‘Stay out of the woods’: Nova Scotia bans forest activities amid dry spell

CITYnews halifax / By Mark Hodgins

The Nova Scotia government introduced restrictions on activities in forests amid “tinder dry” conditions across the province.

Premier Tim Houston said travel and recreational activities in the woods will not be allowed after 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

“We are restricting travel and activities that really aren’t necessary for most of us,” he said. “Hiking, camping, fishing and the use of vehicles in the woods are not permitted. Trail systems through woods are off limits.”

Camping will only be allowed at official campgrounds.

Officials say briefings from Environment Canada show little rain in the forecast for the province in the coming weeks.

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“It’s incredibly dry out there right now, and the fires we are seeing right now are burning deep into the ground. Only a significant amount of rain will change these conditions for Nova Scotia,” Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources, explained at a press conference.

Rushton also noted that many Nova Scotians make their living in the woods, and the government will issue permits for operations on Crown lands. Work times may change to nighttime, he said.

The restrictions are the same as what were implemented in the summer of 2023 when large wildfires were impacting the Tantallon and Shelburne areas.

“I know it’s the height of summer vacation and people want to do all the activities that we enjoy,” Houston said. “But we have to stay out of the woods. It’s a small price to pay to avoid the devastation that we saw from wildfires in 2023.”

The province implemented a full burn ban amid the dry conditions last week, with a fine of $25,000 for violating the ban. That same fine applies to the new ban on activities in the woods.

Nova Scotia has been dry for months

In June, Environment Canada took stock of how dry it was getting across Atlantic Canada, specifically saying that Nova Scotia received less than 85 per cent of normal precipitation.

“Precipitation for the rest of the month was inconsistent, leaving several regions with precipitation deficits by the end of the month; this included the Halifax region, reporting their ninth driest record on June with only 57 per cent of their normal monthly precipitation,” the report reads.

This foundation has given way to increasing worry over wildfires and tightening restrictions on burn bans, which will be in place until the end of the wildfire season or until conditions improve enough.

The premier also asks smokers to be vigilant when disposing of cigarettes, given the dry conditions.