Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association: links

Introduction to low-impact forestry
In 1946,the Maritime Forest Ranger School established a 10 acre study area on the University of New Brunswick woodlot to compare long-term wood volume yields between clearcutting, selection cutting, and no cutting ... MORE

Guidelines for low-impact forestry
Too often, landowners who care deeply about their woodlands have been dismayed at the aftermath of cutting on their land. The logger promised to cut the lot "selectively"--and he did. He "selected" the best trees and left the rest, with little care for the future ... MORE
Available by permission of the Maine Low-Impact Forestry Project

See our links list to access excellent on-line resources.

Acadian Forest Families (Nagaya)
A group of Maritime woodlot owners certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC, see below) through Nagaya Forest Restoration.

Ecology Action Centre
The Ecology Action Centre has been an active advocate, protecting the environment since 1971. The Centre's earliest projects included recycling, composting, and energy conservation ... MORE

GPI Forest Accounts Report
GPI Atlantic is a non-profit research group, founded in 1997, to develop an index of sustainable development and well being -- the Genuine Progress Index ... MORE

FSC Canada
The Forest Stewardship Council is an international non-profit organization founded in 1993 to support environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests ... MORE

A list of woodlot owners supplying FSC-certified wood is available from the website of the Standing Tall Campaign.

The North Mountain Old Forest Society
We are a non-profit group founded in January 2001, dedicated to ensuring the long-term well-being of privately owned woodlands in Nova Scotia ... MORE

Picea Forestry Consultants
As a private woodlot owner, do you recognize the values and potential in your forest? MORE

Standing Tall Campaign
What do you think of when you think of Nova Scotia's forests? Shaded trout streams? Mayflowers and ladyslippers? Blazing fall colours? Well-paid jobs in our small towns? Maple syrup? The clean smell of freshly-sawn broad pine boards? Trees so wide it's hard to get your arms around them? ... MORE

The Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project
A joint effort of the Environmental Coalition of Prince Edward Island and the Sir Andrew Macphail Foundation, The Macphail WoodsEcological Forestry Project combines protection of the natural areaalong the streams with ... MORE

elements
Seeing the forest AND the trees --Sustainable forestry ... MORE
(bilingual site)

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

Latest developments in natural resources policy planning

Voluntary Planning is an agency of the Nova Scotia provincial government that has been preparing recommendations on natural resources policy for the province. Voluntary Planning's Citizen Engagement Committee released its report on the first phase of this project, "The Future of Nova Scotia's Natural Resources: Our Common Ground" on April 17, 2009. Click here to view this report.

The NSWOOA has participated in this process and continues to monitor it. Our presentation to Voluntary Planning may be viewed here.

Appointments to the panels of expertise that will help guide natural resources strategy in the province were announced in late July.

For information on Phase 2 of the Natural Resources project, please visit the Voluntary Planning website.

Do you want to grow high-value trees?

In 2008, the NSWOOA completed an exciting education and outreach project designed to educate Nova Scotia woodlot owners and contractors about how to grow high-value trees. This approach is an alternative to clearcutting because trees are harvested individually or in small groups once they have reached their full potential.

We have finished distributing educational materials by mail and holding educational programs for woodlot owners. However, educational materials are still available online. (See below.)

This project was administered by the Association for Sustainable Forestry and funded by the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources. The NSWOOA delivered services in partnership with Picea Forestry Consulting and Wild Words Editorial Services.

Funding assistance

Financial assistance for woodlot owners practicing selection management, crop tree release, or crop tree pruning (silviculture treatments used to grow high-value trees) may be available through a provincial program for qualifying woodlots (the Category 7 Quality Silviculture Improvement Program). For information, please contact Association for Sustainable Forestry Coordinator Rebecca Aggas at (902) 895-1179 or rjaggas@asforestry.com

This excellent funding program has been renewed for 2009-2010.

How to get information

An information package on how to grow high-value trees and apply for Category 7 funding is available for viewing or download at http://www.asforestry.com/PDFs/outreach/UnevenAgedManagementInfo.pdf

A list of references, many of which are available free or at low cost, can be viewed or downloaded at http://www.asforestry.com/PDFs/outreach/UnevenAgedManagementReferenceList.pdf

Application forms and technical criteria for Category 7 funding may be downloaded from the ASF website, http://www.asforestry.com/ The ASF will also send you these materials in the mail.

See below for a list of additional materials available on the Internet, with links.

Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association

Education

Links