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
Showing posts with label brown spruce longhorn beetle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brown spruce longhorn beetle. Show all posts
NSWOOA Update, May 2007
This update can be emailed to NSWOOA members who request it.
Hello, woodlot owners,
This is a busy time for the directors of the NSWOOA, but we are trying a new project,
to communicate with members, through this update for those on line.
New address. For those who would like to communicate with the Directors, to communicate ideas and concerns, to give input or ask questions, our email address is now nswooa@gmail.com
Annual General Meeting April 14. It was good to see many of you at the annual meeting. This year we were focusing on practical advice, especially for those beginning to manage their woodlots, but for experienced folk too. We will miss the contributions of Will Martin and Adam Campbell from the Board, but welcome Austin Parsons aboard. Minga O’Brien updated us on our involvement with Ecology Action Center’s Standing Tall Campaign which we joined at last year’s annual meeting. Presentations were made on management plans, sustainable forest funds, how Group Savoie distributes silviculture funds, progress on the restoration handbook being prepared by the North Mountain Old Forest Society, and much more.
Help wanted. The Board is searching for a woodlot owner who can offer help by taking over management of our website, nswooa.ca. The site is visited by news organizations and prospective members, as well as members looking for news and events. Frequent updates of information, changing pictures, adding pages and features would be involved. A vibrant web site is Important to our growth and influence. If you can help or know someone who can, respond to the above address.
Opportunity knocks. The Board is offering a $1000 incentive to any member (or woodlot owner willing to become a member) to host our annual woodlot tour and demonstration day. You can nominate yourself or a friend. The successful woodlot may have some interesting work done, or it may be the right woodlot because nothing has been done, and we can discuss how to get started. Time is an important factor here; act today.
We are also contemplating workshop style events at the field day. Participants might for example spend a whole morning pruning trees, or learning to select which trees to harvest. Let us know your preferences.
Brown Spruce Longhorn Beetle. The only resolution from the membership at the annual meeting directed the Board to represent the rights and welfare of woodlot owners under the new regulations for containment of the BSLB. Of particular concern to the Board is the inflammatory language used to describe the beetle and its possible impact. The fear of utter devastation could possibly lead landowners to rashly agreeing to have their woodlots stripped. The more advisable course is to assess the real damage and potential risks on your woodlots, and to make plans to deal with these areas. If you are unskilled at management planning yourself, getting the advice of a forester or management planner who uses multiple techniques to manage the forest and to keep the forest structure as intact as possible is advised.
Seeking Input. Have you heard talk about biomass harvesting? Cogeneration? The NSWOOA is preparing to represent woodlot owners on these and other issues, and it is helpful to have your input. Is it a good idea? Can the allowable cut for NS support another market? What restrictions should reasonably be put on this market? The NSWOOA expects to be making presentations to the forest strategy hearings when they commence, so give us your thoughts on this and other issues that need to be dealt with.
Pay the Piper. Membership fees are the only source of income for our Association. By oversight, the membership renewal form was omitted from the pre Annual meeting mail out. If you also had an oversight and forgot to renew your 2007 membership, please send it in to our mail box:
NSWOOA
P.O. Box 823
Truro, N.S. B2N 5G6
Hello, woodlot owners,
This is a busy time for the directors of the NSWOOA, but we are trying a new project,
to communicate with members, through this update for those on line.
New address. For those who would like to communicate with the Directors, to communicate ideas and concerns, to give input or ask questions, our email address is now nswooa@gmail.com
Annual General Meeting April 14. It was good to see many of you at the annual meeting. This year we were focusing on practical advice, especially for those beginning to manage their woodlots, but for experienced folk too. We will miss the contributions of Will Martin and Adam Campbell from the Board, but welcome Austin Parsons aboard. Minga O’Brien updated us on our involvement with Ecology Action Center’s Standing Tall Campaign which we joined at last year’s annual meeting. Presentations were made on management plans, sustainable forest funds, how Group Savoie distributes silviculture funds, progress on the restoration handbook being prepared by the North Mountain Old Forest Society, and much more.
Help wanted. The Board is searching for a woodlot owner who can offer help by taking over management of our website, nswooa.ca. The site is visited by news organizations and prospective members, as well as members looking for news and events. Frequent updates of information, changing pictures, adding pages and features would be involved. A vibrant web site is Important to our growth and influence. If you can help or know someone who can, respond to the above address.
Opportunity knocks. The Board is offering a $1000 incentive to any member (or woodlot owner willing to become a member) to host our annual woodlot tour and demonstration day. You can nominate yourself or a friend. The successful woodlot may have some interesting work done, or it may be the right woodlot because nothing has been done, and we can discuss how to get started. Time is an important factor here; act today.
We are also contemplating workshop style events at the field day. Participants might for example spend a whole morning pruning trees, or learning to select which trees to harvest. Let us know your preferences.
Brown Spruce Longhorn Beetle. The only resolution from the membership at the annual meeting directed the Board to represent the rights and welfare of woodlot owners under the new regulations for containment of the BSLB. Of particular concern to the Board is the inflammatory language used to describe the beetle and its possible impact. The fear of utter devastation could possibly lead landowners to rashly agreeing to have their woodlots stripped. The more advisable course is to assess the real damage and potential risks on your woodlots, and to make plans to deal with these areas. If you are unskilled at management planning yourself, getting the advice of a forester or management planner who uses multiple techniques to manage the forest and to keep the forest structure as intact as possible is advised.
Seeking Input. Have you heard talk about biomass harvesting? Cogeneration? The NSWOOA is preparing to represent woodlot owners on these and other issues, and it is helpful to have your input. Is it a good idea? Can the allowable cut for NS support another market? What restrictions should reasonably be put on this market? The NSWOOA expects to be making presentations to the forest strategy hearings when they commence, so give us your thoughts on this and other issues that need to be dealt with.
Pay the Piper. Membership fees are the only source of income for our Association. By oversight, the membership renewal form was omitted from the pre Annual meeting mail out. If you also had an oversight and forgot to renew your 2007 membership, please send it in to our mail box:
NSWOOA
P.O. Box 823
Truro, N.S. B2N 5G6
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