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Nature Trust Celebrates Conservation of 300 Acres on Bras d’Or Lake
July 28th, 2012
Today the Nova Scotia Nature Trust is celebrating the permanent protection of a unique 300 acre property of natural coastal land in Inverness County, on the Bras d’Or Lake. The property boasts a diverse shoreline of over 7 kilometers.
Details
Embargoed until July 28, 2012
Malagawatch, July 28, 2012– Today the Nova Scotia Nature Trust is celebrating the permanent protection of a unique 300 acre property of natural coastal land in Inverness County, on the Bras d’Or Lake. The property boasts a pristine and diverse shoreline of over 7 kilometers, and a variety of important shorelines and ecosystems.
Thanks to a generous conservation gift by the landowner, Dan Livingstone, this 300 acre property will remain undeveloped and wild, as a coastal conservation refuge, and a coastal legacy for generations to enjoy.
“The land was originally my father's," says landowner Dan Livingstone. "He loved it for its beauty, its neighbours and its memories. It was where my children learned to work, to forage and to play outdoors. We all found refuge there from the slings and arrows of the modern world. As a working ecologist I've seen too many beautiful places ruined by development, and I didn’t want MacKenzie Cove to go the same way.”
The land will be protected through a combination of outright donation of some parcels, and donation with reserved life estate for others. According to the Nature Trust’s conservation manager, Dennis Garratt, using a creative mix of conservation options not only achieves effective
conservation of this site, and meets the landowners wishes for the land, but provides important tax benefits for landowners too. The landowner will receive property tax, income tax and estate tax benefits as well.
According to Mr. Garratt, “The Mackenzie Cove property is incredibly significant for conservation, both for its contribution to coastal conservation and for its unique natural features.” With over 85% of the coast in private ownership, there are increasingly few undeveloped coastal lands in Nova Scotia, particularly on the Bras d’Or Lake. This newest protected area makes an irreplaceable contribution to coastal
conservation.
The property is located within the North Mountain Ridge Natural Landscape, one of the province’s 80 unique natural landscapes, and one which is not adequately represented in our provincial network of
protected areas. With so little provincially-owned coastal land on the Bras d’Or Lake, this property provides one of the last, best chances to protect this unique landscape.
The property is characterized by a mixed coastal forest, more than 7 kms of shoreline, including diverse wetland habitats such as bogs, fens and ponds, beaches, and sheltered bays. The property’s shoreline supports small populations of the rare ribbed mussel. In addition, the two large islands of this property support rare mature Acadian hardwood forest, and stands of old growth hemlock.
“Coastal hardwood forests are exceptionally rare in Nova Scotia. For this property to have large, undisturbed stands of Acadian coastal forest makes it extremely important to preserve, forever” said Conservation Manager, Dennis Garratt.
Today’s conservation announcement is great news for Nova Scotians, who share a long-time connection to the coast, and increasing concern about the future of coastal lands. Mr. Garratt commended Mr. Livingstone’s generosity. “Mr. Livingstone’s conservation gift shows yet another wonderful example of the generosity of Nova Scotia’s landowners, and their commitment to being a part of protecting our most special places. His gift of land means one more very significant step forward in preserving Nova Scotia’s unique coastal legacy.”
Both government and conservation groups see the conservation of coastal ecosystems in Nova Scotia as one of our highest conservation priorities. Working together with Nova Scotia’s landowners, the Nature Trust has succeeded in protecting 18 coastal properties across the province to date, and 48 properties in total.
For details and images, click on "more" below.
