NWOOA Update 19: December 2008

In this issue:

Greetings to new readers
Membership drive and chance to win a prize
Notes on uneven-aged management
Certification news!!!
Nagaya? Yes, Nagaya
Excerpt from Restoring the Acadian Forest
Honor in the Woods
How to reach us

Hello Woodlot Owners!

What Can You Do?

At a public meeting several years ago, Will Martin was asked how big a woodlot one had to own before one had to make some of the hard management decisions that Will had outlined to the audience. As a forester, management plan writer and NSWOOA spokesman, he was considered the expert, and 50 or so listeners expected to hear something profound, something new and exciting. Will, who is of considerable height, seemed to make himself stand even more erect. He paused just a few seconds, then answered, "One tree." When the laughter died down, he explained that basically forest management consists of making a choice about each and every tree. After a while one got better at it, and did not make so many wrong decisions. At any rate he reminded the audience, "There are only four things you can decide to do with a tree: cut it, leave it, girdle it, and prune it."

One can of course make only one decision about the whole woodlot, such as to clearcut or the other extreme, to never touch it. Most of us fall somewhere in the continuum, somewhere on the scale between the two extremes. And as we go along in the forest, we learn that one can cut to harvest, cut to release, cut to convert, cut to encourage regen. Likewise one can leave a tree for future harvest, for standing deadwood or for habitat. Perhaps for biodiversity. The point is, we should take a look at these decisions we make. What kind of a balance are we striking? Are we harvesting enough to make some profit? Are we leaving enough for the soil and the ecosystem? Yes, Will, the concept is simple: Four things we can do to a tree. But as you also added in that presentation, not so simple that one can avoid looking at the larger picture.

Christmas Greetings

The Board of Directors of the NSWOOA extends to you wishes for a blessed and peaceful holiday season. May you spend the holidays with friends and loved ones, and may everyone keep safe and well.

Membership drive and chance to win a prize!

NSWOOA memberships begin and end on January 1 each year, so this is a good time to renew if you are already a member or join if you're not. To encourage you to send in your memberships early this year, we are making a special offer to the first 6 people who send us a cheque for their 2009 memberships. The first person to send us a cheque will receive a copy of Jamie Simpson's new book, Restoring the Acadian Forest: A Guide for Woodlot Owners in the Maritimes (for an excerpt, see below). The next four people from whom we receive a cheque will receive one of our fine NSWOOA baseball caps, pictured above. Several other caps will be drawn for at the Annual General Meeting in April, from among those who renewed early. Memberships are $30/year. Our address is Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association, Box 823, Truro, NS B2N 5G6. If you contact our member services coordinator, Flora Johnson, at 902-673-2278 or nswooa@gmail.com, she will be happy to send you a form

Please note that our member subscriptions to Atlantic Forestry Review begin and end on May 1. Subscriptions must be paid for no later than the middle of April. Subscriptions are available to NSWOOA members only at the special rate of $15/year.

UAM Notes

Forester Patricia Amero of Picea Forest Consulting was the coordinator of the Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project that concluded at the end of October 2008. In order to continue the educational effort that began with the Outreach Project, Patricia has very kindly offered to write notes on UAM for our updates. We are very grateful to her for this contribution and for her commitment to good stewardship of the Acadian Forest.


By Patricia Amero, RFP

There are two main approaches to forest management—even-aged management and uneven-aged management (UAM)—although sometimes people practice a mixture of the two. Ultimately the choice of which approach to use will depend on forest condition and management objectives, and can change over time because of circumstances (for instance, devastation caused by hurricane) and/or as management objectives change.


One important difference between UAM and even-aged management is that whereas even-aged management tends to focus on "stands" (conglomerations of similar-aged trees of similar species), UAM tends to focus on individual trees within a particular area, with a goal of growing high-quality trees that will have high value when harvested. This allows the woodlot owner to practice selection management, earning a continual modest income over time while maintaining other forest values such as wildlife habitat and recreation. In contrast, with even-aged management, entire stands are likely to be cut at one time. This may produce a high financial return in the year the harvesting is done, but other values may be sacrificed and the stand may not produce income again for decades.

In UAM, areas within a woodlot are separated into management units based on ecological factors such as site and soil conditions, ecotype, and previous disturbance/harvest practices. A key consideration is the presence of potentially high-value trees (often referred to as crop trees) and potential for growing such trees. Intermediate and mature crop trees are assessed based on considerations such as straightness/form, vigor, lack of limbs, lack of scars or other defects, and ultimately species marketability now and into the future. But it is also important to recognize potential crop trees that may be regenerating under canopy, particularly where openings have occurred allowing sunlight to penetrate to the forest floor. This requires knowledge of tree silvics (what our various native tree species need to grow and flourish), natural succession patterns (or stages of forest development from early to late stages), and the disturbance regime that is natural to the ecotype and ecodistrict where the woodlot is found within the Acadian Forest Region.

Here are some good resources on tree silvics and Acadian Forest ecosystems. The following can be purchased from the Nova Forest Alliance (for more information email Terry Stanislow,terry@novaforestalliance.com):
• Forest Ecosystem Classification of Nova Scotia's Model Forest. An edition for the central region and interim versions for the eastern and western regions are available. A final version is expected in 2009.
• A Guide to Identifying and Managing Nova Scotia Hardwoods.

The following are available free:

• Field Manual for Forest Ecosystem Classification. Although this is available for download here, it is a very big file. Single copies of are available free of charge by writing to: Library, Dept. of Natural Resources , P.O. Box 698, Halifax, N.S. B3J 2T9; e-mailing nsdnrlib@gov.ns.ca; or from local offices of the Department of Natural Resources.

• Forest Soil Types of Nova Scotia: Identification, Description, and Interpretation. Available online here. Single copies are available free from the same source as the field manual listed above.

• Tolerant Hardwood Management Guide. Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources Report FOR 2007-8 No. 84. Available online here.

• Silvics of North America. Vol. 1: Conifers, Vol. 2: Hardwoods. Agriculture Handbook 654. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Available online here.

• Interactive Guide to Common Trees of Nova Scotia. Available online here.

For more resources on uneven-aged management, see the right side of this page.

Certification News!!!

NSWOOA President Lorne Burrows confirms that the NSWOOA, working with Nagaya Forest Restoration Ltd., has signed a contract with DNR to bring five new NSWOOA member woodlots into certification by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The project will cover most of the costs to the landowners and is funded from the Community Development Trust. Interested members and potential members should contact the NSWOOA quickly. There is the possible opportunity of expanding this initiative in the near future, so we need to demonstrate demand for the funds. Therefore we would like to build up a list of those interested in having their lands FSC certified. Call the number listed at the end of this Update, or contact us by email.

Nagaya? Yes, Nagaya

Update readers will recognize the name Nagaya from past editions of this newsletter. Some may be wondering just what this entity is. The following is a snapshot of what Nagaya is and does.

Incorporated in 1999, Nagaya Forest Restoration Ltd. helps qualifying woodlot owners in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island become certified by the FSC. This is achieved through membership in a pool of lands that is administered by Nagaya. Because Nagaya has Group Forest Management and other recognitions offered by the FSC through its certifying body, SmartWood, all participants in the Nagaya-managed pool have FSC certification. Both wood and non-timber products from these woodlots are FSC certified, and customers can buy these products with the assurance that they come from healthy forest communities.

William McKay is the President and Owner of Nagaya. He graduated from the University of New Brunswick in 1977 as a forester with specialization in wildlife management. Through continuing course work, Bill has added appraisal, law, engineering, biochemistry, and land management to his knowledge base. He recognizes the interconnectivity of the natural world, the need for healthy and resilient systems, the relationship people have with forest communities, the importance of the long view, and the positive impact that healthy forests can have on the governance and socioeconomic circumstances of peoples' lives.

More than 8,000 acres are now certified through the Nagaya pool, and 30 families, businesses and social organizations now participate. Thanks to Nagaya, consumers can now buy a bottle of maple syrup, a nested set of Shaker boxes, hardwood and softwood flooring, firewood, tone wood, turnings, dimensional lumber, household goods and quality cabinet stock from Nagaya Pool Members who collectively refer to themselves as the Acadian Forest Families.

Branches and Tops

The following is excerpted from Jamie Simpson's book Restoring the Acadian Forest: A Guide for Woodlot Owners in the Maritimes. The book is due to be published this month. Meanwhile, Jamie is taking orders for the book at this email address bocabec@gmail.com. The price will be $20, including shipping.

"Whole tree harvesting, or taking everything from the stump up, removes 100 to 215% more nutrients from the forest than removing only the stem of the trees and leaving the tops and the branches. The branches also provide shelter for wildlife and protect the forest floor from compaction, erosion and excessive heat."

Honour in the Woods

Eastern Shore Forest Watch has released an excellent DVD on forest values and practices. This video features interviews with quite a few NSWOOA members and others who are making a difference in the forests. It is a high-quality production, and an excellent gift for the woodlot owner on your Christmas list, for your children or grandchildren that will need to know these things in the future, and of course for yourself. Cost is only $10. Contact person is Keith Kerr at 902-845-2458.

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 this website, newsletters and mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, and the Annual General Meeting.

NSWOOA Update, November 2007

Hello woodlot owners:

Last month’s Update brought you news that Flora Johnson is now providing the NSWOOA with membership services. This gives us pause to consider questions about membership. Who is a member and who can become a member? Why would anyone want to be a member of the NSWOOA? What services do the members need?

The NSWOOA website gives us an interesting place to begin. On its home page there are two bits of information in the description of our organization. First is the fact that “the NSWOOA is the oldest independent woodlot owners’ organization in the Province.” While having been around for a long time, since 1969 or so, is a remarkable feat, that in itself is not a sufficient reason to belong to it. That many years of promoting woodlot owner causes does earn some credit, however, and the experience and knowledge that has been handed down to the present organization is of great value.

That word independent in the above quote is also significant. As the Association receives no government or industry funds, we are more free to voice our own opinions, suggest new options, and even promote alternative practices in the forests--for example, low-impact forestry, sustainability, Acadian Forest restoration, and uneven-aged management.

These terms remind us of the second part of that description of what we promote: a view of woodlots that is “environmentally centered, socially responsible, and economically balanced." Yes, the social issues are of great concern to us, but so are the economic issues. A balanced approach. It is our role to represent membership views on these topics to the public, to the media, to government, and even to other organizations.

Through group action, these ideas and concerns are carried forward more effectively than individuals acting alone.

Still On the Topic

You will have noticed that the question on membership services is not fully answered above. Certainly representing our members to boards, committees, hearings, etc. is a membership service. So are field days, the AGM , etc. Yet the nature of all of the things we do for our member is constantly evolving. You can help with this, by communicating with us. Email us, call or talk to a director. What services do we need to provide?

The question of who can be a member is more straightforward. There are three categories of members. The first is the regular member, which means a person who is a woodlot owner or a person who operates a woodlot. Nowadays “operating” a woodlot may mean more than being a harvesting or silviculture contractor or being the person who looks after Uncle Jim’s woodlot. What do you think? The second category is affiliated memberships. These memberships are usually for other groups or organizations that wish to support the Association and do so by paying for a membership. Although there could be hundreds of people represented through this one membership, there is only one vote. The third category is associate membership, and it is available to members of the public who wish to support our values, actions, and efforts but are not woodlot owners or operators.

Incidentally, membership is not automatic upon payment of dues. Bylaws require the Board of Directors to accept or reject each applicant through a duly passed or rejected motion.

Acadian Forest Conference

We are pleased to hear that the Conference was a success, and are pleased with the amount of NSWOOA participation. NSWOOA members attending included members Dan Pittman and Matthew Miller; board members Minga O’Brien (an event organizer) and Austin Parsons; Past Presidents Wade Prest and Tom Miller; and President Lorne Burrows. Austin Parsons presented a paper on carbon credits, and Wade Prest was a panel member. And there may have been more that we do not know about right now.

Below is one participant’s reaction to the conference:

The Acadian Forest Science Conference was held in Fredericton, NB, at the Hugh John Fleming Forestry Center on October 10-13 and was a well-attended affair with an announced attendance of about 165. For someone who thinks a lot about the Acadian Forest these days, it was interesting to see the level of research going on in the woods around us. I was surprised at the number people that must be out, during the summer field season probably, not doing the type of work that a woodlot owner and operator often takes for granted as the only "woods work" to be done. No log brows for these folks and a lot of talk about climate change and its effects on our forests.

I was worried that "The Science" of it all might be a little much for me to absorb and I was right. Lots of information was over my head and as I don't know the Latin names for the various tree species, it was frustrating. Many others, however, did get the data and there was some good discussion, particularly the panel on the final afternoon which included our Past President, Wade Prest, providing woodlot owner perspectives of concern to all of us.

It was a full two days with some field trips on Saturday which sounded interesting, but I headed for home in the early AM. More work has to be done, I feel, around the topic of restoration of this long lived Forest type. The good examples are few and far between and many people are interested on how to get headed in the right direction on their woodlots. A whole new bunch of Science!

Tom Miller

Who’s calling, please?

Ring! Ring! Ring!

“Hello?”

“Hello. I got your name from someone who said that you sell wood. Got any firewood for sale?”

“What are you looking for?”

“I don’t think I have enough firewood for the winter. I need another two cords. Dry. Cut and split. Can you deliver?”

“Sorry, but I don’t have any wood now. Dry wood is scarce. Anyway, I sell in 8’ lengths. I will have some later in the winter. I suppose that is too late for you?”

“It’s awful hard to find wood anywhere right now. Know anyone else who has any?”

This phone call and many like it are typical of woodlot owner communications with the community every Autumn, usually just after the first few nights of below zero weather or the first snowstorm. Perhaps this is why one local man refers to all humans as ants or grasshoppers. It is ironic, if not disappointing, to hear the surprise in some voices when they learn that the price for seasoned firewood is more than the some firewood purchased green or freshly cut. Somebody has to finance the woodland operations and the curing process though, and it seems a hard pill for some buyers to take.

Subsidies and Such

Everyone will have seen or heard of the Provincial Government plan to help the forest industry survive the “perfect storm” of a rising Canadian Dollar and slumping American housing market. The NSWOOA will be closely following the new Forestry Transition Program announced by the Department of Natural Resources on Oct. 12. As part of the new program, the province will be absorbing the full cost of private woodlot silviculture under the Forest Sustainability Regulations. This means an additional $6 million per year for 2007-08 and 2008-09. Public consultations and surveys have consistently shown that the public supports uneve-aged multi-species forest management. If the public is assuming the burden of the silviculture programs, perhaps the program should reflect public preferences. The NSWOOA believes that some of this new funding should be directed toward an expanded program to promote, train, and educate woodlot owners to carry out more uneven-aged management.

Category 7 Materials Now Available

Materials for the Category 7 Quality Improvement Silviculture Program have just been released and are now available for download at the website of the Association for Sustainable Forestry. Under this program, $443,000 will be made available over the next two years to help Nova Scotia woodlot owners practice uneven-aged management using associated silviculture techniques: crop tree release, crop tree pruning, and selection management. The package includes (each in a separate PDF file) a cover letter, application form, claim form, signing authority form, and criteria for crop tree release, crop tree pruning, and selection management. For additional information, please see the ASF website.


How To Find FSC-Certified Wood

The Standing Tall Campaign for Environmentally Responsible Forestry is maintaining a list of woodlot owners supplying FSC-certified wood. See their website for more information.

Communications

By now all members should have received a copy of our new newsletter. If you haven’t, please let us know at nswooa@gmail.com We’re interested in hearing your comments.

This site is being updated regularly. Look around for the latest news, copies of previous email updates, an article with photos about last fall’s field day, a history of the NSWOOA, and other interesting stuff.

We want to hear from you. Please contact us through our email address, by phone, or by mail. Keep us informed of what is going on in your woodlot and in your community or area. Let us know what you’re thinking.

Many thanks to Flora J. who contributed items for this Update.

NSWOOA Update, August 2007

Hello, woodlot owners:

Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash may not be with us anymore, but his signature song " I'll Walk The Line" still is. Perhaps we woodlot owners identify with this song, or at least the title, more than most other songs, as it seems we are always walking the line. Sure there is the literal line, the boundary line that always needs cleaning and remarking, but also the line between harvesting it all now or doing what is truly sustainable and good for the planet by leaving some for tomorrow. Also that line between drudgery and renewal, between back breaking work and the peace of the woodland. You get the picture. It seems woodlot owners are faced with many trade-offs, or lines. Good luck as you walk the lines on you woodlot.

Director George Johnson refers to walking the line in his woodlot this way: "I feel the decision to clear cut versus selection management is akin to the young man who believes he will not live to be forty so he spends every cent he makes now. Later he realizes he is not only past forty, he is past his working years, and he has set nothing aside. When his friends are going south for the winter, he bemoans his hard luck and expresses jealousy to compensate for his lack of foresight and planning."

A Global Forest Convention?
One of our directors has forwarded an article which is drumming up support to oppose a proposed global forest convention. He recommends that we study the article, and the issue. At a time when "global" has come to mean "lowest common denominator," we should be cautious of what covenants our government signs us up for. It's a long article so we do not include it here, but please check it out at this website. We would like to know what you think of it.

Seminar News
Wade Prest informs us that his crop tree management seminar is a go. He is finalizing details, and we will get them out ASAP. Meanwhile, if interested contact us at nswooa@gmail.ca. There will be a registration fee, and a limited number of participants. We have some names already.

Acadian Forest Seminar
The first Acadian Forest Science Conference will be held October 10-13, 2007, in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The main goal of the conference is to showcase scientific research on the Acadian Forest, increasing awareness of its character and potential. The conference will also provide a regional forum for the exchange of ideas among scientists, forestry professionals, land stewards, environmentalists, policy makers, aboriginal peoples, and others interested in our forests. Online registration and abstract submission are preferred. Seating is limited so please register early. For more information, please click on the following to visit the web site.

We need to recommend a variety of people to sit on the Voluntary Planning Natural Resources Strategy task force. NSWOOA members should consider themselves and/or ask neighbours and friends. Names should be passed along to Voluntary Planning staff. The selection of individuals will be crucial.

A Piece of Your Mind
The NSWOOA is a member of the FSC Maritime Steering Committee of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). We have supported this movement, and some of our members have certified their woodlots. Is it time to promote FSC products in some organized manner, either among our members or to the population at large? If so, how should this be done? Give us a piece of your mind. Email your views.

Herbicide Spraying*
In our July Update (#4) woodlot owners were encouraged to spend time with family members in their woodlots. Before doing so in August and September, you may want to check this website to see if herbicide spraying applications are under review in your area. Applications to spray thousands of hectares of NS forests have been received. Information such as the area (in hectares) to be sprayed, the communities where the spraying is being proposed, the type of application (aerial or ground), the type of product to be applied, and the approximate start date for the spraying will be provided.

The Department of Environment and Labour informed Director Barbara Gallagher that it is a requirement for applicators to provide pre-notification when it is requested. This should make it easier to avoid spray sites if you have concerns about health impacts from accidental exposure to herbicides. For example, if family members have medical conditions (such as asthma, or other respiratory problems, chemical sensitivities, receiving cancer treatments, etc), or include children or pregnant women, you will be contacted before the spraying takes place if it is requested. Others may want pre-notification if worried about drift near FSC certified woodlots, or organic crops, so that they can monitor buffer zones and wind conditions.

To request pre-notification, you are advised to contact the Approval holders once the Approval is issued and a pdf copy is placed on the website. If you are unable to access this information on a computer, updated information should be available from your closest Department of Environment and Labour office.

* The NSWOOA endorses truly sustainable forestry management, which includes diversity of species, a multi-generational forest, low impact forestry, and ecodiversity that make the application of herbicides unnecessary.

A Contractor's Views
A local forestry contractor was contacted for his views of the state of the industry in Nova Scotia just now. There is more than a hint of irony/sarcasm in his summary of what contractors are facing, and his own involvement. Sometimes humor is the best way to deal with serious topics.

This is his report:

Not much to report on in the forest industry. Prices for studs and logs are down to where you should leave them standing if you can. Low grade pulp prices have picked up to almost a break even place. The bugs are eating well, so wood quality is down Expenses are up, making it hard to make a living. On the positive side, work is picking up with many of the other contractors going out of business.

What Holidays?
Sure, it is the dog days of summer, but that does not mean your interests and concerns have been ignored. Yes, things do come to life again in September, stirred no doubt by lower temperatures and the return of children to schools. In the meantime, meetings go on, councils meet, working sessions are called, and so on. President Lorne Burrows has represented us on the Stora FSC certification hearings. Particularly active on our behalf has been Ken MacRury, VP, who has been temporarily representing us on the Sustainable Forest oversight committee for the new dedicated funds for Section 7(c) silviculture work. We thank Ken and the other Board members who work for us over the summer when it would be easier to wait until September.

Here is Ken's report:

Someone wants to spend money on your woodlot!

There have been two meetings of the Category 7 ad hoc steering committee so far. The primary objective has been to finalize the process to get the new category (7) funding in place by completing a contract between DNR and ASF (Association for Sustainable Forestry) and secondly to complete development of a job description for the Outreach Coordinator that will be hired to promote and oversee the new program. Both of these documents are now finalized and will be presented to the ASF Board on Aug. 7 for their approval. The budget for the program is $570k for this year and next. Of this, $443k is allocated for actual silviculture treatments. This is a very large amount when you consider that based on best available records only $84k was spent on category 7 treatments over the last three years. The Outreach Coordinator position is critical to the success of this program and woodlot owners will have to be made aware that funds are available to assist them in upgrading their woodlots.

I also attended my first meeting of the FTAC on July 26 at the DNR Training Centre in Shubenacadie. There were a number of items on the agenda, most of which will take some time to become familiar with. The one item that was of most interest was a report by DNR on the Category 7 changes and the new program with dedicated funding that will be coming on stream this year. It appears to me there is a significant trend to encourage uneven aged management on the part of DNR and while clearcuts remain at 91% of all areas harvested this is down from 98% ten years ago. The new emphasis on category 7 will hopefully move these figures even further in favor in uneven aged harvest practices.

Participation on the FTAC, with the appointment of several new members, has become more diverse and over time I expect the committee will change the emphasis of the technical standards to favor more uneven aged management of the forests. We can all hope and work to better the health of the forests.

Ken

Want to know how to access these funds? Contact Ken at nswooa@gmail.com

Lines of Communication (more lines for woodlot owners)

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, in your community or area. We try to keep you informed through these updates, through newsletters and mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and this website.

Paul Brison

Looking for earlier updates?

July 2007

June 2007

May 2007

NSWOOA Update, July 2007

Hello Woodlot Owners,

Company's coming. Summertime, and the company is coming …. Let's have a picnic in the woodlot! (No open fires though).

In this modern age when children and grand children are more likely to live in a city or even another province, summertime visits home provide one of the few opportunities to educate children and grandchildren about the woodlot, its ecology, your management practices and goals for your land. Time spent preparing the younger generations to assume the responsibilities ahead is never wasted. The added bonus is that it provides a unique opportunity to bond. When the family comes for a visit, take them to the woodlot on some pretext or other!

Acadian Forest Science Conference. The first Acadian Forest Science Conference, October 10-13, 2007, will be held in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The main goal of the conference is to showcase scientific research on the Acadian Forest, increasing awareness of its character and potential. The conference will also provide a regional forum for the exchange of ideas among scientists, forestry professionals, land stewards, environmentalists, policy makers, aboriginal peoples, and others interested in our forests. The last day will involve field trips.

Online registration is at https://acadianforestscience.dal.ca Seating is limited so please register early.

Forest Sustainability Regulations. NSWOOA has successfully lobbied NSDNR to improve opportunities for uneven-aged management under the Forest Sustainability Regulations. On June 12, 2007, DNR announced changes to the technical criteria, many of which were promoted by NSWOOA and Ecology Action Centre in a joint report released October, 2005. The changes will allow more options for uneven-aged forest management and selection treatments and will provide more focus on appropriate tree species when landowners select crop trees to manage. They will also allow fill planting in uneven-aged stands and reduce fill planting requirements to 300 planted trees per hectare. The regulatory changes are available at www.gov.ns.ca/just/regulations/rg2/2007/jn0807.pdf

In addition, NSDNR has set aside $570,000 of dedicated funding for Category 7 treatments over the next year and a half (including selection harvesting, pruning and crop tree release). It's up to NSWOOA members and friends to prove there is a demand for these treatments. Call Rebecca Aggas of the Association for Sustainable Forestry (902-895-1179) for information.

Website changes. Check out our website. See if you are not wild about the changes found there. NSWOOA member Flora Johnson's volunteer work on our site is making a big difference. Currently the site has gone to a blog style format. Whether it stays that way or reverts to the past style is as yet undecided, but this format allows Flora to make changes easily and effectively. Well done, Flora, and many thanks from all of us. Check out the materials available at nswooa.ca and give us some feedback.

Going "green". The Sunday Herald of July 8 contained an interesting article for woodlot owners. Under the title "What to ask about 'green' wood", we are advised to look for certification labels or tags that show our wood products are from well-managed forests. The article mentions that a number of programs certify wood as being harvested in a sustainable manner. "The most stringent of these programs … is run by the Forest Stewardship Council. The FSC guidelines are the ones most environmentalists trust."

Back around 2000-2002, the NSWOOA began to discuss how it could fulfill its mandate of "Stewardship, Solidarity, Prosperity" through truly sustainable forest use. Several members had woodlots FSC certified, and our Association joined FSC. We hold a seat on the Economic section of the Maritime steering committee. (See Wade Prest's history of the NSWOOA at this website and the “Demonstration” section of the website for more information.)

Honors earned, honors due. DNR has announced its woodlot Owners of the Year selections. As these woodlot owners are nominated by their peers, you can be certain that they have achieved commendable results in their management regimes. DNR also looks for woodlot owners who are community leaders, promoters of the cause, and all round good citizens. Anyone selected is a notable woodlot owner for sure.

The NSWOOA is proud that member Bob Bancroft and wife Alice of the Antigonish area achieved recognition as Eastern Division Owners of the Year. Bob's efforts to restore his woodlot, with emphasis on wildlife habitat, are well known to listeners of CBC radio, where he is featured regularly on their noon hour call-in show.

Significant also is the selection of Kevin and Susan Veinot of Northfield (Bridgewater area), who have been selected as the overall winners. This is the second time in three years that an FSC-certified woodlot has been selected. (Former NSWOOA president Tom Miller and wife Lori were chosen overall winners in 2005).

Speaking of notable achievements, Rupert Jannasch of Summerville, Hants County, has been featured in a recent article in Rural Delivery. Rupert has had a working land easement attached to his property, which protects farm land and forests from development in the future and ensures conservation and sustainability practices. Rupert is a very good presenter, and might be induced to speak to groups about why and how he achieved this protection.

Contact! Please pass along the address of our newly updated website to friends, neighbours, and any woodlot owners or operators who might be interested and have Internet access. If you receive this update via email, please make the time to print it out and share it with any who are not on line. Likewise, if anyone would like to receive the email update, please advise them to contact us by email (nswooa@gmail.com ). Also use this contact information to advise us of markets, local achievements and other concerns.

Have a great summer!

Looking for previous updates? Click on the following:
· June 2007
· May 2007

NSWOOA Update, June 2007

This update can be emailed to members who request it.

Hello woodlot owners,

This is a busy time of the year for woodlot owners and most everyone else. There seems to be a multitude of tasks to be concerned with, from mowing the lawn to cutting hay and silage. All this and we want to spend some time in the forest as well. Take the time to visit your woodlot on a cool summer morning or after a refreshing shower of rain. Besides keeping you up on how the forest is doing, it enriches your life as well.

This Update is our third effort to communicate with NSWOOA members who are “on the net.” We know that there are other members who have access to the internet, but have not provided us with their addresses. If you know of such NSWOOA members, please forward this Update to them.

New address. For those who would like to communicate with the Directors, to share ideas and concerns, to give input or ask questions, our email address is now nswooa@gmail.com. We would like to hear from you.

Smartwood and Stora. Recently we forwarded Smartwood’s notification of its review process for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification of Stora owned and controlled lands to members who receive email from us. We hope that concerned members took time to fill out the short questionnaire concerning Stora’s forest practices and its relationship to woodlot owners and community, to add their comments, and forward this to Smartwood. The NSWOOA is doing this as well. Our submission will focus on the inappropriateness of using the DNR model of forest disturbance patterns to plan harvests. It will also ask Smartwood to require substantive quantative goals and standards, especially in developing its uneven aged multi species forestry plans.

Good news for once. Word has been passed around that the proposed amendments to forest sustainability regulations (including Section 7(c)) have been adopted. While tightening and more clearly defining criteria in some areas, the changes to the regulations do offer much more flexibility to woodlot owners trying to restore their forests and who have to deal with woodlots that did not fit previous criteria.

Web site news. A volunteer has stepped forward with an offer to manage our web site (nswooa.ca). This will be a learning experience for her and for us, but we are looking forward to seeing changes made regularly, some fresh ideas and some input from our members. Feedback can be made through our email address. Our goal is to have members and the concerned public check in regularly to see what is going on.

Woodlot seminar planned. Wade Prest, woodlot owner and former NSWOOA President, has announced his intention to hold a workshop on crop tree selection, crop tree pruning and crop tree release in a hardwood stand on his property. There will be a modest charge, and participation is to be limited to the 15-20 range. Wade sees this as a repeatable seminar, that can be adapted to any woodlot and conducted by woodlot owners who have experience in this field. The whole concept of harvesting fewer but more valuable trees is becoming more important because of the pulpwood markets we face, and the carbon storage issue. However, if we do not take steps to purposely produce these crop trees, are we not guilty of high grading?

Long Horned Beetle. Members in the restricted zone are reminded that they should react to the beetle threat in a measured and properly planned manner. This problem should be handled in the same thoughtful manner as other forests treatments, with advice from trustworthy foresters, with reference to management plans and goals, and in accordance with sound restorative forestry practices.

History of NSWOOA. Wade Prest has written a short history of NSWOOA, which can be found at this website. There is much history compressed in these few pages, and we thank Wade for preparing this document for us.

Fall Field Day. A committee has been set up to get the fall field day set up. Please watch for further Update notices and for details in the Atlantic Forestry Review.

Your Executive for 2007
President Mr. Lorne Burrows
Vice President Mr. Ken MacRury
Treasurer Mr. Greg Amon
Secretary Mr. Paul Brison
CWSD President Mr. George Johnson
CWSD Secretary Mr. Paul Brison.

Feedback is important to us. Contact us on forestry issues and concerns at nswooa@gmail.com

Demonstration

Right: Bill McKay of Nagaya Restoration attends a NSWOOA event.

“Every time I walk the same piece of woodland, I see it differently. Perhaps it’s the weather, the time of day, the season or my perception, but it is always more. More beings, more connectivity and more amazement of the way it all works.” (McKay, 2003)

The company called Nagaya Forest Restoration Ltd. (Nagaya) was formed in 1999 to put good minds to good work. The name is from the Gabra People of Kenya and connotes a peaceful return, a reference to the restoration of our forests. William (Bill) McKay is the president and sole owner of Nagaya and has been learning and developing a truly sustainable and restorative practice in Maritime forests for over 35 years.
Nagaya is dedicated to the celebration of the natural world, to the conservation of healthy ecosystems and to the restoration of degraded habitats. All life is interconnected with none more important than another. Healthy forests mean healthy communities. On behalf of those not yet born, people should be empowered to express their thoughts and actions for the achievement of a land ethic, of woodland care and restoration.

A “Pool” of clients with woodlands of 10 to 2000 hectares and clients who dream of passing their stewardship on to family or others makes a reason for Nagaya. The Nagaya membership can be families, communities, associations or entrepreneurs. The management horizon for restoration purposes is measured in the hundreds of years, so this is obviously a commitment of long time.

All of the members become “certified” as stewards of forests whose management practices adhere to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards in accordance with the Principles and Criteria of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The Forest Stewardship Council is introducing an international labeling scheme for forest products, which provides a credible guarantee that the product comes from a well-managed forest. All forest products carrying this logo have been independently certified as coming from forests that meet the internationally recognized FSC Principles and Criteria of Forest Stewardship. In this way, FSC provides an incentive in the market place for good forest stewardship.

Participation is voluntary. The woodland owner must clearly accept an invitation to participate. In an atmosphere of comfort, the Resource Manager (Nagaya) must hear the landowner’s goals and expectations. A plan is prepared that will restore the forest to a healthy ecosystem. Nagaya does not take an interest in the land. The landowner and Nagaya document respective roles and responsibilities. Eventually a Memorandum of Agreement is signed to commit to long-term restoration. Preferably, the landowner will implement the plan; however, Nagaya is there for support and to assist in any way needed be it advice, training or work. It is critical to monitor the woodlot to ensure planned prescriptions are producing expected results. The approach is a precautionary one that uses selection to enhance diversity and to develop the inherent value of quality trees. Interventions into woodlands are carefully considered to minimize site degradation and to conserve habitat. Nagaya has further described its Mission, Principles and Harvesting Practices to locally apply the international policies. Your efforts are for the forest and all the beings therein.

There are benefits for you. Some of the things that you will realize are:

• Your children and all those thereafter will thank you.


• Your ecosystem will be healthier as will the community that shares it with you.


• You become both a student and teacher, as there is much to learn and share.


• You can put a world recognized and respected label on your timber and non-timber forest products.


• You can help complete the process for non-woodlot owners [consumers] so that they can support a system they believe to be right and direct their money accordingly – they cannot buy it if you do not make it.


• You may receive a price premium for the certified products that you sell.


• You may develop market comfort for your forest products. Certified products are more apt to fit into niche markets. Knowing you can sell your product means, you can predict a cash flow, which is critical for any business.


• You will experience cost savings from management improvements and efficiencies.


• You can take a major step toward establishing eligibility for the Intergenerational Transfer of Land (Canada Customs and Revenue Agency) and the consequence of capital gains taxes.


• You will experience the support from other like-minded pool members through information sharing, technical advice, marketing and sales. The pool is a ready-made network of involved, dedicated and caring people.


• You will enjoy third party analysis and critique of your piece of the ecosystem to ensure that you are doing the best that can be offered.


• Members wanting to secondary manufacture and sell product labeled as certified are covered by the Nagaya Chain of Custody certification and therefore experience significant savings of both time and money.


• You will know that the land is being managed with consideration of social, economic and ecological values.


• Your family, neighbours and the public will respect you for you insight, ethics and efforts.

Like muscles of the mind and body, a land ethic needs to be exercised. Nagaya Forest Restoration is an effective way to exercise that ethic and demonstrate to others that it can be done. To socially, environmentally and economically work with woodlands and your community for the next hundreds of years is no small task. The above is an introductory summary. The next step is a conversation where we can more thoroughly explore the process.

“To allow life to flourish is an act of generosity, respect and grace.” (McKay, 2003)

Nagaya Forest Restoration Ltd.
214 Chartersville Rd.Dieppe NB E1A 1K4

nagaya@nbnet.nb.ca