Better Protection for Tobeatic Wilderness Area

The province wants to better protect the natural environment of Tobeatic Wilderness Area by offering compensation to campsite lease holders who agree to end their leases.

"Through our off-highway vehicle action plan, we're further restricting off-highway vehicle use to increase protection of wilderness areas and other natural places," Environment and Labour Minister Kerry Morash said today, Feb. 16. "With fewer campsite leases in Tobeatic Wilderness Area, there will be fewer people affected by the new restrictions."

Under the provincial off-highway vehicle action plan, off-highway vehicle users will not be licensed for routine access to campsites in any wilderness areas across the province. Lease holders will only be allowed to use off-highway vehicles in these areas with specific licences for maintenance or removal of a campsite structure.

The Department of Natural Resources will administer a plan to offer financial compensation of up to $20,000 per campsite lease to people who agree by March 31 to end their leases in Tobeatic Wilderness Area.

People who retire these leases may apply to the department for a new lease on Crown land that is not within a protected area. Once leases in the wilderness area are retired, any campsite structures left behind will be dismantled and removed. This is a one-time offer.

"There has been extensive discussion with Nova Scotians about campsite leases in Tobeatic Wilderness Area through the management planning process for this area," said Mr. Morash. "This input helped government make this decision."

Mr. Morash said his department will consider results of the call for voluntary retirement of these leases before making a decision on whether to end all leases in Tobeatic Wilderness Area and before finalizing the area's management plan.