Wildlife biologist Bob Bancroft, as President of Nature Nova Scotia, is one of the applicants together with the Blomidon Naturalists Society and the Halifax Field Naturalists. They are being represented by Jamie Simpson of Juniper Law and the case is being handled by East Coast Environmental Law. In the Photo: Bancroft talking about cavity dwellers in a talk to the Friends of Redtail Society in 2013.
UPDATE Sep 24, 2019:
Province argues duties under Nova Scotia’s Endangered Species Act not ‘mandatory’
By Haley Ryan for The Star Halifax, Sep 23, 2019. The article provides details of the arguments put forth on both sides. “The hearing will resume on Oct. 1, when Smith is expected to finish his submissions and Simpson can enter a reply.”
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From East Coast Environmental Law (ECELAW) today:
Today, we go to court on behalf of those who cannot advocate for themselves.
For many years we have witnessed the provincial government’s failure to take the steps required by their own law to protect at risk species in Nova Scotia. Time is running out.
Several months ago we wrote the Minister of Lands and Forestry and included a copy of our latest Protected on Paper Only report. We called on the Minister to meet his legal obligations under the Endangered Species Act to complete the 19 recovery plans and 4 management plans that are currently overdue. These plans are the first steps to recover and protect endangered, threatened and vulnerable species in Nova Scotia.
We further asked the Minister to:
– Publish a plan of action to demonstrate how they will meet the requirements of the Act;
– Facilitate meaningful public participation by providing timely information on progress toward meeting the legal obligations;
– Exercise his ministerial discretion to designate core habitat for endangered species and create regulations to protect that habitat.After years of advocating for species at risk and seeing virtually no progress, we made the decision to go to court as intervenors in a judicial review of the Minister’s failure to meet even the minimal protections provided in the Endangered Species Act.
Working with the Ecojustice Halifax lawyers, we will argue that the Minister’s long history of failing to meet the law represents systemic neglect of the most vulnerable plants and animals.
Read more on ECELAW
Also view:
– In the midst of climate action week, Nova Scotia naturalists take province to court over alleged failure to protect species
By Taryn Grant in The Star Halifax, Sep 21, 2019 “Wildlife biologist Bob Bancroft says clear-cutting is one of the greatest threats to at-risk species in Nova Scotia”
– Groups say court must force Nova Scotia to protect endangered species
By Staff The Canadian Press Sep 23, 2019
– Wildlife biologist Bob Bancroft and nature organizations launch legal action for Nova Scotia’s species at risk
Post on NSFN, Jan 24, 2019
– Underprotected: GOING TO COURT FOR NOVA SCOTIA’S MOST VULNERABLE WILDLIFE
by JAMIE SIMPSON in EAC Magazine, Summer 2019