The Nashwaak Watershed

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Province Provides Only Partial Protection To River

July 20, 2022

July 19, 2022 Daily Gleaner article by John Chilibeck

A newly conserved area along the Nashwaak River in central New Brunswick has one large gaping hole, says the group that helped nominate the area as part of the provincial government’s goal to double its permanently protected land and waterways.
Ian Lodge, a board director of the Nashwaak Watershed Association, had recommended the province conserve several tracts of old growth forest near the proposed Sisson Mine site. Instead, the province announced last week it would protect Crown Land from industrial development and forestry south of the proposed mine site, along about 50 kilometres of the Nashwaak, a tributary of the St. John, or Wolastoq, River.
“I didn’t expect all the area that I nominated to be selected for conservation” Lodge said in an interview Monday. “It was kind of a shoot-high-and-expect-low exercise. But I’m pretty happy that 3,000 hectares in the Upper Nashwaak have been selected, which is a large area. It covers the river from Nashwaak Lake to the Stanley area. That’s awesome. And I hope they’ll expand it.”
When the province launched its New Brunswick Nature Legacy Information Hub in November 2020, people were invited to nominate specific areas and share their reasons why they should be preserved. Mike Holland, the minister responsible for natural resources, set a goal of increasing permanently protected areas from 4.6 per cent to 10 per cent of New Brunswick’s land and freshwater.
Lodge, who also worked for the Nature Trust of New Brunswick at the time, know that Crown land along the Nashwaak was a prime candidate. Using geographic information system mapping, he put together a list of the most important old forest, riparian and wetland habitat that’s home to several species at risk.
He eventually submitted a list of 2,000 hectares he thought would be best to conserve. The province, however, included fewer than 500 of these hectares, picking different parcels along the river’s banks.
The rural area an hour’s drive north of Fredericton has rolling hills, steep banks and a shallow, rocky-bottom river where endangered Atlantic Salmon spawn. The trees nestled on the hill include sugar maples, hemlock, black spruce and red spruce, idea of rare species such as the Canada Warbler, Olive-Sided Flycatcher and Canada Lynx. “It’s beautiful in there” Lodge said. “Very few people, very few camps, and a lot of forestry.”
A spokesperson for the provincial government pointed out it had only announced the first 100,000 hectares associated with The Nature Legacy initiative. By March 31, 2023 about another 300,000 hectares of conserved areas will be selected for final protection.

The Upper Nashwaak River Valley (from Nashwaak Lake to the Stanly area) is one of the featured conserved areas of the NB Nature Legacy. In addition to the Nashwaak River, the Headwaters of the Penniac Stream are also featured. The NWAI is deeply committed to increasing protected and conserved Crown land in the watershed. On July 14th, the province announced that the first 84 Nature Legacy protected areas were established. The first 84 areas will protect about 90,000 hectares and more than 10,000 hectares will soon be added for a total of more than 100,000 and will provide important habitat to conserve the province’s biodiversity.

The Nashwaak River is one of the featured areas of the NB Nature Legacy

Filed Under: News & Events Tagged With: conservation, nashwaak watershed, new brunswick, News, sisson mine, wildlife

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Upcoming Events

  1. Paddle down the Nashwaak River

    August 22 @ 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
  2. Explore the Nashwaak River

    September 12 @ 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

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Upcoming Events

  1. Paddle down the Nashwaak River

    August 22 @ 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
  2. Explore the Nashwaak River

    September 12 @ 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

View All Events

NWAI on Twitter

@WatershedsCAN Congratulations on the appointment of Robert Pye!

- 3 days ago

@CanadaTrees: Tree planting can help restore ecosystem and climate health—but only if it's done with those long-term goals in mind. As ED Daimen Hardie points out in @globeandmail, forest resilience depends on a greater diversity of tree species being planted. https://t.co/eIcPwcwWC9

- 3 days ago

We have an amazing new sign for our restoration site at Neill's flats! Many thanks to Doug Daley and the team at Kiers Marketing for their design work, Allan Tremblay for the translation and our summer student Ryan Totten for designing and building the gorgeous frame. https://t.co/xiFkhwlcVJ

- 8 days ago

Executive Director Marieka Chaplin was honoured to receive a Gulf of Maine Council 2022 Visionary Award, on behalf of the NWAI. The award recognizes outstanding innovation, creativity, and commitment to protecting natural resources within the Gulf of Maine. https://t.co/bX5rNGaleF

- 13 days ago

The (Nashwaak) watershed is home to 38 species of mammals, 15 species of amphibians, 7 species of reptiles, more than 200 species of birds, and more than two dozen species of fish. " -Philip Lee, author of the Restigouche – The Long Run of the Wild River. #natureconservationday https://t.co/YH62RTBAJf

- 14 days ago

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

13 hours ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
Thanks so much to the volunteers who helped us count monarch caterpillars and eggs this week! We examined 265 stems of common milkweed along the trails and found 32 caterpillars and 11 eggs. Thanks Nature NB for helping us participate in the monarch bioblitz! ... See MoreSee Less

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

3 days ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
This Friday, along with the The Nature Trust of New Brunswick, we are welcoming volunteers to assist in the restoration efforts along the Marysville Flats.To register, click the link below:www.eventbrite.ca/e/376768483677 ... See MoreSee Less
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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

4 days ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
Looking for an excuse to get outside after all this rain? Join us tomorrow (Tuesday) evening to look for monarch eggs and caterpillars! No need to register - just meet us in the parking lot of York Arena (891 Barker St.) at 6:30 for some citizen science and fresh air!! ... See MoreSee Less

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Contact Us

Mail:
Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
P.O. Box 314, Station “A”
Fredericton, NB
E3B 4Y2

Office:
181 Westmorland Street
Fredericton, NB
E3B 3L6
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Phone: 506 261-4664
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