Globally endangered Boreal Felt Lichen set to decline 50% in 25 years despite conservation efforts

“Researchers call for increased protection as the federally protected Boreal felt lichen population decline in Atlantic Canada shows links to human impacts on the environment.” View Canadian Science Publishing Press Release and CBC interviews with Rob Cameron. This news followed by only a few weeks, the Nova Scotia Auditor General’s Report in which he highlighted weaknesses in the NS Dept of Natural Resources monitoring of SAR (species-at-risk) and in their management practices for protecting SARs. As a legally protected species in Nova Scotia, Boreal felt Lichen is supposed to be off limits to cutting and indeed NSDNR has ensured that small protected areas are set up in clearcuts to protect this species on crown lands. However, I have been told that “invasive Arion slugs then move in on these tiny buffers since they are the only standing forest left in a large clearcut area”. Oh dear. Small protected areas in clearcuts won’t do the trick.