IRM Data (DNR)

The Integrated Resource Management (IRM) data of the Nova Scotia Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) is a crucial source of information for modelling potential and the client would like
this evaluated as a source of data to be integrated with /into the final model. The rationale for this was
that the IRM data was a co-operative provincial land classification or valuation system and since the
required model was aimed towards tourism potential on crown lands then this information must be
assessed and integrated into the final project. The IRM process was developed by the Department of
Natural Resources essentially in response to pressures for the protection of crown land.134 Prior to the
IRM system, crown lands were classified in one category with forestry freehold land being the norm,
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with provincial parks being the major exception to this class. Some of the push for the new
integrated system of crown land classification came from the Parks Division of DNR which wanted a
better classification system in response to international pressures for protected areas of crown land
within Nova Scotia. Due to this need to designate and manage protected areas, the IRM system was
developed. Crown lands under the Integrated Resource Management falls into three land classification
categories: C1 (General Resource Use), C2 (Multiple and Adaptive Resource Use), and C3 (Protected
and Limited Use-the category where most of crown lands fall). The IRM system did effectively
develop from the need to protect these C3 lands.136
The IRM data breaks land into three classes (C1, C2, C3), and into a further subclass system
that uses letters of the alphabet to determine opportunities for crown lands. The vital subclass values
for the IRM data of the study area are C (significant wildlife habitats), D (significant wetlands), E (old
growth forest), F (beaches), G (lands with recreation/trail development potential), H (outstanding
scenery/viewplanes), J (shoreline access), and L (non-designated sites of ecological significance).
These values match those mentioned by the client quite closely with significant wildlife habitats,
beaches, recreation/trail development-hiking corridors, shoreline access-coastal access, and areas of
outstanding scenery/viewplanes, all matching values highlighted as being vital according to the client.
Those IRM subclasses mentioned that do not match the tourism values from the client tender,
significant wetlands, old growth forests, and non-designated sites of ecological significance do not
necessarily show tourism potential but are still important. These three types of lands are
environmentally sensitive, with wetlands being very vulnerable to damage due to increased use. By
addressing these three environmentally sensitive classes of land the model will be more accurate and
will protect these areas by buffering them and steering development away from them to more suitable
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and resilient locations within the study area.
The first IRM category was C1 (General Resource Use) where DNR policies on forestry,
mining activities, etc. say that “Crown Lands assigned to this category will be available for the range
of resource uses, and include lands for which a low level of conflict among competing uses is
anticipated. Lands will be managed in accordance with provincial acts, policies and commitments
ensuring that provincial environmental standards are met, that biodiversity is maintained, and resource
development is carried out according to the principles of sustainability.”138 Although these lands are
generally for resource use, other uses are allowed within special C1 management sites, as well as
recreation trails, old forest areas, wildlife habitats, and sensitive river habitats.139 Recreation was
allowed but must not compete with the primary objective of this class which is resource use.
The second IRM land classification was C2 (Multiple and Adaptive Resource Use) and lands
that have conflicting values for resource and land use are assigned to this category. Land in this
category, however does have outstanding scenic, natural, and recreation value.140 Harvesting of trees
can occur but there are more management restrictions placed on activities on these class of lands.
Lands in C2 can support extraction activities, but there is often a special circumstance which requires
more restrictions on resource-based activities. These restrictions often take the form of special
environmental hazards such as the presence within these areas of significant wetlands that must be
protected, and resource activity like forestry must be modified to ensure the existence of another
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resource activity like mining.
“Within this category of lands, the full range of land/resource uses
may be permitted, but they must be planned in such a way as to protect the integrity of predominant
values which may be impacted by other uses.”142 In recognition of the special concerns within C2
lands there was a requirement that there must be a 20 metre buffer on all watercourses within crown
lands. This regulation was a move to help protect those C2 lands that have specific wetland and
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habitat restrictions placed on them, the key factor that separates C2 from C1 resource lands.
C2 lands provide opportunities for recreation that are not typically found in C1 lands, but
there are competing uses present between resource and recreation. Logging companies generally have
the priority on C2 lands but recreation is allowed and activities like hiking, snowmobile trails and, in
Annapolis and Kings Counties, there are also canoe portages included.144
The range of land uses within the C2 category was broader as wilderness management areas,
community water supply areas, significant wetlands, sites of outstanding scenic, cultural, recreational,
and natural value not in C3, and others can exist here. C2 seems to have the greatest variety of
permitted uses with significant amounts of mixed land uses occurring as opposed to the primarily sole
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focus of C1 on resource use and C3 on protected areas.
C3 (Protected and Limited Use) was the final Integrated Resource Management land use
category and besides being the one that helped initiate the IRM process it currently takes up the
largest number of crown land parcels within the entire IRM system. Whereas, the Integrated Resource
Management program ultimately falls under the jurisdiction of the Nova Scotia Department of Natural
Resources the C3 crown lands are an exception. As the primary focus was protection of significant
lands this category falls under the management apparatus of the Nova Scotia Department of
Environment and Labour. The level of restriction on activities was highest in this category. This
category includes lands that are specifically allocated to special uses and where other resource
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activities may be limited, modified, or denied.
This IRM data consists of polygon coverages of the three classes of land, C1, C2, and C3, in
E00 format with DNR MTM coordinates.147 The data comprising the IRM data was created, largely,
one block of property at a time and was digitized from previously existing information on wetlands
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and other features.
In terms of review, the crown lands within the Integrated Resource Management
must go through a multi-step review process that assesses the classification of the crown lands from
different departmental viewpoints. This more collaborative process with department integration helps
ensure a classification system that is the least intrusive and most complementary method possible.
This process of classification includes four major inter-department players that must be consulted in
order to place land in the appropriate category: the Department of Natural Resources geologist, their
biologist, their recreation planner, and finally the Integrated Resource Management administrator.
This administrator is the last person in the process and for the western region this would be Leif
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Helmer at the Department of Environment and Labour office in Bridgewater.
This Integrated
Resource Management data was useful for determining tourism/recreation potential within the study
area. This was because part of the IRM classification system involved the identification of crown land
which possessed a high recreation potential for certain activities like canoeing, hiking, etc. Within the
western region of Nova Scotia, including Annapolis and Kings Counties, there was an identified
recreation potential for some areas based on the presence of interconnecting waterways and lakes
which provided opportunities for wilderness travel, beaches, islands, and natural scenic land areas.
Potential could also be realized from abandoned rail lines in the area. “Provincially owned abandoned
rail line corridors present exciting opportunities for recreation, tourism, and community development
through the establishment of high quality public trails.” Identified sites of ecological significance and
protected areas within the Integrated Resource Management data also offer potential for tourism
within the region.
Protected areas “provide opportunities for wilderness recreation.” Regional protected areas
identified as being C3 lands within the IRM data do have wilderness tourism potential but these lands
have very strict restrictions in place and activities must be of very low impact such as hiking and
canoeing. The protected areas of Cloud Lake, Annapolis County is one such protected area within the
IRM and within it “wilderness travel opportunities are strong because of a series of interconnected
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lakes and streams. There is a tradition of heavy, mostly local, recreation use.”
The Integrated Resource Management system of crown land classification does have its
obvious benefits for modelling of tourism potential, however no system of assessing the value and
potential of crown lands or any land can be without problems as the value of land can be somewhat
subjective and personal. The major criticism of the Integrated Resource Management information as
both a hardcopy/digital data source and a land management system was that its evaluation techniques
were debatable and there was much confusion by the public over how land was valued and what can
occur within the three land classifications and, in some cases, what the differences are between each
category. Many problems encountered were voiced by citizens during the public participation process
that occurred during the development of the IRM program. Initial concerns were voiced by TIANS
(Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia) which has a mandate to foster tourism growth while
balancing this duty with the demands this growth places on the natural environment. From their
viewpoint they feel that the IRM plan was flawed and want a moratorium for sites identified by the
N.S. Public Lands Commission.151 The C2 category (Multiple and Adaptive Resource Use) was
confusing to many as to what activities can and can not occur within its limits and special areas like
Gully Lake are not reflected within the process. The First Nations peoples also felt that this system
ignored them by letting land abuses continue that affect the in-land and saltwater fishery. They also
felt it reflected the status quo, and the IRM C3 (Protected and Limited Use) category was very
confusing. The First Nations were unsure if they could even fish or use outboard motors within this
class of lands. Lastly, there were concerns or problems in terms of conservation land. Citizens
wondered why the Shelburne Barrens were in C3 while the Chebucto peninsula was in C1 and C2
where resource extraction is allowed. There was concern that IRM planners were not aware of the
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Chebucto peninsula having municipal conservation zoning status.
The IRM system was an attempt at the provincial level to manage crown lands, help minimize
land use conflicts, and classify these lands so as to maximize their potential. The process makes
specific mention of lands within the three category classification system that have high recreational
potential, however it should be noted that although these lands are classed accordingly by the
department, the primary focus of the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is
resource related management. The department does make efforts aimed at protecting sensitive areas,
and providing land for recreation opportunities, however their main mandate remains the management
of crown lands for resource extraction be it forestry or mineral extraction.
Despite problems with the Integrated Resource Management data produced by the
Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources this data still provides useful information on crown
lands that have high tourism or recreation potential. Within the study area, there are several areas of
potential that are worth highlighting as they will help develop the tourism potential model. During the
classification process there was a DNR parks planner involved who reviewed crown lands before they
were classified. Because of this, there have been several areas within the IRM data for the
Annapolis/Kings study area that have been identified as having high recreation or tourism potential.
These identified areas are for non-motorized and low impact recreation/tourist activities much the
same as those that have already been mentioned as potential nature tourism activities. There are
thirteen such areas within Annapolis County and thirteen within Kings County. Through the assistance
of Brian Kinsman, a parks planner for DNR in Truro, the areas of IRM classified crown lands with
high recreational value have been limited to a few examples. The IRM data scale is 1:50,000 meaning
that is a common scale and it can be easily integrated with other data such as the topographic. These
areas could be quite useful in terms of modelling. For Annapolis County these areas are the Upper
Clements West Park Reserve (park reserve, Annapolis Basin access, adjacent to former rail corridor,
ie. trail potential), West Paradise (two crown land parcels with Annapolis River frontage, good
scenery, and trail potential), the Upper Clements Wildlife Park (a large land base with wildlife viewing
opportunties and hiking trails), Big Molly Upsum (a large block of crown land, extensive river/lake
frontage, highly scenic area, and abandoned rail corridor with trail potential),and the biggest parcel the
Anna-King Block (a large area, extensive water frontage, adjacent to the Cloud Lake Wilderness Area,
and possessing highly scenic areas).153 Similarly, Kings County also has a number of areas of high
recreational potential that would be suited to modelling efforts. These Kings County areas are
Blomidon Provincial Park (a large region with camping facilities and services, shoreline access for
boating, scenic viewplanes, and hiking possiblities), Cloud Lake Wilderness Area (a large land base,
wilderness area with hiking, canoeing, camping, and scenic view opportunities), and the Anna-King
Block (a large block of crown land in Kings with high scenic potential and water access).154
The IRM process treats lands with recreation or tourism potential as a factor to be planned for but not
their primary focus. Further information on the Integrated Resource Management data can be found in
both appendix A and B of this report.