NSWOOA Update 40
January 27, 2011
WWW.nswooa.ca
nswooa@gmail.com902 633 2108
In This Issue:
- Changing Horses
- Membership Drive
- Membership Application Form
- Nature’s Way
- Disturbing
- How to Contact Us
Hello Woodlot Owners-
Changing Horses
Changing Horses in mid stream is usually frowned upon.
The old adage about not switching mounts while fording water is probably rooted in battles of old, or perhaps in the western movies some of us grew up with. The air of uncertainty that surrounds the reform of Nova Scotia’s forest practices and regulations is certainly not helpful to any of the parties with an iron in the fire (to use another old cliché).
Premier Dexter in the January 21 Herald gave the impression that things were progressing along the desired lines, but perhaps a bit more slowly. We must assume he is up to date on all the ins and outs of the process and policies.
So what can we take from the appointment of Charlie Parker as the new Minister of Natural Resources? For one, that the Premier was looking for a Minister who had an understanding of the forests, and the industries based on it. Secondly, that this ministry deserves a high profile minister. And finally, that he wanted someone ready to go, someone who did not need a lot of time to orient himselfs and get his bearings.
One other possible reason to be positive is the fact that in opposition Mr. Parker once introduced legislation that would have severely limited or stopped clearcutting if it had passed. We will just have to wait a bit to see if changing the horses has been a good move or not.
Membership Drive
The NSWOOA is conducting a membership drive in 2011. Our membership has remained steady around approximately 100 members the past few years. Our goal for 2011 is to increase membership to at least 150 members. Annual membership fees are our main source of income and we don't receive any funding from government or industry. We need your help! Please pass on a membership application to friends and family who share the aims and goals NSWOOA.
We will be sending out invoices to all 2010 members and will be solicting past members as well. Please send in your application as soon as possible.
Marc Chisholm
NSWOOA 2011 Membership Application
( ) Renewal ( ) New
Name: ______________________________________________________
Business Name:_______________________________________________
Mailing Address:_ ____________________________________________
______________________________________________
Telephone Number:____________________________________________
Email Address:_______________________________________________
1. Are you a woodlot owner? ______ County:__________________________
2. Are you joining NSWOOA as an Associate Member in support of Otters Ponds Demonstration Forest? ______
_____Membership Cost- $30/year
_____Atlantic Forestry Journal Subscription - $15/ year (special rate)
Please mail applications and cheques to:
NSWOOA
Box 823 Truro, NS
B2N 5G6
Regular Membership: open to anyone owning, leasing, renting or controlling woodland or to anyone who is a producer
Associate Member: any individual having similar aims and objects as the association but does not own woodland
Mission Statement
NSWOOA is an independent organization of woodlot owners and operators achieving prosperity, stewardship, and solidarity through the practice of ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable forestry.
Truly sustainable forest management means that all values of our woodlands -- ecological, social, cultural and economic -- must be preserved for future generations.
The NSWOOA supports woodlot owners and operators in sustainable forestry through education, demonstration, marketing, and cooperation
I am in support of the aims and goals of NSWOOA:
Signature__________________________________________________________
Nature’s Way
As one ages a tiny bit, one realizes that there is no end to the work that can be done. No Amount of effort will get everything done on the woodlot that can, should and could be done. This realization causes woodlot owners to think about working smarter rather than working harder, or working more. Or perhaps about getting some help. Alan Watson Featherstone’s essay “The Vision of Trees for Life” which appears in Wild Foresting (Alan Drengson and Duncan Taylor) suggests we get as much help as possible from nature itself: The simplest and most effective way of regenerating a forest involves “the minimum of intervention and allows nature to do most of the work.”
Tom Miller, former NSWOOA president and Acadian Forest restoration expert would agree with that concept. For many years now he has given demonstrations and talks about restoration, planting, thinning, and conversions from plantations, all with an eye to letting nature take the lead.
Sandy Hyde of Picea Forestry, one would suspect, agrees as well. In his presentation at the September field day in Hopewell, he discussed how one might deal with white spruce growing on old farm land, and his most obvious message was to work with what you have, what nature gives you.
Charlie Baird runs a big processor in the woods. In the profile which appeared last year in Atlantic Forestry he explains his method of harvesting, why he works the way he does. The writer quotes him, “You can always find something to leave.”
Probably each of us on our own woodlots has developed little strategies that mimic nature, or take advantage of nature. All these approaches, methods and “tricks” are part of the larger picture, but one thing is for sure: it is better to have nature working for you than to be working against nature.
Disturbing news on the biomass front.
by Jamie Simjpson
The federal government is giving Northern Pulp $28.1 million to help its biomass burning ambitions in Pictou, and Nova Scotia Power is receiving $8.2 million to help get its biomass burning project underway in Trenton. The NSPI project could require some 300,000 tonnes of harvested wood per year; it's not yet clear the size of Northern Pulp's project. NSPI's project alone could result in upwards of 43 square kilometres of new clearcutting per year (assuming 70 tonnes of biomass wood harvested per hectare).
This is extremely disturbing, given that (1) we do not have any solid evidence from the Department of Natural Resources that the biomass supply is available, (2) the demand for biomass wood will be concentrated in central and eastern Nova Scotia (Port Hawksbury, Trenton and Pictou), and (3) burning wood for electricity only increases carbon emissions over the next several decades, compared with burning coal.
It is also disturbing that Northern Pulp continues to be the recipient of corporate life-support welfare. This is a company that publicly admitted it manages its forests on a 33-year rotation, and which continues to rely on whole-tree clearcut harvesting. And where do its profits go? Northern Pulp is owned by Blue Wolf Capital, Wall Street, New York city.
(If you are wondering what you can do to influence the best possible outcome to this threat, contact Jamie for his suggestions.Send questions to us and we will forward them.)
Lines of CommunicationMembers 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). 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
