Tusket River Environmental Protection Association
TREPA NEW
March 2007
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Time to Renew
It is time once again to renew your support for TREPA and help to keep us on track with our many projects. Over the past year we have been diligent in our attention to environmental issues in our area including protection of wetlands, monitoring of events related to the Tobeatic, education, community gardens, resource recovery and recycling, water quality and stream protection, town and municipal planning and other issues that come up throughout the year. Send your $10 per person membership/communications fee to TREPA, Box 103, Tusket NS, B0W 3M0.

Lobster Draw
This year’s Lobster Draw prize is 15 pounds of prime Yarmouth lobster. As always the tickets are just a dollar each or six for five dollars. Tickets for your purchase or sale are included. There are a limited number of tickets available so chances of winning are very good. For more tickets contact Mil at 648-3236. The draw will be on May 20th at Carl’s Store in Tusket.

TREPA Working with Students
TREPA has joined the Tri-County Regional School Board and Trout Unlimited in working with schools on the Adopt-a-Stream program. So far we are working with four Barrington schools who have adopted the Barrington River watershed, two Yarmouth schools who have adopted the Broad Brook watershed, and Islands Consolidated School on Digby Neck who has adopted the Northeast Cove watershed. We will be assisting with mapping, training and programs related to the adopted streams. The initial work this year will be continued in the future. Students from these schools will have an opportunity to participate in the Gulf of Maine Institute’s Summer Workshop at the University of New Hampshire this summer.
Town Proposes New Environmentally Sensitive Zone
The Town of Yarmouth is in the process of reviewing its Municipal Planning Strategy, the guide for planning decisions to be made in the future. TREPA suggested, and the Town has proposed, greater protection for Broad Brook in the area north of the SuperStore/WalMart development. The proposed environmentally sensitive zone extends for 50 feet on each side of the brook north to the town line, near Meadowfields School. The ES zone allows road crossings but limits filling and development. We have also requested that new development be constructed to reduce runoff by use of retention and detention ponds. The ES zone proposal needs to go to the Planning Advisory Committee and the Town Council for approval. To support this action please write to same c/o CAO Jeff Gushue, Town Hall, 400 Main Street, Yarmouth NS, B5A 1G2.

Municipality Reviewing Municipal Planning Strategy
The Municipality is also in the process of reviewing its planning strategy. TREPA is monitoring this process and has asked that the lands classified by DNR as “bog” in the lower portion of the Broad Brook watershed be given special protection against filling and development. These bogs are areas of wet soils and mostly wetland tolerating grasses. They are not highly suitable for intensive use but are important for storage of flood waters, purification of runoff, recharge of ground water, and wildlife habitat. They also provide open space in the town as the areas around them develop. To support this action write to the Municipal Planning Advisory Committee and the Municipal Council c/o CAO Ken Moses, PO Box 152, Yarmouth NS, B5A 4B2.

Home Water/Septic Assessment Opportunity
Did you know that over 400,000 Nova Scotians depend on private wells and on-site septic systems? Properly maintaining these systems is key to protecting the health of your family and the environment.
Want to learn more? Nova Scotia Environment and Labour is pleased to announce a new Environmental Home Assessment Program. The program offers home assessments to hundreds of individual homes served by water wells and on-site septic systems. Homeowners who participate will receive:
•a water and wastewater assessment for their property
•a $50 rebate on septic tank pumping
•a water quality sampling kit
•water saving devices
•samples of environmentally friendly cleaners
•and a home oil tank system checklist.
In addition, a grant of up to $3000 may be available to qualifying homeowners towards repair of failed septic systems. For our Western Region call Clean Annapolis River Project (902) 532-7533. More info: http://www.gov.ns.ca/enla/airlandwater/homeassessment.asp

European Union Develops Green Plan
As Canada struggles with its approach to global warming and energy issues it might look to our European neighbors for guidance. They are, like us, industrialized, capitalistic, representative democracies with many of the same social, environmental and economic conditions. The 27 nation EU bloc has recently agreed that 20 percent of its energy use by 2020 will come from renewable sources like the sun and wind. They also pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 percent from the 1990 levels but will go to 30 percent if other countries join their efforts. The plans will be presented to other G-8 counties, including Canada, at a summit in June.

In a parallel story, the Chronicle-Herald, March 23, 2007, reports that Nova Scotia’s new green plan wants emissions down 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. However, it does look as if the provincial government is finally getting a meaningful green agenda on the table for discussion.
Which Fish for My Dish?

A Guide for Sustainable Seafood Consumption

Fish stocks around the world are said to be in decline due to overfishing and the use of unsuitable fishing gear. Fish is, in general, good for your health. Top-of-the-food chain fish, however, can contain dangerous levels of mercury. Some seafood, farmed or wild, is contaminated by PCB, dioxins or pesticides. Our stores sell seafood, wild or farmed, from as far away as China, India and Thailand. Fish caught in Atlantic Canada and Alaskan pollock is shipped to China for processing, then brought back to our stores. Think of the totally unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions resulting from this absurd transport, not to mention local fish plant closures!

"Sustainable Seafood Canada" has put together a guide to help us make responsible choices when we consume seafood. Their website: www.seachoice.org. The guide concentrates on sustainability of stocks and fishing practices, the transport pollution is not included. We have to include this problem in our decisions.

As usual it pays to "think globally and act locally". A good start is to buy fresh fish, not frozen products. Superstore and the Red&White stores buy fish locally in Yarmouth and Pubnico. Sobey's and Price Chopper buy haddock locally, the rest of the fresh fish comes from their warehouse in Debert.

Among the best choices of native species according to seachoice are farmed clams, haddock fished by bottom longlines, herring caught in mid-water trawls or purse seines, lobster, harpooned sword fish, and tuna fished by pole. The problem is that many of these same species can be caught using environmentally destructive or stock depleting methods. For example, Atlantic scallops are on the seachoice concern to avoid list because they are harvested by dredging. Unfortuntely, the clerk behind the counter or the consumer my not have access to information on fishing practices.

Farms in Yarmouth Municipality
There are over 65 registered farms in the Municipality of Yarmouth. A number of these are able to supply farm grown meat and/or vegetables in season. Locally grown meat can be purchased from the farmer or from Emin’s Grocery on Main Street. The large supermarkets do not carry meat raised in Nova Scotia and do not buy produce from local farmers. We will be seeking more information on availability of locally and Nova Scotia grown products to share with TREPA members.

TREPA MISSION
TREPA was founded with the immediate objectives of protecting the Tusket River and surrounding areas from environmental damage due to pollution, maintaining a constant vigil for future environmental hazards and working closely with other environmental groups and government agencies to improve legislation so as to better protect the environment.

Its longer term objectives are to respond to all environmental concerns affecting the Tri-county area, to educate the public to be environmentally conscious, and to expand membership and increase public support within the community.
visit www.trepa.com

Provincial Goals for the Environment
Act Respecting Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity - Press Release

Nova Scotia aims to be internationally recognized for having one of the cleanest and most sustainable environments in the world by 2020.

An Act Respecting Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity was introduced March 22, by Mark Parent, Minister of Environment and Labour.

"This act builds on some of the best work government and the private sector have done on the environment and the economy in the past few years," said Mr. Parent. "This act recognizes that our environmental assets are the foundation of our long-term prosperity."

The act features more than 20 objectives to help Nova Scotia become cleaner and more sustainable.

Objectives include:
-- reducing greenhouse-gas emissions to 10 per cent less than 1990 levels, which is 35 per cent lower than today's levels;
-- adopting emission standards for new motor vehicles by 2010;
-- implementing a policy preventing net loss of wetlands by 2009;
-- developing and adopting a sustainable procurement policy for government by 2009;
-- ensuring 18.5 per cent of electricity will come from renewable sources by 2013; and
-- legally protecting 12 per cent of the province's land mass by 2015.

"Our government believes that the economy and the environment are inextricably linked," said Mr. Parent. "The only way to ensure Nova Scotia has a sustainable economy is to have a clean and healthy environment."

The act commits to raising Nova Scotia's economic performance to the Canadian average or better by 2020.

"We will be achieving these goals through Nova Scotia's economic growth strategy, entitled Opportunities for Sustainable Prosperity," said Mr. Parent.

Nova Scotia will be one of a few provinces in Canada that has specific requirements for reporting environmental progress. The progress will be reported annually to the public.

Promising Start
The attitude and tone of the recent environmental announcements and the actual purchase of critical lands by the present government is certainly encouraging and the environmental community is viewing this in a positive light. TREPA’s interests in water quality in our steams and protection of wetlands is supported. This announcement is well timed given the reviews of our Municipal Planning Strategies that are taking place in the town and municipality. We are fully behind the protection of at least 12 percent of our land mass.

The one area where we would like to see a more forceful stance in in the protection of our coastal zone where there are many fragile and ecologically significant habitats. There are also many areas of significant natural beauty. Demands on coastal properties for development are particularly high and often in conflict with scenic and habitat values. This is being worked on by the Coastal Coalition of which TREPA is a member.

If you have ideas for articles or would like to write something for TREPA News, please contact Dan Earle, 742-6382 or dearle@auracom.com