Forests Panel Of Expertise
Hello Ms Crossland, Mr Porter, and Mr Bancroft:
It is our pleasure to submit to your panel the following comments for consideration in Phase Two of the Natural Resources Strategy Review. We will introduce our organization, the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association (NSWOOA), give you a general overview of our philosophy and orientation towards use of our forests, and conclude with some specific recommendations for improvements in forestry policy and practice in this province.
Our Association
The Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association is the oldest independent organized group of woodlot owners and operators (small contractors) in the province. Our mission is to support woodlot owners and operators in sustainable forestry through education, demonstration, marketing, and cooperation. Truly sustainable forestry means that all values of our woodlands - ecological, social, cultural, and economic - must be preserved for future generations.
In our opinion, the NSWOOA can be differentiated from other forestry organizations in Nova Scotia by our firm belief that truly sustainable forest use can be realised only through maintenance of ecological health and integrity. Ecological integrity (completeness) is the foundation which will yield social, cultural, and economic benefits for human communities. To compromise ecological integrity for short term considerations will impact forest use by future generations in, most likely, a negative manner. In consequence, the NSWOOA vigorously promotes ecological education and awareness amongst its members and all woodlot owners and operators in Nova Scotia.
The rationale for an ecological foundation for sustainable forest use
The unique and geographically limited Acadian Forest evolved over twelve thousand years under a set of climatic, biological, and geological conditions. Adaptation and natural selection operated to produce a forest type that is very productive (ecologically), adapted to the natural disturbance regime, and extremely resilient and stable over long periods of time. (This is a useful concept of "forest health", and contrasts, for example, to a layman's definition of health as a forest with tall trees and no dead wood standing or on the ground, and everything is pretty as a park.) The overlapping and interconnected definitions of the terms "stability", "integrity", "health", and "productivity" is perhaps underestimated by forest practioners in Nova Scotia.
Forest policy and practice must accept the premise that a forest must reinvest a portion of the annual (or periodic) net primary productivity of the ecosystem (from the parent material of the soil to the tallest tree tops) in order to maintain the natural level of health, stability, and production of that forest ecosystem. Yes, we can, and do, intervene silviculturally to influence forest production in a manner that increases the benefits to our society. However, if the intensity or method of those interventions act negatively on the web of life that underpins ecosystem productivity, we begin to lose the integrity of our forest. It may or may not be a long time before impaired forest production is obvious. A particularly difficult problem for us is the relatively short timeframe of human lifespans relative to the natural cycles of the Acadian Forest.
Exploitation of the forests of Nova Scotia over the past 500 years has dramatically changed our forest landscapes. Forest stability, health, and therefore, productivity have declined. Forest practice is moving ever faster to higher levels of fibre utilization, expansive operations, and shorter rotations. Expensive (in terms of capital and energy) silvicultural interventions are being used to mitigate natural productivity rates which are falling fast. Ecosystem alteration and simplification compound the issue through ever-greater disruption of the webs of lifeforms which give the forest its vitality. The evidence to support this can be found throughout our forests - we simply have difficulty (or a lack of desire) to interpret the evidence which is available. As for modern science, there is a notable lack of peer-reviewed, reputable research that supports the concept that short-rotation, high-utilization, evenaged forestry is ecologically or economically appropriate to maintain health and productivity in the Acadian Forest.
What is appropriate forest practice for Nova Scotia?
Forest practice should emulate the natural disturbance regime under which the Acadian Forest evolved. This will ensure that we affordably maintain, for ourselves and future generations, forest stability, health, and the consequent yield of forest values, ecosystem services, and timber. Unevenaged management over long rotations, with emphasis on growing high quality stems of our long-lived, most valuable species, offers the best opportunity to realize timber value while restoring forest health to a more natural (and desired) level. Unevenaged management should be mandated on the Crown lands of the province (because they should be held forth as models), and should be vigorously promoted on small private woodlots (because they are usually most accessible and of better than average site quality). Industrial landholdings subjected to economic constraints due to size and accessibility, should be managed, if not truly as unevenaged, on long rotations with allowance for adequate reinvestment of biomass into the ecosystem (coarse wood debris, abundant legacy trees and appropriate clumps, corridors, and wide riparian strips).
The prescription given above is very general, and is so intended to be. Within the concept of maintaining ecological integrity, a wide range of activity is possible, and indeed is necessary, given the vast array of forest conditions found throughout the province. The NSWOOA supports the right of landowners to make decisions pertaining to use of their land. However, we also emphasize the social responsibilities that accompany private ownership of land resources. It is incumbent on makers of public policy that appropriate forest philosophy and practice is well-communicated to landowners and the public alike. A sincere, concerted effort by government to increase the ecological awareness and understanding of woodlot owners and the general public would pay large social dividends as we begin to deal with expensive energy and excessive carbon in our atmosphere.
What is the role of biomass in our forest sector?
There is currently a poor definition of biomass commonly held throughout the forest sector. Biomass, of course, is all organic material found within the forest ecosystem. Each potential user has a unique definition of what is intended to constitute biomass. This can lead to confusion and misunderstanding, and an attempt should be made to better describe forest plant material.
The NSWOOA takes the position that the level of fibre utilization has increased to the point where insufficient biomass remains on harvested sites to maintain site health and productivity. It makes sense to take a precautionary approach and reduce utilization standards. As a starting point, green stemwood only should be harvested, with a minimum top diameter limit of 10 cm. This leaves ecologically important but economically-low value material on the site to maintain forest health. In the absence of solid scientific evidence supporting the practice, no removal of harvest residues should be allowed on Crown Lands, or encouraged through industrial development programs on other land tenures.
Public support of renewable energy initiatives and industrial development must proceed cautiously. Our forests have a limited capacity to yield fibre on a sustainable basis. We have probably already exceeded that limit. New users of woody material will ultimately compete with current users for the same volume of available resource. The market will determine how the fibre is put to its highest value use. New biomass-fuelled facilities will displace current users. The only way to delay that is to overharvest our forest resource, and that is economically, socially, and ecologically unacceptable.
What role shall our forests play in atmospheric carbon reduction?
There is much talk of late of the potential of "Carbon Capture and Storage" as a partial solution to climate changes brought on by excessive carbon emissions of industrial societies. On investigation, however, CCS is unproven technology, exceedingly expensive, and futuristic at best. Nevertheless, billions of public dollars will be spent in related research. On the other hand, forests capture and store carbon every minute of every day, year after year, at no cost to society whatsoever. If ever (and it will happen) Canada institutes caps on carbon emissions, the function of forests as carbon sinks will radically change the economic parameters of all industries which use forest-based resources.
Small private woodlot owners in Nova Scotia will be well placed to take advantage of this development. The Acadian Forest will be managed on an unevenaged basis, producing low volumes of high value wood, while low value wood enters the carbon sink, now an economic forest product, and at the same time improving forest health, stability, and productivity. A great positive feedback loop, at a time when we most need such a thing.
Forest policy in Nova Scotia should facilitate an effort to dispel the myths which surround the subject of forest carbon sinks, and prepare the way for the owners of fifty percent of provincial woodland to finally benefit financially from the production of an ecosystem service so badly needed by society.
How can public policy help small woodlot owners?
The NSWOOA recommends the formation of a Woodlot Investment Fund which would provide support for woodlot owner education initiatives and investment support for woodlot infrastructure. An example would be the purchase of future timber cutting rights so that owners needing to access the financial value of a woodlot today need not harvest immature timber. Modification of the Forest Sustainability Regulations to give woodlot owners some measure of control of the program would be helpful, and would help restore the devastated NS silviculture industry.
The small private woodlot sector can be best promoted by public policy which recognizes the real contribution of the woodlots to our communities' social and cultural fabric and to local and provincial economies.
On behalf of the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association, I thank you for affording us the opportunity for input into the Strategy Review process.
Sincerely,
Wade Prest
Mooseland, NS
902-772-2211
NSWOOA field day in Pictou County cancelled
Due to an illness in the family, a Sept. 19 woodlot field day in Pictou County to have been hosted by Lloyd and Marlene Langille, has been cancelled.
Current plans call for the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators-sponsored event to be held next fall at the Langille’s woodlot.
George Johnson, chair of the NSWOOA field day committee, said members had been excited about the opportunity to showcase the Langille woodlot, located in Marshdale, near New Glasgow. The 130-acre mixed woodlot has been profitably managed for over 40 years without the need of government assistance.
Mr. Johnson thanked the Langilles for their hard work in making preparations, those who had agreed to be presenters and others who had planned to participate.
Current plans call for the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators-sponsored event to be held next fall at the Langille’s woodlot.
George Johnson, chair of the NSWOOA field day committee, said members had been excited about the opportunity to showcase the Langille woodlot, located in Marshdale, near New Glasgow. The 130-acre mixed woodlot has been profitably managed for over 40 years without the need of government assistance.
Mr. Johnson thanked the Langilles for their hard work in making preparations, those who had agreed to be presenters and others who had planned to participate.
NSWOOA Update 26
August 12, 2009
www.nswooa.ca
nswooa@gmail.com
902 633-2108
In this issue:
NSWOOA Field Day
Marc Chisholm takes over as member services coordinator
An idea for biomass
What one man would say to the Minister
How to reach us
Hello Woodlot Owners!
NSWOOA September 19 Field Day News
It looks like it will be a six-stop tour at this year’s Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association’s field day on Saturday, Sept. 19, in Pictou County.
Lloyd and Marlene Langille of the Hopewell area, near New Glasgow, will host the event at their 130-acre mixed woodlot.
The day will include practical examples of woodland stewardship, conservation, biodiversity and log sawing.
The event will feature local food for lunch and horse and wagon rides to different parts of the woodlot.
The working agenda for the day includes the following sites and likely presenters:
1. At an oldfield White spruce site, which is a common stand type on Nova Scotia woodlots, forestry consultants Patricia Amero or Sandy Hyde will show how these sites revert back to a natural forest.
2. Harvest selection: An area of trees will be marked by forestry consultants Tom Miller or Matthew Miller to help illustrate which trees should be cut and which should be left to grow, and how this can vary depending on the landowner’s values and objectives.
3. A blown-down tree with its roots and soil exposed will be used by soil specialist Kevin Keyes to illustrate the importance of soil biology, particularly in terms of site productivity and ecosystem health.
4. John Brazner, wetland and water specialist for Nova Scotia Environment, will talk about the value of wetlands and listen to comments or concerns and answer questions about a draft provincial wetland policy.
5. At an old forest site, wildlife biologist Bob Bancroft and Billy MacDonald of the Friends of the Redtail Society will discuss the importance of conservation and biodiversity. Bob is involved in a dispute with provincial government officials over their failure to enforce existing land and water regulations. Billy will speak about the nonprofit group’s efforts to raise funds to prevent a large parcel of land, some of which is old forest, from being clearcut.
6. A working portable sawmill will be run by Rodney Spencer, who has set up his Woodmizer sawmill in barnyards, fields, building lots and woodlot landing areas, ready to turn logs into lumber for his customers. He’ll show people how lumber is sawn and explain what’s involved in the process.
All in all, should be an excellent field day. The board of the NSWOOA invites anyone interested to make plans to attend and enjoy a day in the woods.
Precise directions to the woodlot will be sent out to readers via emails in early September.
For further information, please contact NSWOOA board members or send an email to nswooa@gmail.com.
A Thank You Card
On behalf of the Board and members of the NSWOOA, the NSWOOA Update wishes to thank Flora Johnson for her many efforts on our behalf. Over the past several years Flora has industriously prepared and sent our newsletters, written promotional materials, managed our database and our website, edited the Update, and been the contact person on many issues, to many a few of her duties. Flora leaves her position with some high standards to aim for and some very big shoes to learn to fill. Talk about multi-tasking!
At the April Annual General meeting, Flora was presented with a plaque in appreciation of her work on our behalf, well-earned recognition for a tremendous contribution.
New Member Services Coordinator
NSWOOA Board Member Marc Chisholm has taken over as NSWOOA Member Services Coordinator. We thank Marc for taking on this important job. If you have questions about your membership, call Marc at 902-476-0565.
Big Ideas
Chronicle Herald readers will recall an article on hybrid trees in the Sunday Herald early in July. The article read like an advertisement for the new tree, which is described as growing 10-20 feet per year in Zone 6 or higher. If you click on empresssplendorcanada.com, the website will tell you that it will grow from the stump up to seven times, and show you some pictures. There certainly is an argument that we should not be introducing even sterile exotic trees into the Acadian Forest, but there is just the germ of an idea here too. Why not ask some of those big companies that want to burn biomass to look at some fast-growing trees species, and set up a program where they can grow their own biomass on some of the thousands of acres of abandoned farmland in Nova Scotia? There can’t be too much wrong with requiring biomass users to grow their product before they harvest it.
One Man’s Say
(In response to our invitation for readers to tell us what they would tell the new Minister of Natural Resources, Dennis Kean has submitted this item. Here he impresses the reader with the length of time it takes to develop a functioning forest.)
I believe when thinking about the forests of Nova Scotia it is necessary to begin at the beginning. The beginning of the forest of Nova Scotia is the end of the last Ice Age, the retreat of the glaciers. Under all that ice there was no vegetation; I doubt if there was a single dormant seed. This ice covered the land to a great depth right to the water's edge. When the ice started to recede the ground was bare and subject to tremendous erosion. Any seed that happened to come to land would have been washed into the ocean. Coupled with this there would have been a constantly rising water level drowning any new vegetation.
Before any vegetation could be established we first had to have seeds. Where did they come from? Where did they first come ashore? It is possible that all our vegetation started somewhere south of Virginia and floated here, landing in Yarmouth and working its way north from there.
Therefore how old is our forest? How long did it take to grow the first real tree? There must have been a long period of transition from the bare ground to the stable land, protecting vegetation of the true forest, a forest of thick mosses and clean waters. These mosses play such a wonderful role in the forest it is impossible to imagine a forest without them, yet they are fragile, they disappear very quickly.
How close this clearcutting seems to me to the land after the glaciers. How hard a struggle, it seems to me, for the forest to return to its natural state after the destruction of these mosses.
How long must it be before a squirrel can bury an acorn to produce an oak tree? How long before the waters are properly filtered by those mosses so the brooks run clear? How long?
Lines of Communication
Members are encouraged to contact the Board of Directors, the Executive and other members through our email address (nswooa@gmail.com) or by phone (902-633-2108 or, for member services, 902-476-0565). Please feel free to use these methods to keep us informed of what is going on in your woodlot or in your community or area. We try to keep you informed through these updates, newsletters and mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and the website: http://www.nswooa.ca
l: outreach@asforestry.com
www.nswooa.ca
nswooa@gmail.com
902 633-2108
In this issue:
NSWOOA Field Day
Marc Chisholm takes over as member services coordinator
An idea for biomass
What one man would say to the Minister
How to reach us
Hello Woodlot Owners!
NSWOOA September 19 Field Day News
It looks like it will be a six-stop tour at this year’s Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association’s field day on Saturday, Sept. 19, in Pictou County.
Lloyd and Marlene Langille of the Hopewell area, near New Glasgow, will host the event at their 130-acre mixed woodlot.
The day will include practical examples of woodland stewardship, conservation, biodiversity and log sawing.
The event will feature local food for lunch and horse and wagon rides to different parts of the woodlot.
The working agenda for the day includes the following sites and likely presenters:
1. At an oldfield White spruce site, which is a common stand type on Nova Scotia woodlots, forestry consultants Patricia Amero or Sandy Hyde will show how these sites revert back to a natural forest.
2. Harvest selection: An area of trees will be marked by forestry consultants Tom Miller or Matthew Miller to help illustrate which trees should be cut and which should be left to grow, and how this can vary depending on the landowner’s values and objectives.
3. A blown-down tree with its roots and soil exposed will be used by soil specialist Kevin Keyes to illustrate the importance of soil biology, particularly in terms of site productivity and ecosystem health.
4. John Brazner, wetland and water specialist for Nova Scotia Environment, will talk about the value of wetlands and listen to comments or concerns and answer questions about a draft provincial wetland policy.
5. At an old forest site, wildlife biologist Bob Bancroft and Billy MacDonald of the Friends of the Redtail Society will discuss the importance of conservation and biodiversity. Bob is involved in a dispute with provincial government officials over their failure to enforce existing land and water regulations. Billy will speak about the nonprofit group’s efforts to raise funds to prevent a large parcel of land, some of which is old forest, from being clearcut.
6. A working portable sawmill will be run by Rodney Spencer, who has set up his Woodmizer sawmill in barnyards, fields, building lots and woodlot landing areas, ready to turn logs into lumber for his customers. He’ll show people how lumber is sawn and explain what’s involved in the process.
All in all, should be an excellent field day. The board of the NSWOOA invites anyone interested to make plans to attend and enjoy a day in the woods.
Precise directions to the woodlot will be sent out to readers via emails in early September.
For further information, please contact NSWOOA board members or send an email to nswooa@gmail.com.
A Thank You Card
On behalf of the Board and members of the NSWOOA, the NSWOOA Update wishes to thank Flora Johnson for her many efforts on our behalf. Over the past several years Flora has industriously prepared and sent our newsletters, written promotional materials, managed our database and our website, edited the Update, and been the contact person on many issues, to many a few of her duties. Flora leaves her position with some high standards to aim for and some very big shoes to learn to fill. Talk about multi-tasking!
At the April Annual General meeting, Flora was presented with a plaque in appreciation of her work on our behalf, well-earned recognition for a tremendous contribution.
New Member Services Coordinator
NSWOOA Board Member Marc Chisholm has taken over as NSWOOA Member Services Coordinator. We thank Marc for taking on this important job. If you have questions about your membership, call Marc at 902-476-0565.
Big Ideas
Chronicle Herald readers will recall an article on hybrid trees in the Sunday Herald early in July. The article read like an advertisement for the new tree, which is described as growing 10-20 feet per year in Zone 6 or higher. If you click on empresssplendorcanada.com, the website will tell you that it will grow from the stump up to seven times, and show you some pictures. There certainly is an argument that we should not be introducing even sterile exotic trees into the Acadian Forest, but there is just the germ of an idea here too. Why not ask some of those big companies that want to burn biomass to look at some fast-growing trees species, and set up a program where they can grow their own biomass on some of the thousands of acres of abandoned farmland in Nova Scotia? There can’t be too much wrong with requiring biomass users to grow their product before they harvest it.
One Man’s Say
(In response to our invitation for readers to tell us what they would tell the new Minister of Natural Resources, Dennis Kean has submitted this item. Here he impresses the reader with the length of time it takes to develop a functioning forest.)
I believe when thinking about the forests of Nova Scotia it is necessary to begin at the beginning. The beginning of the forest of Nova Scotia is the end of the last Ice Age, the retreat of the glaciers. Under all that ice there was no vegetation; I doubt if there was a single dormant seed. This ice covered the land to a great depth right to the water's edge. When the ice started to recede the ground was bare and subject to tremendous erosion. Any seed that happened to come to land would have been washed into the ocean. Coupled with this there would have been a constantly rising water level drowning any new vegetation.
Before any vegetation could be established we first had to have seeds. Where did they come from? Where did they first come ashore? It is possible that all our vegetation started somewhere south of Virginia and floated here, landing in Yarmouth and working its way north from there.
Therefore how old is our forest? How long did it take to grow the first real tree? There must have been a long period of transition from the bare ground to the stable land, protecting vegetation of the true forest, a forest of thick mosses and clean waters. These mosses play such a wonderful role in the forest it is impossible to imagine a forest without them, yet they are fragile, they disappear very quickly.
How close this clearcutting seems to me to the land after the glaciers. How hard a struggle, it seems to me, for the forest to return to its natural state after the destruction of these mosses.
How long must it be before a squirrel can bury an acorn to produce an oak tree? How long before the waters are properly filtered by those mosses so the brooks run clear? How long?
Lines of Communication
Members are encouraged to contact the Board of Directors, the Executive and other members through our email address (nswooa@gmail.com) or by phone (902-633-2108 or, for member services, 902-476-0565). Please feel free to use these methods to keep us informed of what is going on in your woodlot or in your community or area. We try to keep you informed through these updates, newsletters and mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and the website: http://www.nswooa.ca
l: outreach@asforestry.com
NSWOOA Update 25: July 2009
In this issue:
NSWOOA field day
Congratulations to the new minister of the Department of Natural Resources
Insect report from a NSWOOA member in the field
Sympathies
Comments on Acadian Forest restoration from Wade Prest
Uneven-aged management notes from Patricia Amero
How to reach us
Hello Woodlot Owners,
Well, the government has changed, “turned over” as they used to say. You, the reader, a woodlot owner, have received an invitation from the new Minister of Natural Resources to discuss the forestry industry. You know that Industry has well-prepared presentations and easy access to the minister. In preparation to the meeting, you make some notes on the present issues and opportunities.
You also know that contractors are going out of business, mills have been laying off workers or closing down. There is a great pressure for the new minister to boost forestry employment and to make changes that will make it easier and cheaper for large forest-based companies to operate profitably. The current pressure is to develop a biomass industry, and it is being sold as a “green” alternative. Large tracts of land are being sold off, possibly to foreign owners or to developers for non-forestry use. Nova Scotia is at the very bottom of the list for the number of jobs created per ton of timber harvested. What about climate change? Beetles? And the list goes on.
On the other side, DNR has recently put forth initiatives in multi-aged forest management, silviculture options, and certification. A review of forest policy has been under way, the first phase of which makes it very clear that there is a great deal of public interest in forestry, and a desire by the public to be involved in forestry-management decisions.
You will have half an hour. What will you advise the new minister?
Please let us know.
NSWOOA Field Day September 19, 2009
Woodlot of Marlene and Lloyd Langille
Hopewell Area, near New Glasgow
If you’re a landowner with a bog, swamp, marsh or other wetlands on your property, a mid-September field day in Pictou County will be of particular interest.
That’s because John Brazner, wetland and water specialist for Nova Scotia Environment, will be on hand to listen to comments or concerns and answer questions about a draft provincial wetland policy.
Mr. Brazner will be one of several presenters at a Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association field day on Saturday, Sept. 19. The event will be hosted by Lloyd and Marlene Langille of the Hopewell area, near New Glasgow.
Wetlands provide a wide range of ecosystem services, including cleaner drinking water, carbon storage, and wildlife habitat, often for rare or endangered species.
“For small woodlot owners . . . some of the key roles and services associated with wetlands include moderating the effects of large rains by storing water, stabilizing runoff and minimizing erosion and flooding,” said Mr. Brazner in an email interview.
“The policy will represent a commitment to managing Nova Scotia’s wetlands in a consistent manner and to balance the desire for maintaining a high level of wetland integrity for future generations with the current need for sustainable economic development in our communities,” said Mr. Brazner. “Ultimately, the policy is intended to prevent the net loss of Nova Scotia’s valuable wetlands.”
Mr. Brazner said that net loss doesn’t mean every wetland will be protected. He said government will continue to base project-development decisions on avoiding wetlands or requiring mitigation efforts or compensation when avoidance isn’t possible.
Developing a new wetland policy by the end of 2009 is a legislated commitment under the province’s Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act. There will be public consultation before a policy is finalized.
More details on the field day, which will feature local food for lunch and wagon rides to different parts of the woodlot, will be released over the summer. The event will be held on a 130-acre mixed woodlot where the Langilles have been harvesting annually for more than 40 years. They’ve done so mainly through selection harvesting—cutting trees singly or in small groups—so wood volume has been retained and cut areas are vigorous and healthy with natural regeneration.
Also on the field day
NSWOOA member Rodney Spencer has agreed to participate in the field day on the Langille woodlot by demonstrating his Wood-Mizer bandsaw. He will bring some jigs to show how woodlot owners can produce value-added products, such as siding for buildings, etc. Rodney is well known for his sawing services and has been featured in the Update in past issues.
Information on registration, times, and the agenda will follow in a future Update, as well as directions to the site. Please make an effort to attend, and bring as many woodlot owner neighbours and interested folk as possible.
For more information on the field day, please contact George Johnson, chair of the NSWOOA field day committee, at 897-3750 (cell) or by email.
Congratulations
The Board and members of the NSWOOA offer hearty congratulations to John MacDonnell on his recent appointment to the position of Minister of the Department of Natural Resources. John’s approach to the management of the forests and the forest industry may well be different from that of many of our past ministers, as he began his experiences with woodlots as a horse logger. We wish him well in his new position and look forward to working with him for the betterment of the forests and woodlot owners.
Wildlife Report
Actual correspondence from a NSWOOA member in the field/woods June 10 .
"The mosquitoes have basically joined in with the blackflies, and now horseflies are part of the mix. Let's not forget the ticks. It depends on where you are and what kind of woods you are in. The no-seeums should arrive soon. Thanks goodness for this cool, damp weather. Really!! "
Sympathies
The Board and members of the NSWOOA extend sincere sympathies to former NSWOOA president Tom Miller and his family on the passing of Tom’s father.
Something to Think About
Jamie Simpson’s book Restoring the Acadian Forest contains several interviews with woodlot owners who have been involved in the restoration struggle. One interview is with Wade Prest:
“Prest has seen a gradual decline in the value of woodlots in the Acadian Forest causing higher volume harvesting of low value wood. He believes this trend towards quantity over quality prevents woodlot owners from managing their woodlots the way they would like. Instead they are forced to compete with contractors harvesting wood fibre on sites that would otherwise be uneconomical to harvest. ‘This leads to the fact that the benefits of owning land are being taken out private ownership … and being transferred to big companies, and this is not good for the forests or society.’” (Page 106. Copies of this book are available from Jamie.)
UAM Notes: Using silviculture funding to help offset restoration costs, part two
By Patricia Amero, RPF
In the previous newsletter, I discussed the silviculture treatment of fill planting—particularly underplanting, a type of fill planting that involves planting desired species under partial tree canopy. For this issue, I will discuss how fill planting can be used together with selection management to help you offset the cost of restoration and improvement efforts.
Selection management is part of the silviculture funding Category 7, Forest Quality Improvement, of the province’s Forest Sustainability Regulations and is available through the Association for Sustainable Forestry’s silviculture program as well as various Registered Buyers’ silviculture programs. Selection management involves the periodic harvest of trees that will not improve in growth or quality by means of individual tree selection and/or harvesting small groups of trees through patch cuts of various sizes. The aim is to create growing space for various aged and sized trees that are vigorous and are of good quality, often referred to as crop trees, promoting their growth and quality development, producing high-value forest products, and encouraging the regenerating class. Selection management is generally practiced in uneven-aged stands, but it also can be used to achieve multi-aged and structured forest conditions.
Take, for instance, a forest stand that contains an upper canopy of mature trees such as Balsam fir, White spruce, Red maple, and scattered Yellow birch and White ash with an intermediate class of immature spruce, Red maple, and some birches. Primarily Balsam fir, Red maple, and some Yellow birch are regenerating under canopy. A selection harvest could be used to salvage a portion of the maturing Balsam fir and White spruce while leaving partial canopy to provide conditions in which shade-tolerant species would be encouraged to fill in and establish.
However, because Balsam fir and Red maple are fairly shade-tolerant and aggressive, it might be difficult for Yellow birch regeneration to emerge and might be especially difficult for other desired species such as Red spruce, Hemlock, Sugar maple, and White ash to fill in, due not only to the prevalence of the Balsam Fir and Red maple but also because of the lack of desired seed sources in the area. In this case, fill planting (in the form of underplanting), as discussed in part one, can be used together with selection management to help move succession along for the next-generation forest.
Funding is available for both treatments as long as the criteria associated with each of these silviculture treatments are achievable. The criteria for fill planting, silviculture Category 1, were outlined in part one. In order to qualify for selection management, Category 7c, the following criteria must be met:
For more detailed information regarding selection management and criteria to be eligible for silviculture funding, please refer to this website. For a pdf on uneven-aged management, click here.
Lines of Communication
Members are encouraged to contact the Board of Directors, the Executive, and other members through our email address or by phone (902-633-2108 or, for member services, 902-673-2278). Please feel free to use these methods to keep us informed of what is going on in your woodlot or in your community or area. We try to keep you informed through these updates, newsletters and mailouts, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and this website.
NSWOOA field day
Congratulations to the new minister of the Department of Natural Resources
Insect report from a NSWOOA member in the field
Sympathies
Comments on Acadian Forest restoration from Wade Prest
Uneven-aged management notes from Patricia Amero
How to reach us
Hello Woodlot Owners,
Well, the government has changed, “turned over” as they used to say. You, the reader, a woodlot owner, have received an invitation from the new Minister of Natural Resources to discuss the forestry industry. You know that Industry has well-prepared presentations and easy access to the minister. In preparation to the meeting, you make some notes on the present issues and opportunities.
You also know that contractors are going out of business, mills have been laying off workers or closing down. There is a great pressure for the new minister to boost forestry employment and to make changes that will make it easier and cheaper for large forest-based companies to operate profitably. The current pressure is to develop a biomass industry, and it is being sold as a “green” alternative. Large tracts of land are being sold off, possibly to foreign owners or to developers for non-forestry use. Nova Scotia is at the very bottom of the list for the number of jobs created per ton of timber harvested. What about climate change? Beetles? And the list goes on.
On the other side, DNR has recently put forth initiatives in multi-aged forest management, silviculture options, and certification. A review of forest policy has been under way, the first phase of which makes it very clear that there is a great deal of public interest in forestry, and a desire by the public to be involved in forestry-management decisions.
You will have half an hour. What will you advise the new minister?
Please let us know.
NSWOOA Field Day September 19, 2009
Woodlot of Marlene and Lloyd Langille
Hopewell Area, near New Glasgow
If you’re a landowner with a bog, swamp, marsh or other wetlands on your property, a mid-September field day in Pictou County will be of particular interest.
That’s because John Brazner, wetland and water specialist for Nova Scotia Environment, will be on hand to listen to comments or concerns and answer questions about a draft provincial wetland policy.
Mr. Brazner will be one of several presenters at a Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association field day on Saturday, Sept. 19. The event will be hosted by Lloyd and Marlene Langille of the Hopewell area, near New Glasgow.
Wetlands provide a wide range of ecosystem services, including cleaner drinking water, carbon storage, and wildlife habitat, often for rare or endangered species.
“For small woodlot owners . . . some of the key roles and services associated with wetlands include moderating the effects of large rains by storing water, stabilizing runoff and minimizing erosion and flooding,” said Mr. Brazner in an email interview.
“The policy will represent a commitment to managing Nova Scotia’s wetlands in a consistent manner and to balance the desire for maintaining a high level of wetland integrity for future generations with the current need for sustainable economic development in our communities,” said Mr. Brazner. “Ultimately, the policy is intended to prevent the net loss of Nova Scotia’s valuable wetlands.”
Mr. Brazner said that net loss doesn’t mean every wetland will be protected. He said government will continue to base project-development decisions on avoiding wetlands or requiring mitigation efforts or compensation when avoidance isn’t possible.
Developing a new wetland policy by the end of 2009 is a legislated commitment under the province’s Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act. There will be public consultation before a policy is finalized.
More details on the field day, which will feature local food for lunch and wagon rides to different parts of the woodlot, will be released over the summer. The event will be held on a 130-acre mixed woodlot where the Langilles have been harvesting annually for more than 40 years. They’ve done so mainly through selection harvesting—cutting trees singly or in small groups—so wood volume has been retained and cut areas are vigorous and healthy with natural regeneration.
Also on the field day
NSWOOA member Rodney Spencer has agreed to participate in the field day on the Langille woodlot by demonstrating his Wood-Mizer bandsaw. He will bring some jigs to show how woodlot owners can produce value-added products, such as siding for buildings, etc. Rodney is well known for his sawing services and has been featured in the Update in past issues.
Information on registration, times, and the agenda will follow in a future Update, as well as directions to the site. Please make an effort to attend, and bring as many woodlot owner neighbours and interested folk as possible.
For more information on the field day, please contact George Johnson, chair of the NSWOOA field day committee, at 897-3750 (cell) or by email.
Congratulations
The Board and members of the NSWOOA offer hearty congratulations to John MacDonnell on his recent appointment to the position of Minister of the Department of Natural Resources. John’s approach to the management of the forests and the forest industry may well be different from that of many of our past ministers, as he began his experiences with woodlots as a horse logger. We wish him well in his new position and look forward to working with him for the betterment of the forests and woodlot owners.
Wildlife Report
Actual correspondence from a NSWOOA member in the field/woods June 10 .
"The mosquitoes have basically joined in with the blackflies, and now horseflies are part of the mix. Let's not forget the ticks. It depends on where you are and what kind of woods you are in. The no-seeums should arrive soon. Thanks goodness for this cool, damp weather. Really!! "
Sympathies
The Board and members of the NSWOOA extend sincere sympathies to former NSWOOA president Tom Miller and his family on the passing of Tom’s father.
Something to Think About
Jamie Simpson’s book Restoring the Acadian Forest contains several interviews with woodlot owners who have been involved in the restoration struggle. One interview is with Wade Prest:
“Prest has seen a gradual decline in the value of woodlots in the Acadian Forest causing higher volume harvesting of low value wood. He believes this trend towards quantity over quality prevents woodlot owners from managing their woodlots the way they would like. Instead they are forced to compete with contractors harvesting wood fibre on sites that would otherwise be uneconomical to harvest. ‘This leads to the fact that the benefits of owning land are being taken out private ownership … and being transferred to big companies, and this is not good for the forests or society.’” (Page 106. Copies of this book are available from Jamie.)
UAM Notes: Using silviculture funding to help offset restoration costs, part two
By Patricia Amero, RPF
In the previous newsletter, I discussed the silviculture treatment of fill planting—particularly underplanting, a type of fill planting that involves planting desired species under partial tree canopy. For this issue, I will discuss how fill planting can be used together with selection management to help you offset the cost of restoration and improvement efforts.
Selection management is part of the silviculture funding Category 7, Forest Quality Improvement, of the province’s Forest Sustainability Regulations and is available through the Association for Sustainable Forestry’s silviculture program as well as various Registered Buyers’ silviculture programs. Selection management involves the periodic harvest of trees that will not improve in growth or quality by means of individual tree selection and/or harvesting small groups of trees through patch cuts of various sizes. The aim is to create growing space for various aged and sized trees that are vigorous and are of good quality, often referred to as crop trees, promoting their growth and quality development, producing high-value forest products, and encouraging the regenerating class. Selection management is generally practiced in uneven-aged stands, but it also can be used to achieve multi-aged and structured forest conditions.
Take, for instance, a forest stand that contains an upper canopy of mature trees such as Balsam fir, White spruce, Red maple, and scattered Yellow birch and White ash with an intermediate class of immature spruce, Red maple, and some birches. Primarily Balsam fir, Red maple, and some Yellow birch are regenerating under canopy. A selection harvest could be used to salvage a portion of the maturing Balsam fir and White spruce while leaving partial canopy to provide conditions in which shade-tolerant species would be encouraged to fill in and establish.
However, because Balsam fir and Red maple are fairly shade-tolerant and aggressive, it might be difficult for Yellow birch regeneration to emerge and might be especially difficult for other desired species such as Red spruce, Hemlock, Sugar maple, and White ash to fill in, due not only to the prevalence of the Balsam Fir and Red maple but also because of the lack of desired seed sources in the area. In this case, fill planting (in the form of underplanting), as discussed in part one, can be used together with selection management to help move succession along for the next-generation forest.
Funding is available for both treatments as long as the criteria associated with each of these silviculture treatments are achievable. The criteria for fill planting, silviculture Category 1, were outlined in part one. In order to qualify for selection management, Category 7c, the following criteria must be met:
- Three different height classes must be present with one height class being at least 10 meters (33 feet). (Height classes are essentially the same as age classes.)
- At least 80% of the area must be covered by trees, but the height doesn’t matter.
- After treatment, the basal area must average 16-30 m2 per hectare, of which 5 m2 per hectare must consist of qualifying shade-tolerant species.
- After treatment, areas of dense young softwoods 3-7 meters (10-23 feet) tall and hardwoods 6-9 meters (20-30 feet) tall must be spaced 1.5 meters (5 feet) apart.
For more detailed information regarding selection management and criteria to be eligible for silviculture funding, please refer to this website. For a pdf on uneven-aged management, click here.
Lines of Communication
Members are encouraged to contact the Board of Directors, the Executive, and other members through our email address or by phone (902-633-2108 or, for member services, 902-673-2278). Please feel free to use these methods to keep us informed of what is going on in your woodlot or in your community or area. We try to keep you informed through these updates, newsletters and mailouts, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and this website.
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