NSWOOA Update 25: July 2009

In this issue:
NSWOOA field day
Congratulations to the new minister of the Department of Natural Resources
Insect report from a NSWOOA member in the field
Sympathies
Comments on Acadian Forest restoration from Wade Prest
Uneven-aged management notes from Patricia Amero
How to reach us

Hello Woodlot Owners,

Well, the government has changed, “turned over” as they used to say. You, the reader, a woodlot owner, have received an invitation from the new Minister of Natural Resources to discuss the forestry industry. You know that Industry has well-prepared presentations and easy access to the minister. In preparation to the meeting, you make some notes on the present issues and opportunities.

You also know that contractors are going out of business, mills have been laying off workers or closing down. There is a great pressure for the new minister to boost forestry employment and to make changes that will make it easier and cheaper for large forest-based companies to operate profitably. The current pressure is to develop a biomass industry, and it is being sold as a “green” alternative. Large tracts of land are being sold off, possibly to foreign owners or to developers for non-forestry use. Nova Scotia is at the very bottom of the list for the number of jobs created per ton of timber harvested. What about climate change? Beetles? And the list goes on.

On the other side, DNR has recently put forth initiatives in multi-aged forest management, silviculture options, and certification. A review of forest policy has been under way, the first phase of which makes it very clear that there is a great deal of public interest in forestry, and a desire by the public to be involved in forestry-management decisions.

You will have half an hour. What will you advise the new minister?

Please let us know.


NSWOOA Field Day September 19, 2009
Woodlot of Marlene and Lloyd Langille
Hopewell Area, near New Glasgow

If you’re a landowner with a bog, swamp, marsh or other wetlands on your property, a mid-September field day in Pictou County will be of particular interest.

That’s because John Brazner, wetland and water specialist for Nova Scotia Environment, will be on hand to listen to comments or concerns and answer questions about a draft provincial wetland policy.

Mr. Brazner will be one of several presenters at a Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association field day on Saturday, Sept. 19. The event will be hosted by Lloyd and Marlene Langille of the Hopewell area, near New Glasgow.

Wetlands provide a wide range of ecosystem services, including cleaner drinking water, carbon storage, and wildlife habitat, often for rare or endangered species.

“For small woodlot owners . . . some of the key roles and services associated with wetlands include moderating the effects of large rains by storing water, stabilizing runoff and minimizing erosion and flooding,” said Mr. Brazner in an email interview.

“The policy will represent a commitment to managing Nova Scotia’s wetlands in a consistent manner and to balance the desire for maintaining a high level of wetland integrity for future generations with the current need for sustainable economic development in our communities,” said Mr. Brazner. “Ultimately, the policy is intended to prevent the net loss of Nova Scotia’s valuable wetlands.”

Mr. Brazner said that net loss doesn’t mean every wetland will be protected. He said government will continue to base project-development decisions on avoiding wetlands or requiring mitigation efforts or compensation when avoidance isn’t possible.

Developing a new wetland policy by the end of 2009 is a legislated commitment under the province’s Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act. There will be public consultation before a policy is finalized.

More details on the field day, which will feature local food for lunch and wagon rides to different parts of the woodlot, will be released over the summer. The event will be held on a 130-acre mixed woodlot where the Langilles have been harvesting annually for more than 40 years. They’ve done so mainly through selection harvesting—cutting trees singly or in small groups—so wood volume has been retained and cut areas are vigorous and healthy with natural regeneration.

Also on the field day

NSWOOA member Rodney Spencer has agreed to participate in the field day on the Langille woodlot by demonstrating his Wood-Mizer bandsaw. He will bring some jigs to show how woodlot owners can produce value-added products, such as siding for buildings, etc. Rodney is well known for his sawing services and has been featured in the Update in past issues.

Information on registration, times, and the agenda will follow in a future Update, as well as directions to the site. Please make an effort to attend, and bring as many woodlot owner neighbours and interested folk as possible.

For more information on the field day, please contact George Johnson, chair of the NSWOOA field day committee, at 897-3750 (cell) or by email.

Congratulations

The Board and members of the NSWOOA offer hearty congratulations to John MacDonnell on his recent appointment to the position of Minister of the Department of Natural Resources. John’s approach to the management of the forests and the forest industry may well be different from that of many of our past ministers, as he began his experiences with woodlots as a horse logger. We wish him well in his new position and look forward to working with him for the betterment of the forests and woodlot owners.

Wildlife Report

Actual correspondence from a NSWOOA member in the field/woods June 10 .

"The mosquitoes have basically joined in with the blackflies, and now horseflies are part of the mix. Let's not forget the ticks. It depends on where you are and what kind of woods you are in. The no-seeums should arrive soon. Thanks goodness for this cool, damp weather. Really!! "

Sympathies

The Board and members of the NSWOOA extend sincere sympathies to former NSWOOA president Tom Miller and his family on the passing of Tom’s father.

Something to Think About

Jamie Simpson’s book Restoring the Acadian Forest contains several interviews with woodlot owners who have been involved in the restoration struggle. One interview is with Wade Prest:
“Prest has seen a gradual decline in the value of woodlots in the Acadian Forest causing higher volume harvesting of low value wood. He believes this trend towards quantity over quality prevents woodlot owners from managing their woodlots the way they would like. Instead they are forced to compete with contractors harvesting wood fibre on sites that would otherwise be uneconomical to harvest. ‘This leads to the fact that the benefits of owning land are being taken out private ownership … and being transferred to big companies, and this is not good for the forests or society.’” (Page 106. Copies of this book are available from Jamie.)

UAM Notes: Using silviculture funding to help offset restoration costs, part two
By Patricia Amero, RPF

In the previous newsletter, I discussed the silviculture treatment of fill planting—particularly underplanting, a type of fill planting that involves planting desired species under partial tree canopy. For this issue, I will discuss how fill planting can be used together with selection management to help you offset the cost of restoration and improvement efforts.

Selection management is part of the silviculture funding Category 7, Forest Quality Improvement, of the province’s Forest Sustainability Regulations and is available through the Association for Sustainable Forestry’s silviculture program as well as various Registered Buyers’ silviculture programs. Selection management involves the periodic harvest of trees that will not improve in growth or quality by means of individual tree selection and/or harvesting small groups of trees through patch cuts of various sizes. The aim is to create growing space for various aged and sized trees that are vigorous and are of good quality, often referred to as crop trees, promoting their growth and quality development, producing high-value forest products, and encouraging the regenerating class. Selection management is generally practiced in uneven-aged stands, but it also can be used to achieve multi-aged and structured forest conditions.

Take, for instance, a forest stand that contains an upper canopy of mature trees such as Balsam fir, White spruce, Red maple, and scattered Yellow birch and White ash with an intermediate class of immature spruce, Red maple, and some birches. Primarily Balsam fir, Red maple, and some Yellow birch are regenerating under canopy. A selection harvest could be used to salvage a portion of the maturing Balsam fir and White spruce while leaving partial canopy to provide conditions in which shade-tolerant species would be encouraged to fill in and establish.

However, because Balsam fir and Red maple are fairly shade-tolerant and aggressive, it might be difficult for Yellow birch regeneration to emerge and might be especially difficult for other desired species such as Red spruce, Hemlock, Sugar maple, and White ash to fill in, due not only to the prevalence of the Balsam Fir and Red maple but also because of the lack of desired seed sources in the area. In this case, fill planting (in the form of underplanting), as discussed in part one, can be used together with selection management to help move succession along for the next-generation forest.

Funding is available for both treatments as long as the criteria associated with each of these silviculture treatments are achievable. The criteria for fill planting, silviculture Category 1, were outlined in part one. In order to qualify for selection management, Category 7c, the following criteria must be met:

• Three different height classes must be present with one height class being at least 10 meters (33 feet). (Height classes are essentially the same as age classes.)
• At least 80% of the area must be covered by trees, but the height doesn’t matter.
• After treatment, the basal area must average 16-30 m2 per hectare, of which 5 m2 per hectare must consist of qualifying shade-tolerant species.
• After treatment, areas of dense young softwoods 3-7 meters (10-23 feet) tall and hardwoods 6-9 meters (20-30 feet) tall must be spaced 1.5 meters (5 feet) apart.

For more detailed information regarding selection management and criteria to be eligible for silviculture funding, please refer to this website. For a pdf on uneven-aged management, click here.

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 these updates, newsletters and mailouts, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and this website.

NSWOOA Update 10: January 2008

Hello Woodlot Owners!

Picture this: It was a warm sunny day in early hunting season in, probably, the mid eighties. Twenty-eight "townie" teenagers were following Maurice Bruhm and their grade 11 Economics teacher around Maurice's sawmill in Cornwall, Lunenburg County, and then on a tour of his woodlot. In their hands, the kids carried a sheet of questions which would elicit information from their guide and provide the substance of their field trip report.

For those of you who knew Maurice Bruhm, it will not be hard to conjure up his thick Lunenburg County "Dutch" accent, or his quiet, thoughtful way of speaking. In fact, Maurice spoke so quietly and unassumingly that the visitors had to be very still and to listen intently to catch his words.

At one spot, Maurice stopped by some flagging tape tied to some shrubs. No one knew what the plant was. "Labrador Tea," said Maurice. "I don't know what to do about it. It was pointed out to me that it was there, so I marked it to keep it from being destroyed. We tend to destroy things if we don't know they are there. So I marked them." Such were his lessons.

At the next stop, Maurice showed the students a particularly fertile area, a ridge of good soil that grew trees very well. He explained that he had harvested trees there a number of times in his life time, and his father had before him, and that there was as much wood on this land now as there had ever been. This was his lesson in selective harvesting.

The third stop was another stand of mostly conifers, about six to seven inches in diameter. Without even the hint of a smile he quietly stated that he was going to wait until there was 100 board feet of lumber in each tree before he cut them and milled them. There were no comments from the students, as they jotted this information on their fact sheets.

Later, when questioned alone about his bold statement, Maurice claimed that he couldn't resist testing to see if the youngsters understood the concepts he was getting at. And, it seems, he was enjoying his joke on them. Youth seldom has a sense of the passage of time that comes with working with the forest. He smiled at it all.

Sadly, Maurice passed away a few years later, a great loss to his family and the community. As for his visitors, doubtless their lessons that day have informed them of forest management issues thereafter. More of our youth should have the opportunity to be guided by the Maurice Bruhms of this province.

You Are Invited…

On Tuesday January 22 at 7:00 pm there will be a meeting of interested directors and NSWOOA members at the Community Room in Elmsdale Superstore.

The purpose of this meeting is to decide upon the content, form and vision of the NSWOOA's presentation to Voluntary Planning's Natural Resources Strategy Project Committee, which is going to make recommendations for a long-term strategy for provincial forests, biodiversity, and other natural resources. (For more information about this process see the Voluntary Planning website .) The NSWOOA was one of several organizations that called on the provincial government to put Voluntary Planning in charge of developing a new natural resources strategy. It is expected that the session on January 22 will produce a document that will be presented to our Annual General Meeting for discussion and possible adoption.

This is a very important issue and opportunity. Please make an effort to attend.

Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project
By Flora Johnson, NSWOOA Member Services Coordinator

As many of you already know, we have begun work on an exciting new campaign to promote uneven-aged management techniques among woodlot owners and contractors. The Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project now has a telephone number (902-673-2278) and email address (outreach@asforestry.com) . We hope all NSWOOA members will call or email us so that you can receive our packet of information materials and be notified of upcoming educational sessions.

Please note that the Outreach Project telephone number given in the last update unfortunately had to be changed after the update was sent. If you called that number and did not receive an answer, please try us again at 673-2278. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Outreach Project staff are putting the finishing touches on a survey that we hope to administer to woodlot owners and contractors who contact us. Please help us make sure we collect information from as many woodlot owners and contractors as possible, particularly ones with an interest in uneven-aged management. Just email me at the outreach@asforestry.com, and I'll be happy to either send you a copy of the survey via email or call you and ask you the questions in person.

Also in the planning stages are workshops and field days to be held all over the province. Stay tuned for updates about these as they are planned.

The Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project is being conducted by NSWOOA under a contract with the Association for Sustainable Forestry with funding from the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources. Our partner in delivering services under the contract is Picea Forestry Consulting and Woodlot Management of Bridgewater, NS. I would like to express my personal thanks to Patricia Amero, Registered Professional Forester and one of the owners of Picea, for her hard work and dedication to this project.

AGM Planning Has Begun

At the January 10 Directors meeting, the initial planning for this year's AGM began with the decision to hold the meeting in the Elmsdale area on Saturday, April 12. Decisions are tentative at this stage, but the character of the event is taking shape.

The overall theme is value woodlot products and value added wood products (as opposed to large quantities of low valued products). Of course there will also be the business meeting and such to be done.

Morning events will probably include a presentation on the Category 7 Outreach Project and a presentation/discussion of our forestry practice submission to the Voluntary Planning review of provincial natural resources policy. Be sure to be there to have your input heard.

The afternoon will probably see a tour of a sawmill, with the opportunity to ask questions of the mill managers, wood buyers and so on.

Depending on the size of the facility chosen for the meeting, booths may be available for members and others to display their products and advertise services. If you are interested please contact us at nswooa@gmail.com so that we may gauge interest. As well, we invite members to supply business cards and pamphlets for those attending to pick up at the registration desk.

As mentioned, plans are only tentative at this point, but the meeting seems to be shaping up to be a really valuable event to attend. Stay tuned for additional information—times, locations, etc. Information will be posted on this website, and you will receive a notice about the meeting along with a request to renew your membership if you haven't already.

Membership Renewals

Please remember that membership fees are our main source of income, and this is renewal season. Memberships go with the calendar year, and almost every one of us has to renew for 2008. If you have friends or neighbors who are interested in the issues and concerns that we deal with please invite them to join our ranks. You should soon receive a renewal notice from Flora, our membership coordinator, by email or by regular mail. Flora will also be sending a renewal form with the newsletter/notice of meeting for the AGM, for those who have not yet paid.

Membership renewal forms can be mailed in directly. We will also accept memberships at the Annual General Meeting on April 12.

An Interesting Request

Director Austin Parsons, who teaches architecture, has received the following request from a student, and passes it along to us: "I was wondering if you could direct me to a directory of sustainable woodlots in the province--specifically in Colchester County. I've been hunting around on the internet but am not coming up with much."

Austin explains that he does not know of any directory, or for that matter, if anyone has an agreed upon definition of a sustainable woodlot. He remembered that Kim Thompson had compiled the Eastern Shore Wood Directory, but not much more came to mind.

It seems that there is a need for various directories around the province, as we often get queries from woodlot owners and others for a directory of FSC products, of portable sawmills, of particular products, of horse loggers, of silviculture contractors, and, of course, contractors who will do multi-age multi-species harvesting.

The Standing Tall Campaign for Environmentally Responsible Forestry has compiled a list of woodlot owners supplying FSC-certified wood. If any members out there have knowledge of a directory that would be of use to Austin's student, or other directories that cover any of the other categories, please advise us by email. We will pass the information along. Perhaps we could compile a directory of directories.

Conservation of Working Land

Note: There has been interest lately in conservation easements attached to lands, or other methods by which owners can protect their forest land from practices they deem unfit, after they are deceased. There are a variety of methods and institutions available, and some are more suitable in some instances than others. Jennifer Scott's article below details one method. Hopefully we will receive details on other methods and pass them along as well. Incidentally, Rupert Jannasch, cited below, is a NSWOOA member.

Two Nova Scotia farms protected by conservation easements
By Jen Scott

Working land is land that is worked to produce food or forest products. This kind of land might be worth protecting because it is important for food production, it contributes to biodiversity, it has been well taken care of for generations, or it has valuable woodland that should not be clearcut. The land might be threatened by urban sprawl, or by economic conditions that would make it tempting for the landowner to sell off parcels, or clearcut the woodlot.

How can we protect important working land? One way is to use a conservation easement--a legal document that is attached to the deed, placing restrictions on the use of the land even if the property is sold. The easement is negotiated with the landowner, then registered with the province. A designated "eligible body" takes on the responsibility of ensuring the landowner adheres to the terms.

The Ecology Action Centre (EAC), based in Halifax, has been added to the Eligible Body list under Nova Scotia's Conservation Easement Act. Through its agriculture-oriented sub-group called Heliotrust, the EAC now holds easements with two farms in Hants County: Avonmouth Farm and Red Fox Co-op. EAC does not own the farms, but as the easement holder, it has an interest in ensuring the 300 acres are managed in an ecological manner, according to the terms of the agreements. To that end, a community-based monitoring system will be developed.

These two conservation easements are structured to protect the farm and woodland from subdivision and development, but they are for "working" land, as opposed to "wild" land. This is an important distinction, as it recognizes the stewardship responsibility of the farmer. The land must be managed in an ecological manner, no matter who owns it.

In signing the conservation easement, the farmer gives up some of the real estate value of the farmland, because it cannot be sold for non-farm purposes. This makes the land more affordable for the next person who wants to purchase it for farming.

The real estate value of a farm is a function of what people would be willing to pay for it. This makes farms closest to urban centers, and those with particularly beautiful attributes, the most vulnerable to speculative hikes in value. Theoretically, the value of the conservation easement is roughly equivalent to the difference between the market value of the land and its productive value as a working farm. In negotiating what it would pay the owners of Avonmouth Farm and Red Fox Co-op, the EAC obtained independent appraisals from a farm economist and a real estate professional.

Both farms have woodlots, but woodlands on Avonmouth Farm are a significant part of the farm operation. Rupert Jannasch took over Avonmouth in 2003, and has been developing various horticultural and forestry enterprises. He says he is pleased with the easement agreement, but he points out that an agricultural landowner who trades away development rights is assuming a degree of risk. "Consider a scenario in the future when a landowner, a farmer, no longer wishes to or is unable to farm," says Jannasch. "He still owns the land, but sold a conservation easement 20 years earlier prohibiting other uses. No young farmers are waiting to fill his shoes. Perhaps new food safety regulations make it impossible to produce food, or there is no longer a willing labor force. . . . What does the landowner do?" Such uncertainties must be weighed against the benefits of protecting the land.

A government program or a larger charitable organization with significant financial resources would be able to achieve the same objective by purchasing agricultural acreage and leasing it to farmers, but in the near future there are no prospects for this in Nova Scotia. For now, the protection of farmland depends to a large extent on landowners' commitment to the principle.

Heliotrust has set up a special conservation fund, with the interest to be used for monitoring conserved land and covering any legal fees that may be necessary to ensure compliance with the terms of easements in the future. The EAC hopes to increase the fund in order to protect more working land. Charitable receipts are issued by EAC for donations. To contribute to the working land conservation effort, specify that the donation is for Heliotrust's farmland conservation fund.

News and updates from Heliotrust may be found at The Heliotrust Journal.

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). 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.

NSWOOA Update: December

Photo by Flora Johnson

Christmas Wish
May you have a joyous and peaceful Christmas, and may you be richly blessed in the New Year.

From the Board of Directors of the NSWOOA

Hello Woodlot Owners,

The NSWOOA sometimes receives requests from university students who are looking for information to be used on school projects. Topics range from what restoration of the Acadian Forest means to low-impact forestry, and even to our views or policies on silviculture, market conditions, etc. So it was that we were not surprised when early in the spring of 2007 a young lady called the NSWOOA with a question about nontimber forest products. The student, from Newfoundland, was taking Environmental Studies at Dalhousie. She was surveying the Atlantic Provinces for a paper she was writing on nontimber forest products.

"What nontimber forest products do your members produce?" she wanted to know.

"Well, we don't have that information. We do not have a database of what each member produces and how much or how often. Maybe we should have but … We do know some products that various members produce, but we have no systematic or thorough records."

The young lady was disappointed, perhaps because the project was going to be harder than she had anticipated. She did seem pleased to know one member was making garden fixtures from willows, another was selling photos of woodland plants and landscapes, and still others were doing wreaths, mushrooms, and, yes, maple syrup. It would be interesting though to have a copy of her completed project.

Let us know of any interesting nontimber forest products you are involved with. Contact us by email or phone. Now read what NSWOOA Director Dave Parker has to say about this topic.

Nontimber Forest Products

By Dave Parker, Director NSWOOA

Many forest landowners have a growing interest in ways to diversify income from their lands without resorting to the now traditional clearcut even-aged model of forestry. The decades that are required to convert damaged stands to their Acadian Forest roots may mean a long period between paydays. Here are a few possibilities for producing income that do not require significant timber harvesting.

The options available to generate income can be divided into two categories: goods and services. Goods are the more traditional items and generally have established markets and pricing. They also will likely have more competition in the marketplace. These include fir brush for Christmas wreaths , swags, etc., and of course maple products if your holdings have suitable stands. Rustic furniture made from excess young growth is in growing demand and really is only limited by one's imagination and talents. Stout walking sticks for hikers and gardeners as well as the traditional rustic canes also have some market. An unusual forest "product" that has enjoyed some past success is the sale of chanterelle mushrooms which grow abundantly in some forest types in wet seasons like 2007. For those more agriculturally inclined, there are several types of fungi that cannot be grown domestically. They must be grown on decaying hardwood stumps or logs. I suspect this would be both an interesting and challenging way to market low-grade poplar logs being remove from regenerating sites. Finally, if you live near an urban center, there is some market for tree and shrub seedlings. These may be transplanted to containers as wildlings or they may be grown from seed. The increasing awareness of climate change and all things natural bodes well for the future of this market.

The sale of services by landowners is certainly less well established and yet may now offer more potential than the sale of goods. As our society becomes more urbanized and ever busier the peace and solitude that many of us treasure in our woodlands are becoming a marketable service. Possibilities here include the leasing of camp lots to other users or the construction and monthly rental of facilities. Facilities can range from the most rustic camps to elaborate chalets. Potential clients include snowmobilers, hikers, birdwatchers, hunters, cross country skiers, and people who just want to get away from it all. One can tailor their business to the nature of the property as well as the type of clientele they wish to do business with.

Several landowners in my area are awaiting the development of wind energy turbines on their lands. These turbines involve an access road and a relatively small footprint for the tower while leaving the remaining area free to grow forest. This idea, however, is not compatible with the one discussed in the previous paragraph!

Finally, although our woodlands provide the essential services of purifying our air and filtering our water, we cannot yet sell this service. In the near future, however, landowners who commit their forests to long term sustainable Acadian Forests may get paid for sequestering carbon. This will be a vital component in the battle against global warming. I suspect that small landowners will need to band together to provide a larger unit to interest large corporations who need to purchase carbon credits. Yet another good reason to belong to NSWOOA.

Breaking News

By Flora Johnson, NSWOOA member services coordinator

The Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association has great news for woodlot owners and contractors. We will soon be promoting uneven-aged management throughout the province, thanks to a contract we were awarded by the Association for Sustainable Forestry. This outreach campaign, which begins in January and continues through the summer, will include informational materials and educational programs that will be offered free all over the province. Some woodlot owners and contractors will even have the opportunity to receive free site visits and consultations from NSWOOA members.

This outreach project is taking place under a contract NSWOOA was awarded by the ASF in a competitive process, with funding for the project coming from the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources. Many of the services will be delivered by Picea Forestry Consulting and Woodlot Management of Bridgewater, NS, which consists of NSWOOA members Patricia Amero, a Registered Professional Forester, and Sandy Hyde, Forest Technician. Other NSWOOA members will also be assisting as needed.

During this campaign, we hope to collect information from woodlot owners and contractors for use in preparing a report for ASF and NSDNR outlining challenges that may be preventing woodlot owners and contractors from engaging in uneven-aged management. This report will also recommend improvements in the Category 7 funding program, which provides support for silviculture techniques that are consistent with uneven-aged management ( i.e., selection management, crop tree release, and crop tree pruning). We'll be talking to woodlot owners and contractors both one on one and in discussion groups during our educational programs, and we will also be asking woodlot owners and contractors to help us by completing a short survey. Those who complete the survey will be entered in a prize draw, with several prizes to be awarded this coming fall.

You can find out more about this campaign by calling the project telephone number (902-673-2278) after January 1, writing to the project email address (outreach@asforestry.com), or visiting the project website. Please help us by contacting us and completing our survey!

Information about other NSWOOA programs is available at this website, from our email address (nswooa@gmail.com), or by calling ( 902) 633-2108.

Christmas Quiz

Every interest group has its own jargon, and woodlot owners are no different. Indeed, it's hard for a civilian to understand two woodlot owners in conversation because of all the terms, acronyms, and abbreviations. To test your knowledge of N.S. woodlot-owner jargon, identify thesefollowing terms (answers below):

1. ASF


2. EAC


3. FPANS


4. GPS


5. FSC


6. rS


7. AFR


8. Neenah


9. CFS


10. FPFANS


11. PCT


12. NFA


13. CPAWS


14. NSSA


15. VP


16. CWSD


17. CFIA


18. Nagaya


19. AAC


20. NSDNR

Christmas Quiz Answers

1. ASF: Association for Sustainable Forestry (the agency that administers forest sustainability funds for registered buyers who do not have their own programs)


2. EAC: Ecology Action Center


3. FPANS: Forest Products Association of Nova Scotia


4. GPS: Global Positioning System (used in plotting woodlot treatments)


5. FSC: Forest Stewardship Council (the agency that certifies forest-management practices)


6. rS: Red Spruce, our provincial tree


7. AFR: Atlantic Forestry Review


8. Neenah: the pulp mill at Abercrombie


9. CFS: Canadian Forest Service, a Federal agency


10. RPFANS: Registered Professional Foresters Association of Nova Scotia (credentials)


11. PCT: precommercial thinning


12. NFA: Nova Forest Alliance (Nova Scotia's Model Forest)


13. CPAWS: Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society


14. NSSA: Nova Scotia Salmon Association (woodlot owners are not the only ones concerned with the forest's health)


15. VP: Voluntary Planning (the organization which will conduct the forest strategy review in Nova Scotia)


16. CWSD: Central Wood Supply Division (the now dormant division of the NSWOOA that marketed pulp in Central Nova Scotia)


17. CFIA: Canadian Food Inspection Agency ( the federal agency behind the brown longhorn bark beetle exclusion zone)


18. Nagaya: Bill McKay's company that through Smartwood provides FSC certification to woodlot owners.


19. AAC: Annual Allowable Cut


20. NSDNR: Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources

Rating

16-20: Excellent. Consider a Directorship in the NSWOOA.
12-15: You're up on your lingo.
8-11: A brush up would be a good idea.
0-8: Better shut off the chain saw and study the literature.

Check This Out

Director Gerald Romsa suggests that we all should read a November 30 Globe and Mail article available online. Titled "It Ain't Easy," the six-page article by Konrad Yakabuski deals with the worldwide market in forest products and compares our own products and producers with the competition. Stora Enso in Canada is related to Stora in Finland. A warning is appropriate: If you already have high blood pressure or are suffering stress, you may want to avoid this article.

Some points made can be quite disturbing; for example, the author writes, "Content for decades to send low-value-added lumber and paper products to a hungry U.S. market, and encouraged by government policy to maximize jobs in far-flung mill towns, our companies long ignored the need to innovate and modernize. We are now left with the most unproductive forest products sector in the developed world, unprepared to contend with either new competition from developing countries or a weak U.S. dollar."

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

Paul Brison

NSWOOA Secretary

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.

News Bulletin: 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. To email this information to a friend, click on the white envelope symbol below.

NSWOOA Update, October 2007

Hello, woodlot owners:

This past summer provided an opportunity to visit Newfoundland, and of course a woodlot owner would be expected to check out the forests!

Ninety-two percent of that island's forests are Crown Lands, so there is no real woodlot owner culture there. Grey and dying spruce was noted scattered all along the Trans Canada, virtually from ferry terminal to St. John's. It seems they may have some of the same insect and climate challenges we have.

History books describe Newfoundland's forests as dominated by pines, and many stories recorded in the variety of books on Newfoundland verify this observation. However, today's visitors would have a difficult time spotting any pine that were not in obvious small plantations. Near Glenwood, Central Newfoundland, a Bowater Company Road permitted access deeper into the forests. There between kilometer 14 and kilometer 16 (distances are posted) a few medium sized pines were noted. Smaller pines and seedlings clustered around the larger pines. Obviously these trees had been spared when the surrounding area had been harvested. Why? Around Nova Scotia it is common to see pine left on acreage that has been otherwise clear cut, but the situation was different there. A local man who runs a processor in the woods near this area explained that they, harvester operators and contractors, were forbidden to cut pine. "If Forestry checks the worksite and finds a pine tree cut, you get a $500 fine," he explained. Those contractors and their operators have to be commended, as does the province's protection policy, for their efforts to protect such a valuable tree species. Whether we here in Nova Scotia would be as successful protecting a tree species miles deep in the woods is a question to ponder.

Here at Home

Speaking of grey and dying spruce, NSWOOA President Lorne Burrows has been noticing that there are dead and dying spruce in many places throughout the province. Some areas are affected more than others.

Is this an issue we should be following? How are woodlot owners dealing with this problem on their lands? We would like to start gathering information on this issue. Talk to a director, call us, or use our email address.

Acadian Forest Science Conference

Minga O'Brien, one of the organizers, tells us that there are a number of spaces available for the big conference slated for Oct. 10-13 in Fredericton. Especially she warns us not to be put off by that word science, as the idea of the conference is to bring us practical and useful information that we--ordinary woodlot owners--can use on our land. The public forum and field trips should make this a useful conference. For more information visit the website.

Category 7 Silviculture

Director Austin Parsons is now our representative on the oversight committee that administers the new dedicated funding for Category 7, Forest Quality Improvement, silviculture treatments. This category includes crop tree release, crop tree pruning, and selection management for tolerant softwood, mixed wood, or hardwood stands. It is more or less up to woodlot owners and the contractors who work suitable lands to make sure that these funds are used, and used effectively. High demand for these funds will show that a permanent and growing fund is needed. The NSWOOA supports woodlot owners who wish to avail themselves of these funds and is taking steps to familiarize members with the process and regulations. Stay tuned, or contact us directly.

A Rose is a Rose?

Shakespeare asked the question "What's in a name?" At its Sept. 20 meeting, the Board of Directors wrestled briefly with this question.

For some time, it has been apparent that using our full name on a crest, badge, or other item is difficult because the name is so long.Some members thought we should use only "NSWOOA," while others proposed adopting the brand name "NS WOODS" as a short way of designating our Association. In the end it was decided to consult you, our members, for input and reactions. What are the arguments for and against? (Shakespeare's answer, of course, was that "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.") Let any of our directors know your thoughts; inform us by telephone or email. Perhaps you have a logo or emblem idea that we should consider.

Stora Sale

Like everybody else, the NSWOOA is waiting to see whether the sale of the local Stora mill is going to be a good thing. The concern for jobs at the mill is a very real worry, but our concerns do not end there. Not only has the contracting industry already suffered a major hit, but there is also great concern for the woodlot owner. In any event, there is at present every reason to view the sale in a favorable light, and to hope for the best.

Tax Changes for Firewood Suppliers

As of June 21, 2007, any wood vendor that is HST registered is required to provide the customer with a rebate of 8% of the purchase price of firewood delivered to a qualified residential property.

This is because of recent changes in the Point of Sale Rebate portion of the Nova Scotia Government's Your Energy Rebate Program. Since Dec. 1, 2006, the program has given a rebate to residential energy customers equal to the provincial portion of the HST charged on their home energy purchases. Until recently, purchasers of home-delivered firewood had to fill out an application form and send it along with their receipts into Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations to receive their rebate.

With changes to the program made on June 21, vendors are now responsible for providing the 8% rebate directly to qualified purchasers. Once the rebate has been issued, the vendor has up to 24 months from the date of sale to file a claim for reimbursement from the government. A vendor may file up to four claims per month. As part of the program, any HST-registered vendor who delivers firewood to qualified residential customers must register with Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations. If you have questions about the program you can call (902) 424-5200 in the metro area or 1-888-928-8080 (toll free).

Improving Membership Services

The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Flora Johnson has decided to help us with membership services. Her job will involve preparing and circulating newsletters and notices for meetings, acknowledging membership applications (providing new members with by laws and memoranda of association), tracking membership and other such duties. If you have questions about your membership, please contact Flora at 902-673-2278 or by email at the NSWOOA email address. Thank you, Flora, for accepting this challenge and bringing your skills and abilities to our cause.

Can You Hear Us?

Thanks to the diligent work of Flora Johnson we are adding new email addresses to our mail out list. Some members may have received this update via email for the first time this month. If you are not receiving it by email and would like to join them, please let Flora know. We will not give your email address to anyone outside of the Association.

Good News

We received word last week that Bill MacKay has come through his surgery and is on the way to feeling better. So far he admits to being well enough to work on his computer, but he is not yet up to walks in the woods.

Pam Langille writes that they have caught her cancer in its earliest stage, and her prognosis is good. She very much appreciates all the support her friends and acquaintances give her. We look forward to further positive reports.

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). Please feel free to use these methods to keep us informed of what is going on in your woodlot, 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 this website.