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 22: March 2009

In this issue
Notice of Annual General Meeting
Tentative agenda for AGM
The fall field day
Advertise your business or sell products at the AGM
Restoring the Acadian Forest will be available at the AGM
What is ecosystem-based forest management?
NSWOOA Past Presidents featured in Atlantic Forestry
Reminder
How to reach us

Hello Woodlot Owners!

One sermon preachers of every stripe have close at hand is their “Why Go To Church Sermon.” They pull it out and use it whenever they can. If you do go to church you probably have heard it there, and if the padre has visited your home, you may well have heard part of this sermon in the comfort of your own residence. Without going into the religious side of it, the fact is that it is easier and more fulfilling being a member of a group of like-minded individuals who encourage and nurture their common values. Well, it is the same for woodlot owners.

No, really. We don’t join an organization and go its annual general meeting and other events unless there is something in it for us. We can think of the educational elements of the programs, of the group lobbying power, of the intergenerational transfer of woodlots requirements, of meeting old acquaintances, and a lot more, but it comes down to the fact that we feel a sense of community and comradeship from our association with other like-minded woodlot owners. Belonging to this community makes us better woodlot owners. We are better off for it.

Notice of meeting: Annual General Meeting

We want everyone to attend!

Place: United Church Hall, Old Barns. Take Rte. 236 South from Truro 7 Km.
When: Saturday April 18, 9:00-3:30
Who: Members, prospective members, guests
Registration cost: Members $10, Guests $20 (Registration covers the cost of a meal.)
Theme/agenda:·Review of NSWOOA forest management policy, biomass, viewing of Eastern Shore Forest Watch’s “Honour in the Woods”, ecosystem-based management, silviculture funding options

Yes, you can still pay your 2009 dues at the AGM. Please note that if you wish to take advantage of our special $15/year subscription offer to Atlantic Forestry Review, we must have your membership and money no later than the AGM.

Agenda for the 2009 NSWOOA Annual General Meeting

April 18, Old Barns N.S.

Tentative Agenda

8:45-9:00: Registration, membership renewals and new memberships, set up displays, post ads, sell products
9:00-9:15: Call to order, welcome, and President’s address
9:15-10:00: Minutes of 2008 AGM, financial statements/report for 2008
10:00-10:45: Business arising, including letter re Group Savoie, seeking additional funds for Category 7, Voluntary Planning, recognition
10:45-11:00: Recess in business meeting and coffee break
11:00-11:20: New Business, resolutions, other
11:20-11:30: Kim Thompson, "Honor in the Woods"
11:30-11:40: Jamie Simpson, Restoring the Acadian Forest
11:40-12:40: Lunch and viewing of "Honor in the Woods" for those who wish to see it. Exchange materials, sell products, etc.
12:40-1:20: Session on establishing our forest policy
1:20-2:00: Consideration of membership and membership services
2:00- 2:10: Re-open business meeting, nominations of directors, close of business meeting
2:10-3:30: Ecosystem-based management and multi-aged and multi-species management funding from existing silviculture funds
3:30-3:40: Wrap up and adjournment.

Upcoming event

While all the focus is currently on the AGM, please don’t forget the Fall Field Day at the woodlot of Lloyd and Marlene Langille on Saturday, September 19. Rumour has it that horses will be present in the woods. The Langille woodlot is in the Hopewell area.

A membership privilege/perk

All members attending the AGM have the opportunity, free of cost, to set up a small table-top display of products, to circulate business cards, and to distribute pamphlets for their woodlot businesses at the meeting. Use this as an opportunity to promote your business or sell some product. New this year is the opportunity for members to advertise machinery, equipment or product wanted or for sale. Bring an item to advertise on the buy-and-sell bulletin board. Go for it. Sell some maple syrup. Or some woodland crafts. No charge, but let us know of your need for space by calling Charlie Baird at 895 8172.

Books available

Jamie Simpson will be present at the AGM to promote and sell his newly published book Restoring the Acadian Forest: A Guide to Forest Stewardship for Woodlot Owners in the Maritimes. The books are $20 each at the AGM. They are $25 each if you order them through the mail. Books can be ordered by mail from Jamie (bocabec@gmail.com) and you can also make arrangements to pick them up in Halifax or St. Andrews or Fredricton, NB. Contact Jamie for details.

UAM Notes: Ecosystem-Based Forest Management

By Patricia Amero, RPF

What is Ecosystem-Based Forest Management?

Forest managers must do much more than plan. We must be protectors and stewards of the land. To achieve this goal, many of us use an approach to management that is sometimes referred to as ecosystem-based forest management.

Generally speaking, an ecosystem is a community of interacting organisms. Ecosystems generally have similar site conditions (i.e., soil, climate, moisture), and the species in a particular ecosystem are all adapted to these shared environmental conditions. Ecosystems vary from one place to another because of differences in physical characteristics (geology, soils, landforms, topography, and surface materials) and biological characteristics (vegetation, animals, and microbes).

Ecosystems can be found on land (terrestrial) or in the water (aquatic) and can be very large (for example the Earth) or relatively small (a local forest). Ecosystems usually overlap and are interconnected or are dependent on one another through various processes—for instance the water cycle.

The Acadian Forest, where we live, is an ecosystem that contains many different ecosystems. The mix of tree species and other vegetation within each Acadian Forest ecosystem depends on various factors:

• site and soil conditions (aka moisture and nutrient regimes. For instance, wet to very dry sites and nutrient poor to rich fertile sites);
• climate or microclimate (a microclimate is an area where the climate is different from the climate in surrounding areas);
• the way humans have used the land (aka land-use patterns or human disturbances);
• the frequency with which the ecosystem experiences naturally occurring events such as high winds, fires, lightning, and insect outbreaks (aka natural disturbance regimes); and
• the forest’s current stage of development—that is, whether it is just beginning to grow back, is mature, is somewhere in between, or is a mixture of stages. This process of development from early stages to later stages, which all ecosystems go through, is referred to as natural or ecological succession.

In Nova Scotia we have two newly available tools that provide a good basis for identifying ecosystems across our landscape:

The Ecological Land Classification (ELC) for Nova Scotia uses information on climate, geology, soils, and so on to create maps of ecological groupings within the province at three levels: ecoregion, ecodistrict, and ecosection.

The Forest Ecosystem Classification (FEC) manuals for the central, western, and eastern regions of Nova Scotia contain vegetation and soil identification keys, descriptions, photographs, and corresponding management interpretations for the various vegetation and soil types found in Nova Scotia. Using the vegetation and soil type keys provided in the manual, ecosystems are then classified into 10 ecotypes. These range from dry-poor conifer (i.e., rock barren) to very rich deciduous (i.e., floodplains). (The manuals for the west and east are interim versions. The NSDNR provincial manual is scheduled for publication in 2011.)

In ecosystem-based forest management, tools such as these are very valuable. They are used to identify and apply management interpretations that reflect opportunities and address hazards and operational limitations associated with a site’s specific ecosystem (ecotype).

Incorporating such information into recommendations and operational planning will limit possible damage from harvesting and help to maintain both overall ecosystem health and site productivity for the long term. For instance, an ecosystem with Soil type 12 as classified in the FEC manual (“Rich moist, fine—medium textured”) is prone to rutting, compaction, and erosion. Thus management recommendations made using an ecosystem-base approach will include measures to minimize this risk. Protecting the soil will, in turn, ensure that the site remains productive for many years to come.

This approach to forest management respects the dynamic, changing character of the forest community and forest landscape. It takes a more holistic view of the forest and is especially appropriate for landowners whose goals and objectives are based on multiple values and use. For more information on ecosystem-based forest management and other forest-management topics, don’t miss the upcoming NSWOOA AGM on April 18.

Editor's note: For more information on uneven-aged management and related topics, see Patricia's blog at http://www.trishameroblog.blogspot.com/

Did You Notice?

The most recent issue of the Atlantic Forestry Review features two NSWOOA members, both Past Presidents of the Association. Wade Prest is quoted in David Lindsay’s "Harvesting Biomass, Under the Influence." Wade is the NSWOOA’s spokesperson on this topic. Tom Miller contributed a letter to the editor that reviewed the Nova Scotia Agricultural College’s Woodsmen’s Competition. It would seem that the event earned all five possible stars.

Not so Gentle a Reminder

If you haven’t yet renewed your membership, do it today. Our postal address is Box 823, Truro, N.S. B2N 5G6. Cost is only$30.

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 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 21: February 2009

The photo above shows forester Patricia Amero in a stand of hemlocks, pines and Yellow birch that are more than 120 years old. The photo is from Patricia's new blog, where she will be talking about uneven-aged management. Her latest contribution to the NSWOOA Update is in this issue.

In this issue:
Details on the Annual General Meeting
A membership privilege
Restoration of the Acadian Forest has been published
Membership renewals
Magazine subscription renewals
Are you interested in joining the NSWOOA board?
A note of condolence
UAM notes: Management plans part 2
Protecting seedlings from browse
A new blogger
How to get in touch with us

Hello Woodlot Owners!

Are You A Car Owner?

By Paul Brison, Editor

Do you own a car or are you a car owner? What is the difference? Well if you own a car, you possess an automobile (small truck?) as a matter of owning a means of transportation. Many of us live in the country, and with no public transportation, owning a car is a practical, even utilitarian decision. Certainly buying and operating a car is a cost, and not an investment! The owner hardly sees the vehicle, and is almost oblivious to it. So long as it is there and works, it is not an influence upon your life.

On the other hand, a car owner is a different type of person. A car owner regularly washes and waxes his car. He or she takes a great deal of pride in this machine, and fusses over it, nurses it along. He or she maintains said auto, vacuums it faithfully. Oil is changed more frequently than the manufacturers recommend, and the owner buys and reads car magazines. These owners enjoy their cars, and are proud of the time and care they invest. There is a reward and pride in this. In some cases being a car owner is becomes part of the individual's identity, status and image.

Recently a friend explained that someone he knew owned a woodlot, but had never become a woodlot owner. It took some thinking to get the meaning of his statement, and like the minister doing a sermon, this discussion is probably a matter of preaching to the converted. For some, as long as the woodlot is there for some firewood, or emergency cash, it is out of sight and out of mind. Others fuss over their lots, investing time and care on the woodlots, planting, pruning, learning about its needs and rewards.

So, do you own a woodlot or are you a woodlot owner?

Notice of Meeting: Annual General Meeting

We want everyone to attend!

Place: United Church Hall, Old Barns. Take Rte. 236 South from Truro 7 Km.
When: Saturday April 18, 9:00-3:30
Who: Members, prospective members, guests
Registration cost: Members $10, Guests $20 (Meal is covered in costs.)
Theme/Agenda:
· Review of NSWOOA Forest Management Policy
· Biomass
· Viewing of Eastern Shore Forest Watch's "Honour in the Woods"
· Ecosystem-based management
· Silviculture funding options

A Membership Privilege/Perk

All members have the opportunity, free of charge, to set up a small table-top display of products, to circulate business cards and to distribute pamphlets for their woodlot businesses at the Annual General Meeting.

New this year is the opportunity for members to advertise machinery, equipment or product wanted or for sale. Bring a brief announcement for the buy-and-sell bulletin board.

Restoration of the Acadian Forest

Jamie Simpson has good news about the publication of his book Restoring the Acadian Forest. The book is now published! Contact Jamie at bocabec@gmail.com

Membership Renewals

NSWOOA memberships are for the calendar year. If you have not yet renewed, now is the time. The amount is $30 and the address is P.O. Box 823, Truro N.S., B2N 5G6. Renewals can be paid at the AGM if you are attending.

Please make sure that we always have a current email address--even a neighbour's or relative's—for you so that we can insure you get copies of our Update newsletter. Also advise us of changes of address, phone, etc.

We are also accepting new memberships at this time. Please be sure to include Canada Post address, phone number, location of woodlot, email, etc. The membership application form can be downloaded here. And please recruit your woodlot-owner neighbours.

Magazine Subscription Renewal

NSWOOA members have the opportunity to renew their Atlantic Forestry Review subscriptions for one year through the Association by sending in the $15 annual subscription price with their membership renewals. Important: All subscriptions through the NSWOOA begin immediately after the AGM in April. We do not offer subscriptions after this date.

Wanted: A Few Good Men and Women

New Directors of the NSWOOA are actively being sought. If you are interested, please contact us via the email address, and come to the AGM prepared to join up. We need directors with computer skills, promotions experience and management skills, etc.

A Note of Condolence

The Board and Members of the NSWOOA extend sympathies to Mr. Lorne Burrows, President of the NSWOOA, on the recent death of his twin brother, the Reverend Lloyd Burrows.

UAM Notes: Management Plans Part 2

By Patricia Amero, RPF

In the last NSWOOA Update I explained why woodlot owners benefit from having management plans. In this issue, I discuss how management plans are developed, what they contain, and what they cost.

How is a management plan developed?

Four main steps are usually required to complete a management plan for a woodlot owner:
· Understand the woodlot owner's short- and long-term goals and objectives.
· Obtain and interpret aerial photos to delineate stands and determine the number of stands to assess. Use contour maps and ecological classification maps to help determine forest stands.
· Conduct the forest inventory via a field cruise (assessment) of each stand. The forest inventory describes each stand in terms of species composition, age, number of age classes, height, density, vigor, growing conditions, wood product volumes, potential, and so on. The inventory also describes terrain and soil characteristics, soil drainage, number of watercourses and seepages, land capability, environmentally sensitive areas, windfall risk, access, and usually boundary line conditions.
· Develop the final woodlot map, calculating stand areas and wood product volumes for each stand and for the entire woodlot.
· Write the plan, including both descriptive and prescriptive information.
· Have the woodlot owner review the plan and then discuss it one on one.

What does a management plan contain?

Forest managers combine the information collected in a forest inventory with knowledge of your values, experience, and needs to complete the forest management plan. We:
· identify priority areas for treatment (where to focus efforts first);
· recommend appropriate harvesting and silviculture activities, including techniques that aim to reach your objectives;
· recommend methods of harvest and extraction; timing of activity, access, and operating considerations that aim to limit ground disturbance to ensure long-term productivity and ensure ecosystem health;
· indicate stands/areas and treatments that are eligible for silviculture funding; and
· identify areas suitable for recreation activities such as trails, camp sites, and rest stops.

How much does a management plan cost?

The cost of a management plan depends on amount of detail desired, management objectives, acreage and amount of productive land, the variability of stands, and the number of stands to assess. The cost of a management plan for a 100-acre woodlot that is mostly productive with a variety of stands might be in the range of $750 to $2,000. Although a management plan can be considered a significant investment, woodlot owners often find that the benefits are worthy more than the costs.

Question and Two Answers: Protecting Seedlings from Browse

Question: For Update 21, I wonder if you could solicit some opinion from our members on the use of tree shelters and tree protectors for planting seedlings. I am planning to plant out newly sprouted red oaks, walnuts, chestnuts this season. There are several different variants of shelters on the market made from different materials. The basic design for the ones I've been looking at are ventilated tubes (rigid, fabric, mesh) 4 or 5 feet long that are either removable or photodegradable. I wonder if any Nova Scotian woods-folks have any experience using these and if there are any kinds that would be recommended and if anyone is producing these in the Maritimes or in New England.

S.N. Warren

Answer #1: What I do is buy page wire cattle/sheep fence at about 42-26" high with smaller openings at the bottom than the top. I try for a protector about 30-36" in diameter, which is 17 squares in my present roll. So you cut that piece off and it naturally curls up and then you connect the ends and have your "tree fence", I call them. If the diameter is larger, I think you're wasting fence, smaller and the deer reach in when the leader or tree top clears it and they nip off that terminal. If you're going to transport any number of "fences" to the woods, leave them "in the flat", they're easier to carry that way. Form them up at the planting site.

Then you need two fence posts about 5-5.5' long. I sap peel mine and don't use too large a diameter, 3"-4" is good as they're easier to drive in. We have a lot of young hemlock here that needs thinning and it lasts longer in the ground. Also good is larch and black spruce. White spruce will do if you have lots of it and want a use for it. Balsam fir will rot "while you're in eating your lunch", I've been told. A friend uses electric-wire posts, which are metal, reusable and very long lasting, but I don't know their cost.I put them on the east/west sides, 180 degrees apart, and use 2 fence steeples per post. Posts on the inside of the wire, easier to drive/remove steeples. For added protection around the bottom you could wrap chicken wire (2' height should be good) to keep the hare out, but that would be "gold plating" it.

Sound like a lot of work? It is! But it's only just begun. You should monitor these fences yearly (or more often). Sometimes I remove the steeples, turn the fence over to put the smaller openings at the top and lift it off the ground a bit to make it too high for the deer to reach in and nip off the top. 4-5' tubes will still be susceptible to deer browse. The wider diameter of my fences will help keep them back, but as they say, "the best laid plans of mice and men...". The straightest white ash (naturally seeded) I ever saw was protected thusly until about 7' tall and I removed the fence, rather smugly as I recall. The next fall a Whitetail buck rubbed that little beauty with his antlers and may have killed it. But I still do the work, at least that ash was still straight when rubbed.

These wire fences could be used for decades or longer so the initial expense is it. I think 330' was $170.00 in Spring 2008. That's about 35 fences(3' diameter) at about $5 each. Forget to remove and the tree is 15' tall? Just untie or cut the wire and reuse. I put orange winter flagging on my fences so I can see them when I walk about and take a look at how they're doing.

Old fence may be available for the taking down and using. Most of mine were made from old stuff found when we moved to our farm. It's of varying quality and was experimented with to come up with the desired diameter. I'll probably re-work some of it, but checking the store room of the local Co-op shows some different types and was educational in itself. And they have green colored that looks so good in the woods!

Anyway that's one man's version of too much work, but it feels like a necessary thing as the deer and hare populations are pretty good. If you go with the tubes get the tallest ones. Would be good if you did, then you could tell us about it!

Tom Miller, Past President NSWOOA

Answer #2: As a member of NSWOOA and as a biologist who perceives trees to be valuable wildlife habitat as well as an integral component of forest ecosystems, I began converting a pioneer forest that had grown in on 56 acres of abandoned pastures and former treed swamp back to more long-lived Acadian forest species in 1975. After planting my first oaks, yellow birches, pines, hemlocks and walnuts it quickly it became evident that about all I was doing was feeding snowshoe hares (rabbits), deer, porcupines, and, in the case of black ash, muskrats who were naturally programmed to have these items on their menu.

I investigated tubes. Use mouse guard-type tubes on young orchard trees. On at first snow in the fall and off at snow melt in spring is the rule there. I looked into grow tubes for trees years ago, checked with some folks that used them, and subsequently avoided them. I must say there may be new ones on the market that perform better. The inherent danger with grow tubes is the greenhouse effect they create inside. Cold realities can strike hard when the young trees finally the top their container. And anything must be well-staked against the violent winds we get or the tubes/wire will topple with the tree inside.

Instead, I opted for 1" x 36" x 50' rolls of poultry netting cut to fit around appropriately spaced electric fencing stakes. I use 3 or 4 electric fence stakes around each tree, depending on the tree size and configuration. The three feet height lets you reach in to tend the young tree, weed and so on. This setup works well except when there are high mouse populations under the snow and then they do not stop girdling. And the present situation is that the snow is about three feet deep in the woods. But I've found this approach to be generally successful and over 34 years have recycled a great number of electric fence stakes and wire to new trees. The stakes and wire can serve their purpose many times.

Electric fence stakes are configured in such a manner that they can pin the wire down on the ground. It cannot be lifted up by most wild animals. These stakes currently cost about $1.20 each. I usually get a better deal by buying in bulk.

Where beaver are a consideration, one has to use heavier material. I use roles of 4' high, 1" welded wire mesh stapled to an existing tree, or held by 7' rebar into the ground so that the young trees do not tip over with their container in heavy winds. This 1" welded wire mesh costs more than $250 a roll.

Given a mild, consistent climate, the tubes may work well for you.

Bob Bancroft

To our readers: If you have advice or recommendations on this matter send it in to us and we will pass it along.

Patricia Amero is blogging

Forester Trish Amero, who was coordinator of the Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project in 2008 and now is a regular contributer to the NSWOOA Update, has started a blog. The blog is linkied to Picea Forestry Consulting's new website.

Trish will be sharing some of the knowledge and experience she and partner Sandy Hyde have gained working woodlot owners who are dedicated to managing their woodlots not only for their own benefit but also for the benefit of future generations .

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

NSWOOA Update 20: January 2009

Above, NSWOOA member Rodney Spencer's Woodmizer portable sawmill in action. Details below. Photo by Susan Danko.

In this issue:
Are you interested in becoming FSC certified?
Portrait of a portable sawmill and its owner
Annual Meeting general notice and corrected venue
Opinions requested
Why have a management plan?
Time to re-enlist
Chainsaw classes
Excerpt from Restoring the Acadian Forest
How to reach us

Hello Woodlot Owners!

Another Way of Thinking About …

… the Hippocratic Oath?

"You know, the oath doctors have to take! Goes way back to the Greeks," explained my friend from high school days—the same friend who had authored a series of articles on economics, education and entrepreneurship in our local weekly newspaper. It was not at all clear what this oath had to do with rural development and woodlot management, which along with the said economics, education and entrepreneurship, were the topics of that particular discussion.

Noting my puzzled expression, he explained, "I believe the first concept of the oath can be summarized as 'First, do no harm.' If you are in the woods and deciding what to do to your land, I think the concept that should guide you and underlie all your actions is that whatever you do, do no harm. In other words, if down the road what you do to your woods will hurt it, hurt the wildlife, the water supply, or your future economic benefits, do not do it."

OK, admittedly, he did not say it in those exact words, and as these discussions happened over the course of a year, what is recalled here is more of a distillation and simplification. Although the concept itself is sound enough, and can be applied to almost any endeavor, it had faded into the background until the Voluntary Planning meeting in Truro in October. The meeting was called to get reaction to "What We Heard", a report on their series of public meetings.

At that meeting the Hippocratic Oath came to mind because it is similar to a concept that was discussed there. Quite a few of those present put forth the concept of the Precautionary Principle as one of the themes they thought the VP people missed from the public consultations. What is this principle? Well, it states that if an action or policy might harm the public or the environment, those who want to pursue this action or policy should be required to prove that it won't be harmful. It was felt that unless it could be proved that there were no negative outcomes to various policies, practices and developments, they should be disallowed.

Wouldn't it be refreshing if either or both these concepts were recommended by VP in their final report, and adopted by the Government as guiding principles for our future forests?

Certification Opportunity

NSWOOA President Lorne Burrows confirms that the NSWOOA, working with Nagaya Forest Restoration Ltd., has signed a contract with the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources to bring five new NSWOOA member woodlots into FSC certification. The project will cover most of the costs to the landowners and is funded from the Community Development Trust.

Of the five woodlots chosen, one has been completed and certified, and four are "making progress, or nearing completion."

There is a very good chance that the project will be extended and expanded, so if any NSWOOA member is interested in becoming FSC certified, he or she should contact the NSWOOA or Nagaya as soon as possible.

We would like to build up a list of those interested in having their lands FSC certified. Documented demand for this service will help secure future funding. Call the number listed at the end of this Update, or contact us by email.

Portable Sawmill Gets Around

Susan Danko and Rodney Spencer own an FSC-certified woodlot, and are long time members of the NSWOOA. This article was originally published in their local paper. We thank Susan for allowing us to reprint it here.

By Susan Danko

Rodney Spencer has seen many local woodlots during the past two years. From high on Nuttby Mountain, to sea level along the Gulf shore, he has set up his Woodmizer portable sawmill in barnyards, fields, building lots and woodlot landing areas, ready to turn logs into lumber for his customers. "It has been both interesting and rewarding to observe the diversity of local woodlots and learn about traditional uses of different tree species," says Rodney. "I am happy I can assist local woodlot owners to utilize their own resource for themselves and their neighbors, and it seems I learn something new with every job. People have so many creative ways of accomplishing tasks."

Customers have used lumber produced by Rodney's sawmill for everything from repairing barn stalls to construction of a two-storey barn and a 2,400 square foot new home. Projects include renovations and new construction of barns, sheds, garages, decks, porches and houses. Craftsmen have used local lumber and beautifully patterned hardwood for interior finish carpentry, cabinetry, and furniture making.

"No job is too large or too small," Rodney emphasizes, "nor do we have a fixed geographical area. It all depends on the circumstances. If we have to travel a little farther but we can leave the mill on site for several weeks, then that might work out just fine. I do lots of one day jobs in the local area, and occasionally people bring a couple of logs to me in their pickup truck. Sometimes people just bring a few planks or beams to me for re-sawing into custom clapboards or other specialized pieces for renovations on older homes."

Rodney adds that customers who require graded lumber for building inspections have easily obtained inspection of their lumber through a number of different solutions including inspection by a local licensed grader, using the call grading service of the Maritime Lumber Bureau, or obtaining an engineer's certification of lumber quality. All lumber produced by his sawmill that has been graded has met and exceeded quality requirements.

At the recent Woodlot Owner of the Year field day in Nuttby, sponsored by the Department of Natural Resources on the woodlot of Russell McNally, Rodney demonstrated the accurate and consistent sawing for which Woodmizer sawmills are renowned. The portable sawmill can saw logs up to 21 feet long and 36 inches in diameter without modification, and longer logs with some adjustments. It features hydraulic log loading and turning and an automatic debarker to speed up the milling process. A separate resaw attachment is used to saw custom clapboards in any width from 4 to 12 inches.

"Using a portable mill will save you trucking the logs to a mill," says Adrian Samson, Forest Resources Technician for the Department of Natural Resources, "thus saving you a few hundred dollars and helping the environment. You get to use the slabwood and edgings for firewood and kindling and the sawdust for mulch. The small kerf of the bandsaw compared to a circular saw gives you more lumber especially if it is high quality wood." He also notes, "The lumber can be custom sawn such as quarter sawn for woodworker use. By the way," Mr. Samson adds, "wood sawn with a bandsaw is easier to plane and sand than if you had it rough sawn with a circular mill."

Rodney usually charges an hourly rate of $35 per hour for time sawing on a job. The woodlot owner and/or other people helping the owner work alongside to offload the lumber and slabwood. On a job with good saw logs, an efficient setup and good help, Rodney has produced as much as 2,300 board feet in six hours. The quality of the logs has the greatest impact on productivity. "Trying to get lumber out of pulpwood is inefficient," Rodney says. "It pays to be practical when deciding what logs to saw." Rodney always prefers to visit a job site even before the logs are stacked to help arrange the most efficient setup.

"I find a big advantage of working with the sawyer is you get to see what the round log looks like with its exterior defects," adds Mr. Samson. "Then, while being sawn you get to see some of the beautiful grains and patterns these 'defects' actually can produce. By doing this you can then select individual trees on your lot for that purpose, knowing what these standing trees may produce. This is great for artisans and furniture makers."

Portable sawmill service can also help woodlot owners deal with a current widespread problem. "We have a very large number of spruce being killed by our native bark beetle across the province," says Mr. Samson. "The sawmills are not normally wanting trees after they are dead, but these trees still can make good lumber for individual projects. A landowner can cut the trees and put them at a landing area and have a portable mill saw them. If the lumber is not to be used for a while it can be stickered to dry and top covered with a tarp until needed."

Rodney admits he loves to meet new people, and he has developed a great respect for the hardworking and innovative farmers and woodlot owners he has come to know. "I believe strongly in using local resources locally," he says, " and I hope that my portable sawmill service enables local people to achieve that goal."

Annual General Meeting Notice

Change of venue notice: The NSWOOA Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday April 18. As the venue used the past several years is unavailable that date, the meeting will be held in the United Church Hall, in Old Barns, just outside Truro. The program for the meeting is still being assembled, so stay tuned for the theme and agenda.

A Membership Privilege: All NSWOOA members attending our Annual General Meeting are invited to put up a table-top display of their products and services. Pamphlets, business cards, photos, samples are welcome for timber and non-timber products, as well as services.

Opinion Piece

Premier Danny Williams is not shy about protecting Newfoundland or its citizens. His government recently gave notice that it intended to "take back" timber and power rights from a multi-national pulp company that had decided to close shop in Newfoundland. He seems to consider it as re-patriation, and he refers to a specific agreement the Province had with the original owners of the mill. The question for us is, How would we like to see our government in Nova Scotia respond to mill closures, and the timber rights and property of the closed mills? Your opinions and observations are solicited. Give us your advice and recommendations by our email address or phone contact number.

UAM Notes: Management Plans Part 1

By Patricia Amero, RPF

In the last NSWOOA Update I discussed the two approaches to forest management: even-aged management and uneven-aged management. Whether you apply one or a mix of these approaches depends on what you want to achieve from and for your forest and what you have to work with—that is, forest conditions. These two factors are also the basis of a forest management plan. In this issue of the Update I'll explain why woodlot owners benefit from having management plans. In February I'll discuss how management plans are developed, what they contain, and what they cost.

A forest management plan can be fairly simple or quite detailed. Generally at a minimum the management plan provides documentation of your forest and tips on what you can do to improve it. If you do plan to do any work in the woods, the management plan will tell you what could be done to achieve your objectives and where to focus your efforts. Recommendations are not etched in stone but do provide you with direction on where and how to proceed.

Why have a management plan done?

Even if your plan is quite simple and you do not plan to do any harvesting in the near future, a management plan will tell you what you have and where it is—including whether you have any unique areas or special management zones (e.g., riparian areas, species at risk), where the best opportunities are for growing high-quality forest products over the long term, and whether you have potential for non-timber forest products, recreational activities, or other benefits of woodland ownership.

Having a management plan may be extremely helpful in coping with tax implications of woodlot ownership. A management plan may help you to qualify for the Intergenerational Land Transfer program, under which you may be able to pass your woodlot on to the next generation without burdening them with capital gains tax. It may also help to ensure that your property continues to be designated as forest resource, with lower property taxes than if it is designated residential. (Tax issues are complicated and depend on individual circumstances, so typically you would have to consult with a qualified professional in order to determine whether and/or how you can derive tax benefits from having a woodlot management plan.)

If you do plan to harvest, having an inventory that includes wood-product volumes allows you to place a current value on standing wood volume. A management plan also can determine an annual allowable cut or sustainable harvest level dependent on land capability and amount of mature (merchantable) trees present. This information will be extremely useful in planning harvesting and silviculture activities and in any negotiations with contractors.

In addition, a management plan may help you to identify stands/areas that are eligible for silviculture funding, which will help offset cost of improvement work. A management plan can also help you to obtain forest certification, which is increasingly important in making forest products attractive to consumers. A forest management plan is a first step towards achieving certification.

Next issue: How is a management plan developed? What does a management plan contain? How much does a management plan cost?

Time to Re-enlist

As the NSWOOA comes to the end of a very active, very successful year, we remind you that memberships are on a calendar year basis from January 1 to January 1. So if you haven't already sent in your membership renewal or are interested joining our organization, this is the time to do so. A copy of our 2009 membership application form is available here at our website.

If you have any questions about membership, please feel free to contact Member Services Coordinator Flora Johnson at the NSWOOA email address or 902-673-2278.

Please note that all member subscriptions to Atlantic Forestry Review begin and end on May 1. Subscriptions must be paid for no later than the middle of April.

Where to Start?

Many first-time woodlot owners wonder how to start managing their newly acquired land, or even how to cut some firewood. Sometimes the answer is as simple as, "Pick up your chainsaw." If you are not already proficient with a chainsaw, better advice is to start by taking a chainsaw operating and maintenance course. It is interesting to see that some old barriers are falling, and women are now commonly participants in these courses. Besides the opportunities advertised below, groups of interested chainsawers can always organize their own training session. Contact the NSWOOA for info.

The following two workshops cost $10 per person. There is a limit of 20 participants in each workshop. To pre-register or for information, For call (902) 424 -5444 or visit www.gov.ns.ca/natr/extension/woodlot/course.htm#course

Western region

Date: Saturday, February 07, 2009
Location: Milton Canoe and Camera Club, Liverpool, NS
Time: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Central region

Date: Saturday, February 28, 2009
Location: Goffs Fire Hal, Goffs, Halifax Regional Municipality, N S. (near Robert Stanfield Airport)
Time: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Black Cherry

The following is excerpted from Jamie Simpson's book Restoring the Acadian Forest: A Guide for Woodlot Owners in the Maritimes, P 168. The book is due to be published this January 30. Meanwhile, Jamie is taking orders for the book at this email address (bocabec@gmail.com). The price will be $20, including shipping.

"Black cherry is found scattered in rich hardwood and mixed-wood areas throughout most of southern New Brunswick and western Nova Scotia. It is shade intolerant and fast growing, reaching a height of 23 m (75 ft) and living up to 200 years. It attains its best growth in moist, fertile soils. Black cherry is sought after for its valuable wood, and was probably more abundant in the past than it is today, so it should be promoted wherever it occurs. It can be included in restoration plantings on rich soils in full sun." (Emphasis added)

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

Update 18: November 2008

Hello Woodlot Owners!

The neighbor back on the hill made another visit the other night, and in the course of discussion made an observation—or was it an accusation: “I was back in your woods looking for you. The place’s a mess. You must be getting lazy.” The words stung, even if he had meant it in jest.
“What do you mean? There’s nothing wrong…”

But he had the evidence: “Some trees are cut and just laying there. Some trees that should be cut, aren’t. Deadfalls aren’t taken; brush isn’t piled up. Some places you cut out holes in the woods, and other places you didn’t cut trees that were big enough to take. There’s no pattern to it.”

OK, his meaning was becoming clear. The woods did not look tidy. A few more comments and it was clear that the site had not been cut the way he would have cut it. Or my father or grandfather either, apparently. He was right. And yes, the place was and is messy. There are open spots, to encourage regeneration. Some thickets have been left, for wildlife. Cavity trees were not harvested, and some trees had been left standing for no more reason than there were very few of that kind of tree on the lot. Coarse woody debris is strewn around. Seed trees have been left standing.

There is a strange thing that happens in the woods during harvest, because there are more factors than economic values telling the land owner what needs to be done. And more costs than just the cost of harvesting that have to be accounted for. After making slow, careful decision after decision about what is right to do with each tree, a kind of “feeling” for the forest develops. An understanding about what the forest needs, what it tolerates, what it likes, seems to settle upon the thinking harvester. And tidiness is not one of the forest’s needs.

Voluntary Planning

Three NSWOOA directors, including President Lorne Burrows, attended the Oct. 26 Voluntary Planning session workshop in Truro, to discuss and evaluate their report What We Heard, which is a look at major themes and perspectives distilled from comments and written submissions generated by their province-wide public meetings. Sixty people, including citizens, woodlot owners, activists, DNR types, mining industry reps and the various mills, attended. This was one of three such meetings designed to workshop five main themes: sustainability, balance, diversity, and transparency. No actual recommendations were discussed or points debated. And no weight was given to the themes, or numbers of respondents supporting each view, and so on. It was also not revealed how many meetings individuals or industries attended.

The next step is for a committee to review all the input data and Voluntary Planning’s synthesis of this data, to formulate recommendations. Composition of this committee is not known, or how one would achieve a seat on it, but in the interest of transparency—one of the VP themes—its meetings necessarily need to be open to the public, and its comments balanced to represent the proportion of individuals who attended from each of the types mentioned above. There are strong reasons to require this new board to keep DNR and Industry to a minority position on this committee. Confidence in the process seems much more shaky to many of the participants, and one wonders what will happen next.

Biomass and the NSWOOA

The NSWOOA announces that it has resigned its seat on the government’s biomass working group, charged with developing guidelines for biomass harvesting in Nova Scotia. Wade Prest, our representative on the group, announced his resignation, and the NSWOOA’s withdrawal from the process on October 20.

The NSWOOA will not be associated with any reports, rules or regulations produced by this group, and strongly urges those who continue with the process to conduct a review of existing research on biomass removal and forest health, to conduct research to see how it applies to the Nova Scotia situation and the Acadian Forest, and to apply the precautionary approach.

Outreach Project

The Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project is coming to an end, but before closing up shop the Outreach Team has asked us to pass on some great news. Because of the outstanding response to the project, NSDNR allocated an additional $153,000 to funding under the Category 7 program, bringing the total funding available to almost $600,000. Some funding is still available for work to be completed by March, 2009, so if you have a site that would qualify, haven't already applied for funding, and are interested in doing some quality-improvement work this winter, please contact Association for Sustainable Forestry Coordinator Rebecca Aggas at (902) 890-4685 or rjaggas@ASForestry.com. Information on the program, including the Outreach Project’s 6-page handout on uneven-aged management and the Category 7 program, can still be downloaded from the ASF's website at http://www.asforestry.com/Category7program.htm

The Outreach Team also wants to thank NSWOOA members for your help in making this project a success. The Outreach Project was contacted by approximately 400 individuals and families. About 200 people attended the workshops. Newspapers, magazines and radio stations all over the province carried stories about the project, the Category 7 program and uneven-aged management. And allocations of Category 7 funding more than tripled, rising from $180,000 as of the end of 2007 to $575,000 as of late October 2008. Thanks to the information the project received from woodlot owners and contractors during the course, the team was able to submit a detailed report to the ASF and NSDNR emphasizing the tremendous interest and support for uneven-aged management among woodlot owners and forestry contractors throughout the province.

We hope that this report will encourage even more support for uneven-aged management—not only funding but also additional outreach activitiesin future years. None of this would have been possible without your interest and participation in this project.

Early Notice

At its November meeting, the NSWOOA Board of Directors has chosen the date and location for our Annual General Meeting. It is April 18th 2009, at the Masonic Hall in Great Village. If you have any suggestions for speakers or themes and activities, please forward them to us at our email address or to our contact phone number.

Balsam Fir

(Excerpted from Jamie Simpson’s book Restoring the Acadian Forest: A Guide for Woodlot Owners in the Maritimes, P41. The book is due to be published this month. Meanwhile, Jamie is taking orders for the book at this email address (price will be $20, including shipping.)

Balsam fir is far more abundant, dominant and wide-spread in the forest than it was a few generations ago.

Forest cutting practices often create conditions favorable to balsam fir. High-grade cutting removes species that grow with balsam fir, such as white pine, red spruce, hemlock, cedar and hardwoods….Clearcutting, too, promotes balsam fir by creating growing conditions in which the aggressive fir seedlings gain advantage over seedlings of other species. Balsam fir has rather large seed and fir seedlings have strong root systems that access water more easily than spruce seedlings do, giving balsam fir the advantage in the relatively dry conditions of a clear cut. Finally, because forests are often cut before they are ecologically mature, tree species that would normally gain dominance over balsam fir trees by simply outliving them are cut before they have a chance to grow old, further perpetuating balsam fir on harvested land.

Lines of Communication

Members are encouraged to contact the Board of Directors, the Executive and other members through our email address (nswooa@gmail.com) or by phone (902-633-2108). Please feel free to use these methods to keep us informed of what is going on in your woodlot or in your community or area. We try to keep you informed through these updates, mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and this website.

NSWOOA Update 17: October/November 2008

Hello Woodlot Owners!

Kudos

Demo 2008 afforded the chance to pick up DNR's Module 13 in the home study series: Non Timber Forest Products: Growing Opportunities. The whole series is worth reading, and for anyone new to forest management the modules can be a great assistance in getting up to speed in preparation to make decisions on your own woodlot.

The new module, by David Sutherland, takes a look at both consumptive and nonconsumptive NTFPs, as they are called. The module is straightforward, and covers a wide variety of products and opportunities. It is, of course, a well-illustrated survey of what is being done by some woodlot owners now and what might be done in the future to enhance the financial return from your woodlots. Thus, it does not get into some of the nitty-gritty of setting up businesses based on these products, but it does approach the issues with optimism and clarity.

Perhaps the best advice in the whole module comes in the early part of the book, page 7: "Now perhaps more than ever, natural products have an appeal to most people as they pursue healthier lifestyles. An endless array of products claiming to be 'all natural' are common on store shelves. Often the manufacturer's name implies a bond with the wild untamed world: 'frontier', 'Backwoods', 'wilderness', and 'Forest health' all appeal to the consumer. The seller of non timber forest products can add market value by using the right words."

He's right. A good many times it is not what you have to sell, it's what you call it that makes people want it. The lesson can be extended to even the name of your NTFP business.

It is also worthy of note that carbon sequestration is identified as a possible NTFP from private woodlots. That concept is certainly progressive. Hopefully DNR is now working on that issue!

Good job, Mr. Sutherland.

New Executive

The NSWOOA works for you because of volunteer efforts of woodlot owners like yourselves, that dedicate time and effort to the cause. The current executive consists of:
President: Lorne Burrows (Colchester County)
Vice President: Austin Parsons (Halifax County)
Treasurer: Greg Amon (Colchester County)
Recording Secretary: Paul Brison (Hants County)
Corresponding Secretary: Ken MacRury (Cape Breton)


More Kudos

NSWOOA member Neil Livingston hosted the Eastern Woodlot Owner of the Year Field Day on September 27. By all accounts it was an interesting event, as Neil has been truly innovative in his approach to woodlot management. Aesthetics are certainly a priority on this woodlot. Neil has also received good media coverage. A recent CBC radio program featured a school field trip to Neil's lot. Reaching the next generation of woodlot owners and consumers at an early age is certainly as worthy endeavor. Perhaps more of us should call in to our local schools and offer our services in the classroom or in the forest.

Even More Kudos

The NSWOOA-Picea Forestry project for the Association for Sustainable Forestry (ASF) is winding down. The Outreach Project, which promotes uneven-aged management for high-quality crop trees, was well received by landowners and the media. Altogether more than 400 people contacted the project.

Outreach Project Coordinator Patricia Amero reports:

The contractor session on Thursday, October 9th from 1-4pm, even with showers was certainly a success with 17 contractors attending. The goals of UAM and the Category 7 quality-improvement treatments were discussed as well as how to interpret the standards and properly apply these treatments on the ground. The field session took place on a 12-hectare hardwood selection management site near Earltown managed by North Nova and funded by ASF's Category 7 funding program. Greg Watson of North Nova was on hand to answer questions and engage in discussions. The harvest was supervised by Glenn Baker of Groupe Savoie, the hardwood mill in Westville, Pictou County, and conducted by Hector McGrath of McGrath Forestry of Truro. Glenn Baker, Hector McGrath, and Rebecca Aggas of ASF were also on hand to answer questions and add to discussions. The session was informal and questions and comments were encouraged. There were many good questions and discussion regarding challenges throughout the afternoon.

The final report, based on the large volume of material generated by the project as well as the insights of the three key deliverers of the project–Patricia Amero, Sandy Hyde and Flora Johnson—was delivered on the deadline of October 31, 2008. Hopefully the quality of the project work and the positive response of woodlot owners will lay the groundwork for an even better program that will address the varying site conditions out there that will better help private woodlot owners & contractors conduct Category 7 treatments successfully.

A Passing Worth Noting

The NSWOOA mourns the loss of woodlot owner and NSWOOA member Dr. Wilfred Creighton. We offer our sympathies to his family and friend for their loss. Wilfred Creighton was a remarkable man and we treasure our time with him. One example of his remarkable journey was creation of a maple sugar operation on his woodlot, when he was in his mid-90s.

Biomass Anyone?

The idea certainly sounds appealing: producing energy from a renewable resource instead of fossil fuels or uranium. Making energy from trees seems appealing; it certainly is a concept easily sold to the public. Certainly "the powers that be" in our province are under pressure to come up with guidelines by which the biomass industry can operate. But what should woodlot owners think about this potential market? Is it for us? What would the market look like, and how could it help land owners?

There are only a few identifiable sources of biomass that are or could be available. The first is to compete with an existing market, such as buying wood that used to go to the wood pellet or pulpwood markets. Since this option implies paying a competing price, it seems unlikely that the new biomass market would be interested: its intentions to use very low cost furl rules against this source in any volume.

The second source is waste wood from existing manufacture operations, such as bark, sawdust, chips. As this material is already scarce due to mill closures and slowdowns, it does not promise to be a viable source for energy production.

Another source is plantations. This is already done in some countries. Fast-growing trees or shrubs are planted and regularly harvested, much liker a farmer haying his fields. Even the machinery is similar, with a mowing function and a bailer being used in some systems. Speaking of farms, many abandoned farm fields in Nova Scotia could become productive again if this is the route taken. Of course it takes time to plant, grow and then harvest, so this may be a longer term solution, but it does not appear to be what biomass energy companies have in mind, at least to start.

The next-to-final source of biomass is slash. The tops, limbs, dead trees, shrubs, culls, etc., that are left behind in harvest operations. Ecologists, scientists and environmentalists tell us that this material, course woody debris, is essential to the health of the forests, to water control and purity, to carbon sequestration, and to the micro environments of the soil. This appears to be the source of biomass targeted by the new biomass energy. The very low price—in the low single digits per ton—so far projected for this material seems to mean that any woodlot owner who practices uneven-age management, selection cutting, patch cutting, etc. is effectively cut out of the market. In practical terms, who could afford to gather these remnants, slash, and truck them to the roadside? From that other side of the picture, how many tons of this residue would a woodlot owner have to haul out and pile up before a contractor would find it economically worthwhile to visit the site and chip or bale up the product? It is not likely to be done for a single truckload, say 32 tons.

The remaining source for this product is industrial-style clearcutting harvests—either on crown lands, company lands or private lands. Such large sites are ideal for large machinery to vacuum up huge quantities at very low price. Whether the public will tolerate this and whether the land will support it are questions for further discussions. Many are saying that we are already taking too much out of the forests.

Well, there are some thoughts on biomass. Please consider yourself to be asked for your comments by email to our email address. Is the biomass industry going to be of any use to woodlot owners trying to do right by the woods?

Keep Forest Canopy

(Excerpted from Jamie Simpson's book Restoring the Acadian Forest: A Guide for Woodlot Owners in the Maritimes, p.44. Jamie is taking orders for the book at bocabec@gmail.com. He hints that the book makes a great Christmas gift for you and your family members. The price will be $20, including shipping.)

"Reducing canopy cover, especially with large scale-clearcutting, can cause soil to heat up and dramatically increase decomposition. Increased decomposition can result in a flush of nutrients—more than can be utilized by the plants and soil organisms remaining after the harvest. Because a loss of trees also results in increased water flow over and through the soil, unused nutrients may be leached away from the rooting zone or washed into nearby water courses during rains."…. A canopy of vegetation, especially one that has multiple levels…slows rainfall and extends snow melt time, which reduces the risk of water-stress and nutrient movement by leaching water run-off."

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 or, for member services, 902-673-3009). Please feel free to use these methods to keep us informed of what is going on in your woodlot or in your community or area. We try to keep you informed through these updates, newsletters and mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the annual general meeting, and this website

Paul Brison
NSWOOA Secretary

NSWOOA Update 16: August/Sept. 2008

What Do You Do With...?

The long evenings of early July are conducive to social visits, but the social pleasantries were scarcely over when the neighbor from back on the hill brought up the topic of his woodlot. "Look," he said, "you've got a woodlot and there's grey birch on it. What do you do with grey birch?" The tone of his voice betrayed his sense of frustration. "I got five, maybe six acres of red spruce plantation from back in the 80s and it's being beaten up by grey birch that came into it. Some places where the plantation failed there's only grey birch; in other places it's growing up over the spruce and doing damage. What do you do with grey birch?"

"How big are they? You can always put some in the firewood you sell, or burn it yourself. There's a market for that sort of wood these days, but not at a high price and not too many cords of grey birch alone."

"No," he replied, and after a pause, "I don't think it's big enough to sell at any kind of a price. Most of it is the size of my wrist. But it takes so long to cut it. A cord can take all morning, and at that rate, maybe I should just let it lay on the ground. Or maybe let it stand and after a while…" He trailed off, uncertain what to do.

"You have much cut so far? Have you been working at it steady? Maybe grey birch is only a hobby thing. You work at it a half day now and then, and make wood where it is large enough, and lay it down otherwise. It doesn't pay to put other work aside in favor of releasing the planted spruce."

The neighbor tilted his head, reflecting, "This is the second time I cut these trees. Years ago I went through and cut down all the birch and laid it down. Thought I was done with it. Now I got a new hobby." He produced a smile with a twist of irony in it.

"Now," he said, "what do you do about a couple of acres of alders?"

If you have your own experiences, stories or advice on grey birch, email us.

NSWOOA Member Selected Winner

The Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources will hold a field day at the Mabou, Cape Breton, woodlot of NSWOOA member Neal Livingston on September 27. Neal won regional Woodlot Owner of the Year for the Eastern Region from NSDNR. Additional field days will be held in Maitland Bridge on September 13 (Western Region regional winner) and in Greenfield on October 4 (Central Region and Provincial winner). For more information on Neal's woodlot and all of the field days, see http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/extension/woya/2008.htm#east

Congratulations to Neal!

Also Scheduled in September

Demo International 2008, hosted by Ledwidge Lumber, is scheduled for the forests just east of the Halifax airport on September 18-20. This is a huge exhibition of forestry equipment and technology, both large scale and small scale, and will be of interest to all woodlot owners. It includes demonstrations as well as static displays. A few contests too. For more information, consult the July edition of Atlantic Forestry Review, or go to http://www.atlanticfarmer.com/ and follow the links to Demo 2008.

Voluntary Planning

On April 22, 2008, the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association made a presentation to the volunteer Natural Resources Citizen Engagement Committee (Voluntary Planning), which will be making recommendations for natural resources policy in Nova Scotia. We put forward a number of recommendations designed to improve the ecological health of Nova Scotia woodlots and increase economic choice among woodlot owners. For the full text of our presentation, please see the Voluntary Planning website, https://vp.gov.ns.ca/files/u4/2008_AGM_presentation_4_.pdf

Outreach Project

Outreach Coordinator Patricia Amero reports that the NSWOOA-Picea Forestry Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project is progressing nicely. NSWOOA Member Services Coordinator Flora Johnson has the task of going through all the survey and workshop discussion results to begin preparing the written report. Meanwhile, Patricia and her partner, Sandy Hyde, have moved on to the individual woodlot half-day visits require by the project. According to Patricia, selecting the lots to be visited has been difficult, as there were many worthy woodlots to consider. The project will also hold a half-day woodlot seminar for contractors only, to be delivered in the early fall.

The Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project is administered by the Association for Sustainable Forestry and is funded by the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources. NSWOOA is delivering the project in partnership with Picea.

Sad News

NSWOOA members are mourning the loss of former NSWOOA board member Pamela (Pam) Langille. Pam was a dedicated and effective worker on behalf of protection of the Acadian Forest and promotion of ecologically sound forest practices. Donations in Pam's memory can be sent to the Eastern Shore Forest Watch Association (Comp 10, Site 2 R.R.1, Head Jeddore, NS B0J 1P0). We extend our sympathies to her family and friends.

Grey Birch

(Excerpted from Jamie Simpson's book Restoring the Acadian Forest: A Guide for Woodlot Owners in the Maritimes, P41. The book is due to be published soon. Meanwhile Jamie is taking orders for the book at bocabec@gmail.com. The price will be $20, including shipping.)

[Grey Birch] grows on a wide variety of soils, from dry to poorly drained, and
often regenerates well on nutrient-deficient soils where other trees do not grow
well. However, it is the shortest lived tree in the Acadian Forest with an upper
lifespan of 50 years. With mature height of 11 meters (35 feet) it is also the
shortest tree in the Acadian Forest.

Because grey birch grows almost
exclusively on recently disturbed ground where sometimes other trees cannot
survive, it plays an important role in re-vegetating sites, capturing nutrients
and stabilizing the soil. Being short in height, and longevity, and very
intolerant of shade, grey birch is quickly succeeded by other species; stands
can be thinned and under-planted with shade tolerant species.

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 or, for member services, 902-673-3009). Please feel free to use these methods to keep us informed of what is going on in your woodlot or in your community or area. We try to keep you informed through these updates, newsletters and mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and this website.

NSWOOA Update 15: June/July 2008

The photo above and others used with this update were taken during the NSWOOA members' tour of Elmsdale Lumber Company on May 31. The Elmsdale Lumber Company specializes in high-quality lumber products, and aims to produce the highest quality lumber in the province. This fits nicely with the concept that the NSWOOA has been promoting lately, that of producing high-quality logs through selection management, crop tree pruning and crop tree release. All photos courtesy Jack McLellan. Thanks Jack, and thanks to Elmsdale Lumber for hosting this great day.

Hello Woodlot Owners!

Round and Round in a Circle

How did the Voluntary planning session go in your area? This round of hearings is done now. If you were connected to one of several groups following each meeting you received reports on most of the meetings. There seems to have been good attendance with some predictable features at each meeting: industry stating that all is good, its practices based on science and sustainability; members of the public expressing distaste for clearcutting, etc. Everyone complained that there was insufficient time to do a meaningful job, that 30 seconds was more of a poll of opinions and just a bit paternalistic. Most participants were very enthusiastic and assertive of their opinions, ready do go deeper, to make specific suggestions as to regulations, structure and objectives. And many would very much like to be more deeply and meaningfully involved. Woodlot owners made their views known as well, and many had great ideas, and knew of working models of forest management they recommended. As well, local participation focused on local issues. In some sites, for example, the need to ban uranium exploration and mining was at least as popular a position as the no clearcutting stance. For all those who wish to contribute more, to discuss in depth, or to promote their concepts of forestry, the most significant way to have input now seems to be to submit your presentations to the Voluntary Planning website for posting. Submit your material to volplan@gov.ns.ca and read others' submissions at: https://vp.gov.ns.ca/projects/resources/getinvolved/results

What is to come of all of this? Will all these presentations mean any significant improvements? We don't know. What is your opinion? What next?

Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project

The Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project has completed 5 workshops designed to educate woodlot owners about the Category 7 Quality Improvement Silviculture Program, which provides funding for crop tree release, crop tree pruning and selection management on qualifying woodlots. Topics covered during the workshops included how to do these treatments, which focus on growing high-value trees, and how to identify suitable sites for such treatments. The workshops were held all over the province and attracted approximately 200 woodlot owners. The workshops also received publicity in newspapers around the province and features on CBC Radio and CJFX in Antigonish. This publicity has helped bring public attention to uneven-aged management and the reasons to grow high value trees.

The Outreach Project has been such a success that the $443,000 originally set aside for Category 7 funding was allocated by the beginning of April, and there are indications that the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources may put additional money into the funding program this year. Next steps for the Project include a workshop designed specifically for contractors, visits to individual woodlots, and the writing of a report to be submitted to the Association for Sustainable Forestry and the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources.

The Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project is administered by the ASF and is funded by NSDNR. NSWOOA is delivering the project in partnership with Picea Forestry Consulting.

Nontimber Forest Products

NSWOOA received a couple of emails from different sources about nontimber forest products. Here are the key points:

A summer student working at the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources is putting together a directory of producers of NTFPs in the Maritimes and Maine to be called From Our Atlantic Woods. The student's name is Sarah J. d'Appollonia and her email address is dapollsj@gov.ns.ca. The letter she distributed to the NSDNR list of woodlot owners is as follows:

"Dear Nova Scotian Woodlot Owner,

"I would like to inform you about the new non-timber forest products (NTFPs) directory; From Our Atlantic Woods. The Stewardship and Outreach Section of NS-DNR is partnering with various organizations in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, and the state of Maine to develop the first NTFPs directory in the Atlantic region. The From Our Atlantic Woods directory seeks to facilitate the development of a vibrant, diverse, and sustainable NTFP industry in Atlantic Canada and Maine through the provision of tools allowing growers, producers, retailers and the general public access to critical information. Once the necessary information is compiled, the directory will be available in retail outlets as a published hard copy and online at http://www.ntfp.infor.ca/. Additional information such as, recipes, modern uses, and sustainable harvesting techniques will also be showcased in the directory.

"Listing your NTFP business in the directory is free of charge. However, you may wish to include a paid ad for additional exposure. The directory will provide listings for NTFP businesses throughout the Atlantic Provinces as well as the State of Maine.

"In order to be eligible to advertise your NTFP business in the directory you must meet several requirements. Requirements for the From Our Atlantic Woods directory are as follows:

• producer/harvester/retailer/manufacturer/supplier of NTFP in the Atlantic Provinces or State of Maine
• all listings must have a link to forestry
• practice sustainable forestry on your woodlot
• have "sale-ready" NTFPs

"Excluded from the From Our Woods directory are large scale, highly-organized NTFP industries.

"If you, or someone you know is interested in advertising a Nova Scotian NTFP business in the directory, please fill out the attached file: From Our Atlantic Woods. [Webmaster's note: Please email Ms. d'Appollonia for a copy of this form.] This PDF file requires "Adobe Acrobat" in order to open successfully. Once you have opened the file you may fill it out electronically if you have the appropriate Adobe add-ons. If not, you may print the form, fill it out, and kindly return it to the Stewardship and Outreach Section of NS-DNR by email, fax, or mail (listed below).

Stewardship and Outreach Section

Department of Natural Resources

P.O. Box 698 Halifax, NS B3J 2T9

Email: dapollsj@gov.ns.ca

Fax: (902) 424-7735

(902) 424-8116

"If you have any questions or comments concerning the From Our Atlantic Woods directory, or any woodlot related questions in general, please do not hesitate to contact me."

In addition, INFOR (the forestry information organization attached to the Maritime College of Forest Technology in Fredricton) now has a web page devoted to NTFPS. This is at http://www.infor.ca/?section=5

Finally, Natural Resources Canada has started a website on NTFPS and "innovative bioproducts" (including bioenergy). This can be found at http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/subsite/forest-bioproducts

Mycorrhizal Fungi

(Excerpted from Jamie Simpson's book Restoring the Acadian Forest: A Guide for Woodlot Owners in the Maritimes, P41. The book is due to be published in a month's time. Meanwhile Jamie is taking orders for the book at bocabec@gmail.com. The price will be $20, including shipping.)

Mycorrhizal fungi form large networks of root like structures, or mycelia, throughout the upper layers of forest soil. The mycelia grow into the roots of suitable plants, and thereby become an extension of a plant's own root system. In fact, these fungi are more efficient than the plants at extracting and transporting water and certain nutrients (such as phosphorous). Plants that are colonized by these fungi have better growth rates and are more resistant to environmental stresses, such as drought, cold and root diseases, than plants that do not share a relationship with mycorrhizal fungi.

Mill Tour

The Saturday May 31 tour of the Elmsdale Lumber Company grounds and mill went well. Ten mill workers came in to run the various machines and demonstrate the processes. The mill explained how Elmsdale Lumber trades on quality, and how it produces a mixture of products to a variety of markets as a strategy to survive and flourish in today's markets. Downey Thompson acted as host, and received a gift from the NSWOOA for his efforts. A notable addition to the tour was Austin Parson's architecture class from Dalhousie University. Many thanks to all involved in making the day such a success.

Breaking News

The Woodlot Owners of the Year winners are Russell McNally, the central and provincial winner in Greenfield, Colchester County; NSWOOA member Neal Livingston, Black River, Inverness County, Cape Breton in the East; and Royce Ford of Maitland, Queens County. Congratulations to all.

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 or, for member services, 902-673-3009). Please feel free to use these methods to keep us informed of what is going on in your woodlot or in your community or area. We try to keep you informed through these updates, newsletters and mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and this website.