By Walter Regan
The Sandy Lake Sackville Rivers Coalition is lobbying to have the Sandy Lake Regional Park expanded to 2,800 acres.
We are asking that as much of the undeveloped land to the west of the Sandy Lake Regional Park area be preserved by acquiring it to add to the park. This expansion is necessary to support its biodiversity that scientists tell us is unique in HRM, eleven separate habitats, supporting 8 Species of Concern and 16 Species at Risk, including Atlantic Salmon.
To non-biologists, the Sandy Lake environs look little different than many of our wonderful Nova Scotia water and forest environments. In this case, scientists and biologists have sounded the alert that we are at risk of losing this gem of biodiversity located in the midst of our urban world (150,000 people within 30 minutes: Sackville, Bedford, Hammonds Plains, Bedford West).
The Province of Nova Scotia has included this unique area on its Special Planning Area list for fast housing development. We do not believe this area belongs on the Special Planning Area list. The Sandy Lake Sackville Rivers Coalition is asking you to join us in asking to preserve the additional 1800 acres for our HRM community and the province.
This will help the province achieve its 20% protection goal by 2030 and have some of that 20% in a local urbanized area within reach of all.
For more information, please feel free to contact:
Walter N. Regan
Past-President of Sackville Rivers Association
902-476-6276
