The Restigouche Wilderness Waterway needs you!

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – NB Chapter (CPAWS NB) and our local partners have been working for the protection of nature in the Restigouche River Watershed for over 15 years. It is important that the natural areas in Restigouche continue to conserve the diversity of wild habitats and wildlife across the entire watershed (in New Brunswick and Quebec). Currently, only 3% of the watershed is protected from industrial development. With increased protection, nature within the Restigouche will support vibrant human communities and sustainable forest and river-based jobs, while also helping to protect our communities from flooding and drought.

CPAWS NB and ecotourism companies in the area are interested in the potential for a wilderness waterway park to help conserve nature along parts of the Restigouche River and its main branches, the Kedgwick, Upsalquitch and Patapedia. If governments give the park the right kinds of protection, it could also be part of New Brunswick’s contribution to the nation-wide Pathway to Canada Target 1 (2020) protected areas targets.

The federal government has committed to protecting 17% of land and freshwater by 2020, on the way to 25% by 2025 and 30% by 2030. This will help protect Canada’s natural heritage, but meeting these targets will require a lot of work in a relatively short time. We are thrilled at the prospect that part of the Restigouche Wilderness Waterway could count towards meeting the country’s ambitious conservation targets!

The provincial government has begun a public consultation process for a Restigouche Wilderness Waterway Park. This is a great step forward, but we need to make sure the creation of this park truly protects the nature and culture that makes Restigouche special. It’s also important that the government builds a trusting and cooperative relationship with Indigenous peoples, so their rights and interests are included from the beginning.

Please send a letter to let the government know what you think should be the top priorities for the Restigouche Wilderness Waterway. We’ve made it easy by drafting the letter below but feel free to add your own thoughts as well.
Your letter will be sent to your Member of Legislative Assembly and copied to the Minister of Tourism, Heritage and Culture, and the Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Development.

Dear {contact_data~salutation},

As a friend and supporter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, I want to offer my enthusiastic support for the provincial government taking steps to legally protect the Restigouche Wilderness Waterway Park. The Restigouche River is one of New Brunswick’s most remarkable wild waterways and deserves to be protected for generations to come.

I believe that the Restigouche Wilderness Waterway park should:

- protect the Restigouche from development and industrial activity. There should be no mining, forestry, new roads or built development allowed in the wilderness waterway on Crown lands;
- have a wide, protected corridor of at least 250 meters on either side of the rivers, including the Crown land along the Restigouche, the Kedgwick, the Upsalquitch and the Patapedia Rivers, and should be linked to permanent protected areas and parks;
- include wider protection, beyond the 250 meters, where it’s needed to conserve special features or ecologically significant areas (steep areas, significant wetlands, view-scapes);
- include Indigenous peoples’ conservation goals, such as a “two-eyed seeing” approach, to combine Indigenous Knowledge with Western science 
- place a priority on non-motorized, self-propelled recreation 
- adopt a co-stewardship model of governance where the government of New Brunswick and Indigenous peoples manage the park together.

Kind regards,
{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}

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