McKenna Minister of Environment and Climate Change 200 Sacré-Coeur Boulevard Gatineau, QC K1A 0H3 [email protected] The Honourable Iain Rankin Minister of Lands and Forestry 3rd Floor, Founders Square 1701 Hollis St, PO Box 698 Halifax, NS B3J 2T9 [email protected] Becky Whittam Head, Terrestrial and Marine Canadian Wildlife Service (Atlantic Region) Environment and Climate Change Canada PO Box 6227 17 Waterfowl Lane Sackville, NB E4L 1G6 [email protected] Dear Ministers McKenna and Rankin, and Ms. Whittam, Re: Imminent violations of the Migratory Birds Convention Act in Shelburne County, NS We, the undersigned, are a group of experienced birders and other residents of Nova Scotia who are gravely concerned about the impacts of clearcutting on many of the Province’s bird species. On July 7, 2019, we visited the site of the approved clearcut known as “Walls Brook” (provincial harvest plan number SH068270) in Shelburne County to document the bird species present on that site. The latest information available to us from the provincial Department of Lands and Forestry suggests that this site will be harvested imminently (although we have been unable to obtain updates from DLF in recent weeks). During our visit, we documented the presence of 31 bird species, 25 of which are protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, SC 1994, c 22 (“MBCA”). We also observed numerous signs of breeding bird behaviour, including by protected species, which suggests the presence of nests and/or eggs on the site. As a result, we have reason to believe that clearcutting the Walls Brook site during nesting season will result in violations of section 6 of the Migratory Birds Regulations, CRC, c 1035. 1 of 6 (A) The signatories Russel Crosby has been an amateur birder since 1975. He has organized and compiled the Port L’Hebert, Nova Scotia Christmas bird count for the past several years. Mr. Crosby is also an amateur bird photographer, and runs the bird photography blog southshorebirder.blogspot.ca. Mr. Crosby had several of his reported sightings included in the 3rd edition of Robie W. Tufts’ well-known publication, Birds of Nova Scotia. He is a former contributing member of the Nova Scotia Bird Society. Mark Butler has an undergraduate and graduate degree in environmental studies. He is currently the Policy Director at the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Mr. Butler has worked for the Ecology Action Centre in various capacities for the past 23 years, and previously worked at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre and as a private consultant. Mr. Butler began birding at the age of seven, and has continued to be an active birder in his adult life. He is competent at identifying birds by sight and song, and is particularly familiar with woodland birds Christine Curry has been a casual birdwatcher in Nova Scotia for over 40 years. She began volunteering with Bird Studies Canada (“BSC”) in 2004, and was employed by BSC from 2008 to 2018. During her time with BSC, Ms. Curry assisted with the Piping Plover Conservation program and the Important Bird Area program. Ms. Curry’s work included community engagement and beachgoer education, monitoring piping plover adults, nests, and young, and assisting with shorebird surveys. Carmen Williams has a diploma from the Maritime Forest Ranger School (now the Maritime School of Forest Technology). He has been an avid birder in the Maritimes Provinces for the past 35 years. Gretchen Fitzgerald is the Director of the Atlantic Canada Chapter of the Sierra Club Canada Foundation. She studied marine biology and conservation ecology at Dalhousie University. Her work currently focuses on the environmental impacts of mining operations, climate change mitigation, and volunteer engagement. Shelly Hipson is a resident of Shelburne County, Nova Scotia, and is passionate about preserving the Province’s forests and wildlife. She has a degree in Tourism from Mount Saint Vincent University, has worked in business development, and has been self-employed for the past 16 years. (B) The Migratory Birds Convention Act The MBCA was enacted to implement the bilateral Convention for the Protection of Migratory Birds in the United States and Canada. The purpose of the Act is to “[…] implement the Convention by protecting and conserving migratory birds – as populations and individuals birds – and their nests.”1 To this end, the Migratory Birds Regulations, made under the MBCA, contain the following prohibition: 1 MBCA, s 4. 2 of 6 6 Subject to subsection 5(9), no person shall (a) disturb, destroy or take a nest, egg, nest shelter, eider duck shelter or duck box of a migratory bird, […] except under authority of a permit therefor. Subsection 5(9) relates to hunting in a migratory bird sanctuary. Further, there are no permits available for the incidental take of migratory birds or their nests or eggs in the course of industrial activities such as forestry.2 Disturbing, destroying, or taking any of the items listed in section 6 of the Migratory Birds Regulations during the course of forestry operations is therefore an offence under the MBCA.3 (C) Evidence gathered at Walls Brook The six of us attended the Walls Brook site on July 7, 2019, to conduct our bird survey. We split into two (2) groups of three (3), which allowed us to travel down the entire length of both forestry roads on the site. Each group comprised two experienced birders, and one note-taker. Mr. Williams, Ms. Hipson, and Mr. Butler travelled down the forestry road starting at 43 degrees 44.922 minutes north, 65 degrees 03.972 minutes west and ending at 43 degrees 45.440 minutes north, 65 degrees 03.675 minutes west. Mr. Crosby, Ms. Fitzgerald, and Ms. Curry travelled down the forestry road located at 43 degrees 45.249 minutes north, 65 degrees 04.472 minutes west and ending at 43 degrees 45.543 minutes north, 65 degrees 04.272 minutes west. The approximate locations of these forestry roads are depicted in the Google Earth image attached as Appendix A. Mr. Crosby also paddled through the site in a kayak. Mr. Crosby’s kayak route is depicted in the Google Earth image attached as Appendix B. The six of us employed a “point count” methodology during our survey. A point count survey is the methodology recommended by the Maritime Breeding Bird Atlas to measure the abundance of birds in a particular location.4 The Maritime Breeding Bird Atlas’ Guide for Atlassers is attached to this letter as Appendix C. In accordance with the point count survey methodology, we stopped every 100 metres along the forestry roads to look and listen for birds. We recorded the species of birds that we saw and heard by taking contemporaneous notes and photographs during our survey. 2 Canadian Wildlife Service, Incidental Take of Migratory Birds in Canada (Environment Canada, 2014) at p 5 [“Incidental Take”]. 3 MBCA, s 13.01(1). 4 Maritime Breeding Bird Atlas, Guide for Atlassers (Sackville, New Brunswick: Maritime Breeding Bird Atlas, 2006) at p 19. 3 of 6 We did not conduct a search for nests, due to the risk of disturbing active nests and the low probability of locating nests. This reflects the Canadian Wildlife Service’s position on the use of nest search techniques, which is expressed as follows in a 2014 advisory document: In most cases nest search techniques are not recommended because, in most habitats, the ability to detect nests remains very low while the risk of disturbing active nests is high. Flushing nesting birds increases the risk of predation of the eggs or young, or may cause the adults to abandon the nests or the eggs. Therefore, except when the nests searched are known to be easy to locate without disturbing them, active nest searches are generally not recommended; they have a low probability of locating all nests, and are likely to cause disturbance to nesting birds.5 The Canadian Wildlife Service’s advisory document, entitled “Incidental Take of Migratory Birds in Canada,” is attached to this letter as Appendix D. Following our survey, we transcribed our notes into typed form. Our typed notes and a selection of our photographs are attached to this letter as Appendix E. Please get in touch with us at the contact information included below if you would like access to any additional photographs, or to our original notes. As indicated by our notes, we observed the presence of 31 bird species on the Walls Brook site during our survey. Those 31 species are as follows (the species listed in bold font are protected by the MBCA): (1) Common Yellowthroat; (2) White-throated Sparrow; (3) American Goldfinch; (4) Hermit Thrush; (5) Dark-eyed Junco; (6) Red Crossbill; (7) Blue-headed Vireo; (8) Yellow-rumped Warbler; (9) Purple Finch; (10) Yellow-shafted Flicker; (11) Broad-winged Hawk; (12) Mourning Dove; (13) Parula Warbler; (14) Red-breasted Nuthatch; (15) Black-capped Chickadee; (16) Ovenbird; (17) Magnolia Warbler; (18) Black-throated Green Warbler; (19) Swainson’s Thrush; 5 Incidental Take, supra note 2 at p 14. 4 of 6 (20) Wood Duck; (21) Black Duck; (22) Merlin; (23) Swamp Sparrow; (24) Grackle; (25) American Robin; (26) Common Loon; (27) Palm Warbler; (28) Hairy Woodpecker; (29) Gray Jay; (30) Blue Jay; and (31) American Redstart. In addition to noting the presence of these species, we observed various behaviours indicative of breeding birds. These behaviours were observed many of the species of birds protected under the MBCA, and indicate the presence of nests and/or eggs on the Walls Brook site. Mr. Crosby observed a Swamp Sparrow carrying food for its young (a picture of which is included in Appendix E).