NSWOOA Update Newsletter 52


NSWOOA Update Newsletter 52
May9, 2012


Special Edition

NSWOOA Outreach Project

In this Issue:

Editor’s note
Project news- Andy Kekacs
Site Visit Opportunities- Stephen Cole
Application Form

Editor’s note:

Hello Everyone.  One of the highlights of our annual AGM last month was the news of a major new project undertaken by your Association.  The NSWOOA has  made an application to DNR for funds to conduct an Outreach Project for woodlot owners who share our interest in economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable forestry on our woodlots. Some of the elements of this project include site visits to woodlots, the hiring of two staff persons ( a manager and a forester) an initiative to equip the NSWOOA, to put it  in a position, to maintain paid staff serving its members.

This special edition of the NSWOOA Update focuses on this outreach project.  The regular issue, Number 53, will come reach you in a few days time.


Association gears up for busy summer;
website changes, member survey coming

by Andrew Kekacs
Outreach Project Manager

It’s going to be a busy summer for the directors and staff of NSWOOA. The centerpiece will be a province-wide program of woodlot site visits by our newly hired Forester, Stephen Cole. (Please see related article in this newsletter). But there will also be a lot of effort spent on promoting the association’s message of sustainable forestry, improving member services, and broadening our base of financial support.

The first (and most obvious) improvement will be a complete redesign of the association’s website. The project is underway and is expected to yield the first pages of the new site by early June. The initial focus will be on publishing basic information about NSWOOA’s history and philosophy, so that landowners who are considering a woodlot site visit can learn more about us. We will also provide a page with information about membership.

Over the long term, we hope to highlight some of the good work that members are doing. We encourage you send pictures of your favorite places in the woods, and to tell us about your forest management, habitat improvement, or other activities in the forest. Send the information to me at andy.nswooa@gmail.com. This information may be used on the new website, or in a redesigned newsletter that will be rolled out in the fall.

In the coming weeks, you’ll also receive an electronic link to a short survey that we will use to better understand what members want and need from NSWOOA. The online survey will only take a few minutes to complete, but it will help to focus our efforts to improve member services.

You are also welcome to contact me at any time with your suggestions or complaints. I can be reached at 902-817-4763 or andy.nswooa@gmail.com.  

Meanwhile, we will be working to ensure that NSWOOA remains financially strong after the current round of provincial funding ends. We are compiling a list of grant funding opportunities and soon will be actively applying for financial support from organizations that support our core goals.

What have we forgotten? Feel free to let me know.

 
Association launches 2012 program
of site visits for small woodlot owners

by Stephen Cole
Staff forester

The Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association is offering half-day site visits for private woodlot owners who are interested in the following:

·              Actively managing their woodlots for the first time;
·              Alternatives to clear-cut timber harvesting; and
·              Accessing silviculture programs.

The cost of a site visit is $25. In addition to a half-day consult with a professional forester, the landowner will receive the following:

· A summary report of opportunities on the woodlot that are consistent with the owner’s values, objectives, and goals;
· Membership in the NSWOOA, valid until 31 December 2012;
· The most current aerial photograph of the woodlot;
· A property sketch map; and
· A list of resources and service providers for woodlot owners.

For more information, contact Stephen Cole at 902-309-1062 or bradcole500@gmail.com. You can also fill out an application for a site visit using the form below.

  
 NSWOOA Outreach Project 2012 Application for a Site Visit

Name: ___________________________________________

 Phone: __________________________________________

 Mailing Address: _________________________________

 Email: ___________________________________________

 Woodlot location (county and general area): __________________________________

 Approximate size (acres): ________________________

 PID(s): _________________________________________

 Primary uses of woodlot: _________________________

 Briefly explain why you are interested in a site visit: __________________________

________________________________________________________________________

 How did you hear about this program? _______________________________________

 Are you interested in:
Alternatives to clear-cutting?  Yes  No    ____________________
Access to silviculture finding?  Yes   No   ____________________
 Restoring the Acadian Forest?  Yes   No ____________________
Having a management plan?  Yes  No      ____________________
 Active forest management?  Yes   No     ____________________
Assessing your woodlot for timber, wildlife,
or other opportunities?      Yes   No  _______________

For more information, contact Stephen Cole at 902-309-1062 or bradcole500@gmail.com.

Please mail completed applications to:
 Stephen Cole
132 School Street
Middleton, NS B0S 1P0

Alternatively, you can provide the above requested information by email. Sorry though, our website is not yet revised and we are not yet set up for you to directly fill in the answers and return electronically.

  
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). 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