In this edition of EcoNews, we break down the 2018 herbicide spray map to identify the spraying hotspots near popular New Brunswick lakes this summer; we take a closer look at the provincial government’s announcement about changes to Crown forest management in New Brunswick; we celebrate a proposal to get rid of bee-killing pesticides in Canada; and we bring you up to speed on what we’ve been saying in the media.
Where our forest is being sprayed this summer
Our team has been breaking down the 2018 herbicide spray map to show you where spraying is happening near popular N.B. cottage lakes this summer. Check out our maps at the link below, and stay tuned as we dig into spray hotpots near rivers, and identify which companies are doing the most spraying (but we bet you’ve got a pretty good idea on that one already).
Conservation Council welcomes plan to protect more Crown forest lands, but calls lack of action on herbicide spraying a missed opportunity
The provincial government plans to add 150,000 hectares of new conservation forest as part of its review of the controversial 25-year forestry agreement signed in 2014. While welcoming the move, our Executive Director, Lois Corbett, said she’ll be watching to ensure these new areas get protected status in law, and she questions why the government passed on another opportunity to respond to the thousands of New Brunswickers who are calling for an end to the old-fashioned, taxpayer-funded practice of spraying glyphosate-based herbicides on our Crown forest.
Conservation Council pleased to see Health Canada acting on bee-killing pesticides,
but says immediate ban most prudent approach
Great news. Yesterday, Health Canada proposed a plan to phase out neonicotinoid pesticides that are harmful to bees and aquatic insects critical to nature’s food chain. While it’s a victory for bees and the legions of scientists, beekeepers and environmental groups who have been fighting hard to get these toxins out of the environment, our Lois Corbett says the threat neonics pose warrants an immediate ban on their use, rather than the three-to-five-year phase out being proposed.
AUGUST 13| Severe weather should trigger concerns about water — Lois Corbett tells the CBC that the extreme weather we’ve been experiencing in New Brunswick, and across the world, should be a wake-up call for governments to better prepare to protect our waters.
AUGUST 13| “They put their own interests well above that of their neighbours” — That’s how our Fundy Baykeeper, Matt Abbott, describes the actions of New Brunswick aquaculture company Marine Harvest, who recently plead guilty to illegally using pesticides in the Bay of Fundy.
AUGUST 16| Lois Corbett calls on government to be strategic with plan to protect more Crown forest land – Lois Corbett tells reporters she’ll be watching closely to see if the provincial government gives proposed new conservation forest areas equal status in law as provincial protected areas and parks.
THANK YOU FOR READING!
