Ram’s Head orchid on gypsum lands, Nova Scotia. It’s an Endangered species in Nova Scotia
“As the Provincial Biologist (Species at Risk), you will provide leadership and professional expertise to internal/external stakeholders and the public in the assessment, monitoring, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, wild species (including species-at-risk) and habitat management within Nova Scotia. The work you do will ensure that long-term sustainable benefits of wild species and habitats are optimized and conflicts among resource users are minimized.”
View full ad on jobs.novascotia.ca
Closing Date Aug 24, 2021
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I guess this is to replace Mark Elderkin in the Wildlife Division of L&F; I believe he retired a couple of years ago. ‘Hard to find who is in that division – L&F seems to avoid listing staff on their website or anything about their qualifications, what they do or any annual reports on their activities.
I was able to glean some Information about personnel as cited on this website under Forestry/NSDNRR’s Nature-based forestry/Who Does What in 2019, but I can’t find the same info. currently.
In January of 2019, L&F advertised for a Biodiversity-Species at Risk Biologist (view NSFN post Jan 29, 2019). Not sure if this is the same position, and dunno if anyone was hired in 2019.
There is a general impression that the Wildlife Division has little influence on forestry practices in NS, although personnel are frequently called upon to defend controversial practices. Nova Scotia Dept of Lands and Forestry (under Iain Rankin as Minister) was successively sued by Nova Scotia naturalists for not upholding their own commitments to protect species at risk.*
So applicants should be prepared to take an oath of loyalty (virtual if not actual) to uphold the forestry practices on Crown lands and not to talk about what they do without express permission of higher-ups and then to say only what has been approved to say.
‘Glad to publish an alternative view.
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*- Top court rules province broke endangered species law
Francis Campbell on saltwire.com May 31, 2020 “The case marked the first time the Endangered Species Act, enacted in the province in 1999, was interpreted by a Nova Scotia court.”
– Nova Scotia’s lands and forestry minister says he’ll strengthen conservation work
Taryn Grant · CBC News June 1, 2020. “In the wake of a Nova Scotia Supreme Court order to better protect at-risk species, Nova Scotia’s minister of lands and forestry said his department will do its best “to get the work done.” Minister Iain Rankin said he was still reviewing the decision, released Friday, and wouldn’t say whether the province might appeal. “I respect the court’s direction and I welcome the opportunity to keep that discussion going,” he said. Rankin said much of the work ordered by Justice Christa Brothers last week is already underway. Brothers said the minister had failed to live up to his duties under the Endangered Species Act in chronic and systemic ways, and specifically in the cases of six at-risk plant and animal species — the Canada warbler and eastern wood peewee, both songbirds; the black ash and ram’s head lady slipper, both plants; the wood turtle and the mainland moose.”