GUYSBOROUGH — While local leaders are applauding the province’s move last week to reopen the woods for travel and activities in Guysborough, Antigonish and five other counties – including Halifax and all of Cape Breton – they’re also urging people not to let their relief morph into recklessness.
“This is welcome news to our residents who enjoy spending time in nature,” Warde James Fuller of the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s, said in an email. “Our hikers, photographers and off-road drivers are certainly happy to hear this.”
At the same time, he warned, “something as simple as a cigarette butt can still start a devastating fire. Although conditions have slightly improved; to use an old phrase, we’re not out of the woods yet.”
Warden Paul Long of the Municipality of the District of Guysborough echoed those sentiments, urging caution and climate awareness.
“Today’s decision by Premier [Tim] Houston reflects the need to keep all Nova Scotians safe and the desire to make use of the many woodland trails that are used by residents and tourists alike,” he said in an email.
He added that residents should remember “it is still dry” and that “we are still facing a serious deficiency in normal water levels. The climate is changing, so we all have to make concerted efforts to try and mitigate our changing environment.”
The province lifted its woods access restrictions at 4 p.m. on Aug. 29, in seven counties – Cape Breton, Richmond, Victoria, Inverness, Guysborough, Antigonish and Halifax. Those prohibitions, introduced under the Forests Act on Aug. 5, had barred people from travelling, hiking, camping, fishing and using off-highway vehicles on forested Crown land, parks and trails due to extreme fire risk.
“Our data shows conditions are heading in the right direction,” said Premier Houston in the news release. “The conditions are ready for [Nova Scotians] to get back to safely enjoying the woods again.”
The decision, based on wildfire modelling by Natural Resources, follows nearly a month of tight access limitations across Nova Scotia. Eleven counties remain under restriction, including Pictou, Colchester, Cumberland, Hants, Lunenburg, Kings, Annapolis, Queens, Shelburne, Digby and Yarmouth.
According to the announcement last week, in counties where woods restrictions have been lifted, hunting season will proceed as usual. In counties where restrictions remain in place, goose hunting in non-wooded, open areas such as fields is permitted starting Sept. 1. Hunters may also use trails to access those fields if necessary.
A provincewide burn ban, however, remains in effect until Oct. 15 or until conditions improve. The fine for violating either that or the remaining woods restriction is $25,000.
Fuller, who is also a volunteer firefighter with the Goshen brigade, noted that while recent wet weather has helped ease fire conditions in this part of the province, it hasn’t eliminated the risk. “The amount of rain we’ve experienced lately, as well as dew and morning fog, has lessened the chances of fire – but not removed them,” he said. “If you go out, take care to ensure you’ve left nothing that can ignite.”
Long agreed. “Many residents are experiencing low or dry wells, so we still need lots of [rain] to ease the effects of this drought... While recreational activities are important and the norm for many of us, we ... want to keep everyone as safe as possible.”
Both officials pointed to the wildfire at Long Lake in Annapolis County – which began on Aug. 13, has grown to an estimated 8,234 hectares and remains out of control – as a worst-case scenario. So far, the blaze has destroyed 20 homes and 11 outbuildings, forced evacuations at more than 500 addresses, and displaced at least 518 residents who have registered with the Red Cross for emergency assistance.
Residents with questions about the woodland access rules are advised to contact their local Department of Natural Resources office. For wildfire updates and emergency alerts in the province, visit novascotia.ca/alerts.
