WOODSTOCK, N.B. – New Brunswick isn’t short on stunning views and picturesque trails but the Meduxnekeag River Valley really does have a one-of-a-kind shoreline.
Of the original Appalachian hardwood forest in the province, only one per cent is left. The hardwood forest has been cleared for decades along the river valley for agriculture, and lately, for housing and developments.
It means a loss of over 30 provincially rare plants, erosion of shorelines, and fewer homes for animals in the area.
Now, the Meduxnekeag River Association has partnered with the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the federal government to purchase 45 acres of land. They plan to grow a tree nursery – taking the white ash, butternut, and ironwood that grow in the valley and help repopulate what’s been removed.
“We take great pride in being able to be involved in that, to have a coordinating role in that, to essentially protect these areas for future generations,” said Simon Mitchell, a member of the association.
Mitchell and the association have been working for 15 years, buying up small parcels of land in the area outside of Woodstock.
But with a little help from the federal government – and $130,000 from the National Conservation Plan – they were able to purchase two properties, making the area around Jackson Falls the largest contiguous conservation site in the Maritimes.
Mike Allen, MP for Tobique-Mactaquac, says there may be more funds coming to New Brunswick for conservation, as groups like the NCC keep working around the province.
“It’s really exciting, because you know that the work’s not done, and today is just another step in a journey.”
Comments