ATLANTIC REGlONAL MEETING 
     
     OF THE 
     
     CANADIAN NATURE FEDERATION 
     
    
   
   
    
     by Winston Johnston, Provincial Director from P.E.I. to CNF 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Four Island representatives, Winifred Cairns, Rosemary Curley, Winston ' 
     
     Johnston and Dan MacAskill attended on Nov. 7th in Halifax, the first regional 
     
     meeting of GNP held in the Atlantic Provinces. John Willms, Toronto, President of 
     
     CNF; Hal Mills, Halifax, Vice President of CNF; Rick Pratt, CNP's Director of ‘ 
     
     Conservation, Ottawa; and about 30 other representatives from the four Atlantic 
     
     Provinces were in attendance. 
     
    

    
     The Environmental Action Program conducted by CNF was discussed by R.Pratt. 
     
    

    
     Acid rain continues to have a high priority with ONE and they have recently lobbied 
     
     the political leaders of both United States and Canada on their responsibilities 
     
    

    
     in reducing air-borne contaminants released in each country. Northern development, 
     
     whaling and other conservation activities continue to occupy much of the resources 
     
    

    
     of CNF. Incidentally, this last postal strike, while not disrupting CNF's activities 
     
     critically, has resulted in~a drop in income and the necessary reshuffling of 
     
     priorities. 
     
    

    
     A panel discussion chaired by Ian McLaren. former President of GNP, centred 
     
     primarily on the large losses in the forest industry from fire and pests and those 
     
     forestry practices which are relying on pesticide use to protect both developing 
     
     and mature forests. Other speakers on the panel were Clinton Edmonds, Regional 
     
     Director General of Environment Canada; Bill Freedman, a forest ecologist from . 
     
     Dalhousie University; and Elizabeth May, board member of CNF. Other issues of 
     
     concern brought forward for discussion were the Point LePreau nuclear plant,‘ 
     
     disposal of mining wastes, and of interest to the Natural History Society, develop— 
     
     ment of shore land such as that proposed for the Greenwich area of P.E.I. , 
     
    

    
     This meeting allowed CNF to hear of the concerns of the Atlantic Provinces 
     
     and to be able to priorize these with concerns of others and the resources of CNF 
     
     to deal with such environmental problems. It is to be hoped that such a meeting 
     
     will be held on a yearly basis so that more individual CNF members may attend and 
     
     participate in the work of both their regional organizations and of CNF. 
     
    
   
   
    
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     Chief Atlantic Region Environmental Concerns as Identified by Panelists and Speakers 
     
    
   
   
    
     1. impacts of forestry (clear cutting, fire, pests, nutrient transport) 
     
    

    
     2. long range transport of air pollutants (acid rain plus other toxic chemicals) 
     
    

    
     3. marine environmental quality (offshore oil and gas, pollutants, seabird effects) 
     
    

    
     4. marine resources (depletion of fish stocks, broader ecological implications of 
     
     exploitation, by-catch of rare species) 
     
    

    
     5. ecological reserves (lack of action, some habitats under represented) 
     
    

    
     6. hazardous waste disposal (present methods illegal, not-in-my—backyard syndrome) 
     
    

    
     7. energy (implications of tidal, coal, nuclear, hydro; conservation) 
     
    

    
     8. coal mining (loss of land, pollution, acid mine drainage, effects of no scrubbers) 
     
    

    
     9. pesticide use and regulation (screening and licensing, culling of most dangerous) 
     
    

    
     0. mining developments (tin near Yarmouth, uranium elsewhere in N 8., lead near 
     
     Bathurst; concern with wastes) . 
     
    

    
     11. loss of public concern for environmental matters and getting information to ‘ 
     
     affected members of the public 
     
    

    
     12. current total state of the environment 
     
    
   
   
    
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