Province Adds To Crown Lands

The province of Nova Scotia is adding more than 40 thousand acres of woodlands to its Crown land portfolio.

Natural Resources Minister Richard Hurlburt announced today, March 1, that an agreement has been reached to purchase about 41,400 acres in northern Hants County from MacTara Limited of Upper Musquodoboit, Halifax Co.

"Opportunities to purchase blocks of land such as this are rare," said Mr. Hurlburt. "Three-quarters of our land mass is privately owned and only about 25 per cent is owned by the Crown, so we welcome this opportunity to secure these lands for the province."

The purchase will enable the Department of Natural Resources to consolidate lands in the area currently owned by the province, to identify and secure potential wetlands and to expand the Crown land base overall.

The province will pay $14 million or about $338 per acre. It will be funded under the current 2003-04 budget through the province's Tangible Capital Asset program.

MacTara Limited has operated in Upper Musquodoboit as a wood processor since the mid-1960s.