There will be no spraying of herbicides like glyphosate on Crown land in the Turtle Creek Watershed this year, according to the City of Moncton.
Director of Environmental Planning and Management Elaine Aucoin says last year, they asked the government to stop spraying in the watershed.
Aucoin says they were informed this week the spraying would not go ahead – but the government didn’t specify why.
“It could be a combination of reasons, it could be because they don’t spray every year, maybe the lands weren’t due to be sprayed,” says Aucoin. “So they didn’t provide any justification or reasoning as to why, I just know that it’s not going to happen this summer.”
She says that doesn’t mean the issue is settled for good.
“There’s no guarantee it will not happen in upcoming years, they are, however, looking at the Crown land within the watershed to see if there’s opportunities for different areas being identified as conservation land,” says Aucoin.
She adds a working group was created last year after they made their request, following significant public outcry about the spraying.
“So I had met with them last year, and I will meet again with them in the fall to get an update on what they’ve been looking at, and hopefully an update on the forest management plan that they’re working on,” says Aucoin.
She adds the province does four year forest management plans, and they are currently working on the next iteration to cover 2019-2024.
