The Ecology Action Centre wants the provincial government to impose a five-year moratorium on burning newly cut forest biomass for electricity.
Jamie Simpson, the forestry program co-ordinator with the Halifax centre, said more study is needed to determine the effect of taking up to a million tonnes of material from forests for use as a designated renewable energy source.
Calling biomass renewable means it counts toward provincial green energy targets.
Simpson said the centre is not opposed to biomass burning that is already taking place, such as sawmills using sawdust and bark from their products to generate electricity.
But it doesn’t want any new cutting of underused or low-value trees only for energy production.
"We think (we should be) taking a step back and taking some time to see if we really want to use it as a renewable energy source, and how much," Simpson said.
The centre believes taking more material from the forests will destroy habitat for birds and animals and affect fish because rivers and streams will lose shade and be affected by runoff and siltation caused by clearing trees and brush. It wants more time spent looking at real green energy, such as wind, solar and geothermal options.
Natural Resources Minister John MacDonell said he hopes to develop new rules that help control the effects of clearcutting.
"I don’t take their concern lightly," MacDonell said, referring to the Ecology Action Centre’s position. "They make a good point because without a change in policy, there is really nothing that restricts clearcutting in the province other than our regulations, code of practices for leaving stream buffers, wildlife clumps, a certain amount of coarse, woody debris and, I think, a regulation that prevents it on steep inclines."
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