Sale Protects Musquodoboit River Land From Potential Development
Musquodoboit–A recent land deal has assured that more precious land along the Musquodoboit River Valley will belong to the species who live there, and not become land for future development.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada bought 126 acres of land in the area to keep it intact. The large swath of land was privately owned by the Webber family, who showed interest in keeping the land protected through a sale. The NCC has now protected 783 acres in the valley.
On top of that, with this land sale, the entirety of Turtle Lake is now protected. A spokesperson for the NCC said the total investment into the 126-acre parcel is more than $200,000.
“Given the current real estate situation in Nova Scotia, I wouldn’t be surprised (if developers were interested),” said Jaimee Morozoff, the Nova Scotia program director for NCC. “There was potential for something to happen because Musquodoboit River is such a popular site for recreation, and, where this property sits, the trailway actually cuts through the two parcels.”
“While the current landowner wasn’t planning on doing development himself, from our conversations he was looking to sell it. You never know who’s going to buy it and that’s one of the reasons why we wanted to take this opportunity to make sure it was protected.”
The protected area contains an important ecosystem, including rare tree types and threatened bird species like the olive-sided flycatcher and the Canada warbler. As the name Turtle Lake suggests, the area is also key to the survival of the snapping turtle.
Protecting precious ecosystems is an issue top of mind for many Nova Scotians. There was public outrage when it came to light that the Liberal government, in 2019, signed a backroom deal to turn Owls Head into a golf course.
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This decision came after lobbying from Lighthouse Links and despite Owls Head being previously recognized as a “globally rare ecosystem.”
In November of 2021, Lighthouse Links said they were “reluctantly” withdrawing their application, as it was clear the new PC government didn’t support the project.
Earlier this month the government announced Owls Head would, finally, become a protected provincial park. Owls Head has long been referred to as a provincial park, even though it never officially had that designation.
So it’s clear, especially with the population of Nova Scotia growing, that protecting sensitive ecosystems through land deals is of utmost importance.
But this land deal wouldn’t have been possible without private donors, including Nova Scotia Crown Share Land Legacy Trust ($99,988), Environment and Climate Change Canada ($97,086), and United States Fish and Wildlife Service ($50,414). Even the land sellers, The Webber family, chipped in $16,700 to the project.
“They were fantastic to work with,” Morozoff complimented the Webbers. “They came to us and gave us the first opportunity, recognizing the value and also contributing to the project itself. It was a win-win.”
Even though this land is protected, it’s available to the public through foot access, although visitors and hikers are obviously asked to be respectful of the land.
“It’s an accessible site to see nature and connect with nature,” says Morozoff.
Derek Montague is a Huddle reporter in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].