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--></style><title>Action Alert from Standing Tall: Forests for Life
Campaign</title></head><body>
<div>Hullo Sust-Mar Subscribers:</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Many of you already know that the Nova Scotia government's going
to be developing a new Natural Resources strategy over the next year,
made up of Forests, Mining, Parks, and Biodiversity sections. A
keystone of the Ecology Action Centre's Standing Tall campaign has
been the demand to open up public consultations around the Natural
Resources strategy; we want the government to listen to<b> all</b>
Nova Scotians with interests in the health of our forests. We've
emphasized that the very best route would be to use Voluntary
Planning, the independent Crown agency that carried out the ATV
consultations in 2004.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Why are we so concerned about how the Nova Scotia Department of
Natural Resources will manage this planning? Because, as many of you
already know, DNR's track record on public consultation is terrible.
You may have been involved in the game sanctuary delisting
controversy. Or the IRM consultations. Or the development of the
existing Forest Strategy in the mid-1990s. Or any one of the other
issues on which the Department has asked for public opinion -- and
then ignored it.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><b>We need your help -- now!</b></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>During the election campaign, we asked Premier Rodney Macdonald,
on behalf of the Conservative Party, "<i>If elected, will your
government commit to ensuring that these consultations are conducted
by a third party and are truly inclusive of the Nova Scotia public,
being conducted in communities across the Province and open to
everyone who wishes to participate?</i>"</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><b>Premier Macdonald responded:</b></div>
<div><br></div>
<blockquote>Yes, a Progressive Conservative government will continue
our commitment to ensuring that public consultations are conducted by
a third-party and are inclusive of the Nova Scotia public, being
conducted in communities across the Province and open to
everyone who wishes to participate.</blockquote>
<blockquote><br></blockquote>
<blockquote>Voluntary Planning is a citizens' policy forum that
operates arm's length to the provincial government. Our mandate is to
engage non-governmental volunteers and citizens in policy
discussions important to the future of Nova Scotia. Members
participate on task forces, project teams and sector committees
representing many aspects of the economy and society. Policy advice
and recommendations go forward through our Board of Directors to the
Premier and Executive Council via the Minister of Treasury and Policy
Board.</blockquote>
<blockquote><br></blockquote>
<blockquote>In carrying out their work, members and staff adhere to an
approach and guiding principles that are based on Voluntary Planning's
extensive public policy experience.</blockquote>
<blockquote><br></blockquote>
<blockquote>To this end, Voluntary Planning strives to include all
Nova Scotians geographically, sectorally and socially; and to operate
in the service of government's policy needs but at arms' length
from government. Finally, the process is transparent so that it is
fair, and is perceived to be fair, in representing the views of
citizens. Further information on the Voluntary Planning mission and
its principles can be found on
http://www.gov.ns.ca/vp/pdf/CitizenEngagementPrinciples.pdf.</blockquote
>
<div><br></div>
<div>We've written the Premier and the Minister of Natural Resources
highlighting this commitment, and asked for a meeting with the
Minister as soon as possible.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><b>But we also need your help.</b></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Please, call or email the Premier and the Minister<b> ASAP</b>,
and tell them you want Voluntary Planning tasked right away with the
Natural Resources Strategy consultations. They've promised. Let's hold
them to it.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Premier Rodney Macdonald</div>
<div><font face="Arial"><b>Telephone:</b> 902-424-6600</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial"><b>Toll-free Message Line:</b>
1-800-267-1993</font></div>
<div>email: premier@gov.ns.ca</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>The Hon. David Morse</div>
<div>Minister of Natural Resources</div>
<div><font face="Arial"><b>Telephone:</b> 902-424-4037</font></div>
<div>email: MIN_DNR@gov.ns.ca</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>If you send an email, do cc: it to your local MLA. If you don't
know their email address, check the <a
href="http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/MEMBERS/directory/alpha.html"
>alphabetical list of MLAs</a> and click on your member's name.
Their email address, if available, will be on the next web page.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Thanks. And please -- feel free to forward this to your contacts,
and encourage them to sign up to Forest Alert, at <a
href="http://www.novascotiaforests.ca/main.php?page=action"
>http://www.novascotiaforests.ca/main.php?page=action</a>.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Best regards,</div>
<div>Joanne Cook and Minga O'Brien</div>
<x-sigsep><pre>--
</pre></x-sigsep>
<div>_______________________________<br>
Joanne Cook (mailto:jocook@hfx.eastlink.ca)<br>
Coordinator, Standing Tall Campaign for Environmentally Responsible
Forestry,</div>
<div>Ecology Action Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia;</div>
<div>http://www.novascotiaforests.ca &
http://www.ecologyaction.ca<br>
_______________________________</div>
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