In some parts of Nova Scotia the forests are being cut at a rate that is about twice as high as in other parts of Canada, including Northern Ontario and inland British Columbia.

In the last 17 years Nova Scotia lost 12% of its forest, or about 665,000 hectares.

Global Forest Watch Canada, a non-governmental group from Alberta, released a report today that compared Nova Scotia’s forested areas to what they were like 17 years ago.

“We examined old and new satellite images for almost all of Nova Scotia and combined what we saw with existing information,” says Ryan Cheng, lead author of the report. “What we saw and mapped is an astonishing scale and pace of industrial-caused changes, primarily logging, throughout much of the province since 1990.”

The report notes that Nova Scotia has a wealth of forest resources, and a forest industry that has been key to its economy for centuries. The report makes recommendations that a regular satellite-based change analysis monitoring program be established for the entire province with a focus in and around valued ecosystems such as significant landscapes, sensitive areas important for biodiversity and municipal water supply areas.

Peter Lee, Executive Director of Global Forest Watch Canada, notes, “the preparation and release of this report was triggered by Government of Nova Scotia’s current review of its natural resources strategy that may well lay the blueprint to govern future directions for its forests, minerals, parks and biodiversity. As part of this review, it is important that sound, credible, independent and significant information be made available to guide that decision making.”

Read the Report: http://www.globalforestwatch.ca