Conservancy group to protect one of last Acadian forests in Maritimes

WATCH: A plan to protect a stand of old growth Acadian forest was unveiled in southeastern New Brunswick on Tuesday. Todd Veinotte has the story – May 15, 2018

A large stretch of land containing one of the last remaining Acadian forests in the Maritimes is getting special protections in southeastern New Brunswick.

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The Nature Conservancy of Canada says it partnered with the Village of Riverside-Albert to buy and conserve 132 hectares of forest, with help from the federal and New Brunswick governments.

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The group says the acquisition will also protect the water reservoirs and water supply for the 300 residents of Riverside-Albert.

The property between the Caledonia Gorge Provincial Protected Natural Area and the Village of Riverside-Albert features 32 species of trees, including red spruce, sugar maple, red maple and yellow birch – with the majority being more than 80 years old.

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The group says it prioritized the property because less than five per cent of mature Acadian forest – the original type of forest in the Maritimes – remains intact due to centuries of settlement and harvesting.

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Two species on or near the property – the chimney swift and the eastern wood-pewee – are listed under the Species at Risk Act.

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