NSWOOA Update 24: May 2009

In this issue
Voluntary Planning
The NSWOOA seeks your opinion
Fall Field Day
Biomass harvesting
Using silviculture funding to help pay for restoration
The new executive
Update on Irving land sale
How to contact us

Hello Woodlot Owners!

Public Opinion

At the recent Annual General Meeting (AGM) Robin Barrett made a short presentation on the work of Voluntary Planning. It was their job to gather public opinion on the policies and practices in forestry, on parks and recreation, on biodiversity and on minerals.* They gathered these opinions, distilled them into themes and workshopped the results. Now they are prepared to pass the material over to four “panels of experts” who will make specific recommendations to a third and higher level panel whose job is to recommend policy to government. The panels of experts are yet to be named from the list of nominees, pending formulation of the final panel, indicated Robin.

So what are the main findings of the process so far? According to Robin, that theme is public participation. Over and over again presenters indicated that they wanted the public—ordinary concerned citizens like themselves—to have a mechanism through which they can have a meaningful role in determining public policy and practices. The quality of presentations from woodlot owners and members of the public at the VP hearings certainly indicates that there is a large body of people out there who have educated themselves on all aspects of forestry. There certainly is enough expertise among the general population to successfully argue that the public does really understand the forest, and thus their views should not be discounted when it comes to formulating forest policy. Recent shifts in programs, such as the Category 7 Quality Improvement Silviculture program and the newer woodlot certification program, seem to indicate that in the present day DNR attitude is more consultative. Things are looking up.

One can hope that the great demand for ongoing public input into forestry policy and practices will be satisfied. What the mechanism could and should be is difficult to imagine. There is certainly a range of opportunities, from boards and committees to discuss particular problems to the establishment of community-managed forest blocks.

What are community forests? Basically a community forest is a block of forest land that is managed according to the principles, practices and objectives of a group or “community” of citizens. A quick survey reveals that some community forests are public land only, set aside for an interest group to manage. Other forests are composed of both public and private lands. Aboriginal community forests are becoming more common. The question is this: Is it time for various groups in the Province to look into the community forest concept as a means of influencing forest policy and practice?

Where do you stand? How much are you willing to contribute? What structures would allow you the input and influence you would like to contribute?

*The NSWOOA is interested in all these topics, but especially forestry. The Board made a strong presentation to the VP process, backed up by the fact that members attending the 2008 AGM formally approved the presentation.

Something to Keep You Busy

Speaking of public input, members of the NSWOOA are being asked for their responses to a number of issues and proposals. Here is a list of the topics that you are asked to phone or email your thoughts on. Here’s your homework. It should fill in a half hour or more for you.

• What should the NSWOOA adopt as a policy on forestry? Do we have a common stand, and if so, what should it be?
• What membership services should we be providing? What do we do well, and what have we been neglecting?
• Is this website giving you what you need? Is there something more that we have missed?
• What role should we take in the Bancroft/Reed lawsuit against a federal and two provincial ministries for failing to protect the environment?
• Should we be involved in the Friends of the Redtail Society’s efforts to buy some Wagner land to use as a community resource?
• What is our position on biomass harvest? On building biomass-fired electrical or oil-producing plants?
• If you have been the victim of timber trespass, or have experiences on the topic to share, Tom Miller wants to hear from you. Please take the time to call us (633 2108) or email us .

Sept. 19 NSWOOA Field Day
By Steve Harder

This year’s field day in Pictou County will showcase the diversity of a working woodlot and a naturally regenerating forest.

Lloyd and Marlene Langille of the Hopewell area, near New Glasgow, will host the event on Saturday, Sept. 19.

The Langilles have been harvesting wood from a 130-acre mixed woodlot annually for more than 40 years. But 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. They try to avoid clearcutting.

“If you take it all in one shot, you can’t go back, at least in your lifetime,” says Marlene.

Lloyd keeps going back, removing logs using a tractor and winch. Up until about 10 years ago, he and Marlene used horses to take out the logs. Lloyd still sometimes brings in a horse in special spots where he doesn't want to cut a road for the tractor.

The field day will feature local food for lunch and horse and wagon rides to different parts of the woodlot.

Activities planned for this year’s NSWOOA field day include practical examples of woodland stewardship and discussion of broader issues of conservation and biodiversity.

Guest presenters will include Bob Bancroft, a well-known wildlife biologist who, along with his artist wife Alice Reed, is preparing to legally challenge provincial government officials over their failure to enforce existing land and water regulations that could have protected their 32 years of environmental stewardship.

A spokesperson for the Friends of the Redtail Society will speak about the nonprofit group’s efforts to raise funds to prevent a large parcel of land, some of which is old forest, from being clearcut.

Though the final agenda hasn’t been set, ideas being considered are:

1. Use an old field White spruce site, which is very common stand type on Nova Scotia woodlots, to show how these sites revert back to a natural forest.
2. Discuss topics such as old growth, habitat, and tree silvics along a trail network using examples of mature mixedwood stands (Eastern hemlock, Red spruce, Yellow birch, Red maple and Sugar maple).
3. Show the importance of riparian areas using small brooks as examples.
4. Demonstrate how silviculture, particularly selection harvesting, can be used to mimic natural processes of the forest through the implementation of various-sized patch cuts to encourage various ages of multi-species regeneration and thinning activities to promote growth of existing good-quality trees.
5. Mark an area of trees to help illustrate to landowners which tree should be cut and which tree should be left to grow and how this can vary depending on the landowner’s values and objectives.
6. Describe the province’s forest ecosystem classification system by showing soil and vegetation types and explain some hazards and advantages of different types.
7. Show the importance of soil biology, particularly in terms of long-term site productivity and ecosystem health.
8. Describe the role of wetlands in a healthy forest and their value in providing ecosystem services in filtering water and maintaining biodiversity and wildlife habitat.Display and operate a portable sawmill and explain how scaling and grading work.
9. Demonstrate how woodland owners can get value from non-timber forest products.
10. Provide information on outreach and silviculture funding programs offered by the Association for Sustainable Forestry.
11. Demonstrate raptor habitat with some examples of potential nest sites to show how to identify such habitat and potential habitat.

From this broad list of topics, a number will be selected for the Sept. 19 field day. If you have any suggestions or comments about the proposed demonstrations or events, please contact NSWOOA board members or send an email to nswooa@gmail.com. Stay tuned for more details on the final agenda and the format for the day’s activities.

The board of the NSWOOA invites members and anyone interested in woodland stewardship to attend the field day. To learn, share ideas with like-minded people and have fun.

Biomass Harvesting Guidelines
By Wade Prest

As reported at our AGM in April, the NSWOOA resigned from the NS Biomass Working Group, which has been given the task by DNR of developing guidelines for the harvest and retention of forest biomass in Nova Scotia. Recently, the latest draft was released for comment by interested stakeholders, including the NSWOOA. Interested members may contact the Board or Wade Prest to get more detail of the current version. Any members who would like to comment on the guidelines should contact Wade at 902-772-2211 before June 5, so that your concerns can be taken into consideration as the Association’s comments are prepared.

The guidelines will be mandatory on Crown Lands, and private landowners will be encouraged to follow the guidelines on their own properties. There are two main classes of biomass identified as important to the maintenance of site productivity. One of those is coarse woody debris (CWD), which is standing and fallen trees (or pieces thereof) over 10 cm in diameter. For some years now, guidelines for the retention of CWD have been in place in Nova Scotia, as part of the Wildlife Habitat and Watercourse Protection regulations. The recommended volumes of CWD to be left on harvested sites are based on observed CWD volumes in mature natural unmanaged stands. This will more or less be unchanged. The second category is the fine woody debris (FWD or “fines”), which is defined as tree components less than 10 cm in diameter, typically tops, limbs, twigs, and foliage. Recommendations are made for the amounts of this material which should remain well distributed on the site following harvest. The amounts vary with the site quality (from no removal on poor sites to 75% removal on better sites) and with silvicultural system (even-aged vs.uneven-aged management).

At this point, the NSWOOA still has grave concerns that harvesting more material (over and above stemwood) is an unsustainable practice. There is ample evidence in the woods that our forests are stressed, unhealthy, and often growing at a rate less than it should be. That should not be surprising, given the treatment many woodlots have experienced in the past. Unfortunately, the Biomass Working Group has offered no basis for its recommendations, and we will be expressing these reservations in our comments. Although these are only guidelines and woodlot owners are not obliged to follow them, your Association would prefer to see the Province issue guidelines which we can recommend to our members. As it stands, the NSWOOA will continue to urge its members to think of the long-term health and productivity of their woodlots, and consider a reduction in the level of biomass utilization, rather than stripping the land of its lifeblood for minimal short term financial gain.

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

If you are trying to restore Acadian Forest species and structure on your woodlot, you may be able to use silviculture funding programs to help offset the cost of these efforts. These programs are available throughout Nova Scotia.

For example, a common occurrence in Nova Scotia is a stand dominated by mature pioneer species such as White spruce and/or Balsam fir, where the regeneration consists primarily of fir. In more cases than not, species such as Red spruce, Red maple, White ash, and Yellow birch can be found scattered among the regenerating fir, particularly where there are partial openings in the upper canopy. (Partially shaded conditions are most favorable for these shade-tolerant species.) When desired species are not regenerating naturally, you can plant to boost the proportion of desired species. This will move succession along and establish seed sources of shade-tolerant species for the next generation forest.

Which species to plant depends on your management objectives and the soil and vegetation types that naturally characterize your forest. If you want to qualify for funding, you must plant tree species with commercial value, which are referred to as crop trees. At this time, species that would be funded include Red spruce, White pine, Red pine, Eastern hemlock, Yellow birch, Sugar maple, White ash, and Red oak.

When an area does not have enough desired species in the desired locations, you can remedy this by planting the desired trees. In forestry terms, this type of planting is referred to as fill planting. Underplanting is a type of fill planting in which trees are planted under partial canopy. In restoration efforts, fill planting is especially useful in situations where there is a shortage of seed sources for desired species.

Money is available to help pay for fill planting under Silviculture Category 1 (“Natural Regeneration Establishment”) of the province’s Forest Sustainability Regulations. Although the reimbursement varies, typically it is $300 per hectare.

In order to qualify for funding under Category 1, you must meet certain criteria:

• You must plant acceptable species, as described earlier.
• You must plant at least 300 trees per hectare. (This is not very much.)
• After planting, at least 17% of the area must be stocked with planted trees.
• After planting, 80% of the area must be covered by trees of acceptable species. These trees may be either naturally regenerated or planted.
• Any planted hardwood species must be protected from browse, and no funding is available to help offset the cost of protecting these seedlings.

If you are fill planting 300-500 trees per hectare and if certain other conditions are met, a site such as this one might be eligible for additional silviculture funding under Silviculture Category 7 (“Quality Improvement”) of the Forest Sustainability Regulations. I’ll talk more about using fill planting together with selection management in the next edition of the NSWOOA Update. Following that, I’ll talk about how to use fill planting along with manual weeding in cut-over areas where most of the regeneration consists of pioneer species. Finally, I’ll explain how the funding process works and talk about what to do if you are interested in applying.

For more information on uneven-aged management, please check my blog.

The New Executive
In accordance with the By-Laws of the NSWOOA the Board of Directors at its first meeting following the AGM elected a new slate of officers.

President: Austin Parsons

Vice President (open temporarily)

Treasurer: Tony Phillips

Recording Secretary: Paul Brison

Corresponding Secretary: Ken MacRury

Central Wood Supply Division:
President: Lorne Burrows
Secretary: Paul Brison

The new executive thanks members for their support and asks that you make the extra effort to keep in contact, so that we may be better able to serve your needs.

Update on Irving Land Sale
By Kermit DeGooyer

The provincial government has taken a small step to secure some of the 214,000 acres of land that JD Irving Ltd. is selling in southwestern Nova Scotia. During a rally organized by Buy Back Nova Scotia at Province House on April 30, Natural Resources Minister Carolyn Bolivar-Getson announced that the government was bidding on 21,000 acres. This amounts to 10% of Irving’s holdings currently for sale, and if acquired, would be added to the Crown Land base. Most of the land is in the Silver and Caribou River watersheds in Digby Co. The Province is also putting in offers on a few small scattered parcels that contain old or uncommon forests, like the cedar swamp at Hectanooga. The Buy Back Nova Scotia coalition had hoped for more, and have pledged to continue pressing government (of whatever stripe we end up with) to acquire Irving’s lands. The coalition ranges from environmental groups and trail clubs to trappers and local businesses. They hope to prevent such a large area falling into the hands of real estate speculators, who tend to liquidate the forest, ring backcountry lakes with exclusive housing lots, and kick everyone out. Every municipality in the region has endorsed the Buy Back effort. For more, check out http://www.buybacknovascotia.ca/

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.

NSWOOA Update 23: April 2009

Above, the late Dr. Wilfred Creighton made an appearance of sorts at the 2009 NSWOOA Annual General Meeting. Above, members and guests watch Honour in the Woods, a short documentary in which Dr. Creighton is interviewed.

In this issue
AGM highlights
Policy and practice for the NSWOOA Member input sought
Timber trespass
Ecosystem-based forest management
Buy Back Nova Scotia
More help for woodlot owners
More photos from the AGM
How to contact us

Hello Woodlot Owners!

We Get Questions

The question most frequently asked by new woodlot owners or those who have not previously been actively managing their lands is, “How do I get started on my woodlot?” The usual answer is to describe a process by which woodlot owners assess their objectives, the attributes of the property are described, a management plan is established and the required interventions are initiated.

The second most asked question usually appears before the answer to the first is completed: “Who can I get to do this for me?” That can be a harder question to answer. For some, this second question means Who can be hired to do this work? Which contractors are available, and who is reliable? Who can market the product? Some people are unable to do the work themselves.

For others the second question actually means that they are overwhelmed by the prospect of getting started. What these people sometimes need is to make contact with a neighbour or a friend who can be invited to come over and help them. A chainsaw course and a bit of mentoring may be enough to get going. You don’t need much, really, to start. It could be as simple as a chainsaw (and training), an ATV and a bit of nerve. The old saying is that a journey of a thousand miles starts with but a single step. A well-managed woodlot can start with just the first tree and the decision the woodlot owner makes for that tree.

Some AGM highlights

The April 18 meeting in Old Barns was well attended and fast paced, and it covered a lot of ground. Here are but a few of the highlights.

Above, Wade Prest addresses the 2009 NSWOOA AGM on the topic of biomass

A cause for concern. In his report on the biomass issue, Wade Prest mentioned that at least one vision for biomass energy in Atlantica is for a centrally built massive plant for the three Maritime Provinces and Maine. The difficulty is that when there is a capital investment of hundreds of millions of dollars, those investing expect to see a competitive return on their investment. The forests of Nova Scotia and the other provinces will feel a great deal of pressure to generate these returns, and this could lead to bad practices and unsustainable harvesting. Too bad the investment of landowners and their fair return on investment do not hold as much sway.

Above, Patricia Amero (left) and Sandy Hyde (center) received a plaque made of FSC wood. NSWOOA Board Member George Johnson presented plaques to Patricia and Sandy, Flora Johnson, and Greg Amon for their contributions through the Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project.

Achievements recognized. George Johnson, on behalf of the NSWOOA Board and members, presented plaques made of FSC wood for outstanding contribution to the forests of Nova Scotia. Patricia Amero and Sandy Hyde of Picea Forestry Consulting, Flora Johnson and Greg Amon were recognized for their contributions through the Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project.

Right, George Johnson shows off one of the plaques awarded at the 2009 AGM.

Board changes. Retiring directors Greg Amon and Gerald Romsa were thanked for their service to the NSWOOA. They made significant contributions during their terms and will be greatly missed.

Above, new board members Stephen Harder, left, and Marc Chisholm, right.

New to the Board this year are Marc Chisholm and Stephen Harder. Thank you for offering your skills, knowledge, experience and energy to our organization.

Above, Sandy Hyde discusses ecosytem-based forest management

Ecosystem-Based Forest Management. Sandy Hyde gave a presentation on using ecosystem classifications to develop management plans for woodlots. He explained that much of this approach is what woodlot owners do automatically, because they develop a feel for the land and how it works, but now this is backed up by science. Sandy went over the resources available, and how they are applied. See Patricia Amero’s UAM Notes item below for more on Sandy’s presentation.

Above, Steven Harder discusses a way that woodlot owners could invest in and by paid for ecological services.

Valuing eco services of woodlots. Steven Harder went over a proposal to develop a plan whereby woodlot owners could invest in and be paid for ecological services such as water storage and carbon storage.

Wise words. The late Dr. Wilfred Creighton made an appearance of a sort, when several pieces of his advice were quoted at the meeting. Responding to a quote by one presenter, Sandy Hyde commented that Dr. Creighton had pointed out the short sightedness of managing forests according to the easiest way to harvest by saying: “The easiest way to pick apples is to cut down the apple tree.”

Above, NSWOOA Board Member Tony Phillips presented the meeting with an interim statement on forest policy for comment and discussion.

Policy and practice for the NSWOOA

During the AGM, Tony Phillips and Paul Brison reported on one committee’s attempts to better define who and what we are, and what we stand for. After explaining the purpose of the review and how we got to where we are now, they presented the meeting with an interim statement on policy for comment and discussion. After a bit of input at the scene, that statement reads:

The NSWOOA promotes and supports initiatives and practices that optimize the full range of values of the forests

These values include but are not limited to: economic, aesthetic and spiritual, recreational, carbon sequestration, water storage and filtration, community development, wildlife habitat, ecosystem protection, disease resistance, species and age diversity, etc.

The presenters stressed that this is intended as a working basis on which to make statements of policy on a whole range of issues, from biomass to plantations to acquisition of Irving lands in Digby County. However, member advice and input is now needed. Consider yourself officially consulted, and please give your opinions by phone or by email.

Above, NSWOOA Board Member Paul Brison presented a brief history of the NSWOOA.

Additional member input sought

NSWOOA Past President Tom Miller (shown in the photo at right) spoke at the AGM about several ongoing matters of concern: the acquisition of Wagner lands by the Redtail Society for community forest use, the Eastern Shore Forest Watch’s Honour in the Woods: and directory projects, the Bob Bancroft-Alice Reed lawsuit against two levels of government to have environmental protection laws enforced, and the continuing problem of trespass timber theft. He recommended monetary support. The last matter was referred to the board for appropriate action, but members present asked the board to actively seek member input and advice through email consultation and website postings.

For more information on the Redtail issue, see the Friends of Redtail Society website .

For more information on the film Honour in the Woods and how to order your own copy, see the Eastern Shore Forest Watch website.

For Tom Miller’s account of the Bob Bancroft-Alice Reed lawsuit, see this item at the NSWOOA website.

If you would like additional information on these issues, or to give direction and advice, call us at the number above, or email us your views.

Timber trespass

Members of the NSWOOA heard a story from Tom about a particular timber trespass in which an owner of a small woodlot of very good timber checked his lot one day to find that 90% of it had been harvested, despite having a well-marked and surveyed boundary line. The owner found that the law was reluctant to get involved and that typically the owner is awarded stumpage rates only.

If you have stories about timber trespass/theft, Tom would like to hear them. He has agreed to lead a group looking into how such cases are dealt with, what the options are and what we need to do to change things. If you have information for Tom, please send it to nswooa@gmail.com, or phone us.

Above, Patricia Amero and Sandy Hyde of Picea Forestry Consulting enjoy the presentations at the 2009 NSWOOA Annual General Meeting. Behind them is a display about their business. All members were invited to sell products and promote their businesses during the meeting.

UAM Notes: Ecosystem-Based Forest Management, Part 2
By Patricia Amero, RPF

At the NSWOOA Annual General Meeting on April 18, my partner Sandy Hyde gave a presentation on ecosystem-based forest management (EBFM). The following is a continuation of the item I wrote for the previous edition of the NSWOOA Update and a recap of Sandy’s presentation.

In the previous issue of the NSWOOA Update, I explained that in EBFM, forest managers aim to determine the natural ecological process that should be occurring on a particular site. We then try to protect these processes while also achieving landowner’s goals, which may include not only timber production but also conservation, recreation, aesthetics, and other resource values and benefits. As Sandy explained in his presentation to the NSWOOA AGM, the key principles of EBFM are:

• Manage the natural forest
• Mimic natural processes, including natural disturbances
• Maintain multiple forest values, benefits and uses
• Prescribe site-specific treatments
• Focus efforts where they will yield the best returns
• Improve the quality and value of individual trees over time
• Avoid predictable hazards
• Maintain and protect long-term site productivity
• Maintain and protect ecosystem functions and health

Once we understand the ecological processes in a particular forest unit, we understand the full potential of this unit and also hazards associated with working in it. This enables us to manage for the natural forest while maintaining multiple forest values, long-term site productivity and most importantly ecosystem health. By tailoring harvest practices to reflect what naturally occurs in the forest—and making sure that activities are undertaken during the appropriate times of the year—we are able to avoid negative effects on the forest ecosystem. EBFM balances ecological, economic and social values within a particular woodlot.

In Nova Scotia our primary EBFM tools are the Ecological Land Classification (ELC) for Nova Scotia and the Forest Ecosystem Classification (FEC) manuals for various regions of the province, both of which are available from the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources.

The ELC divides the Acadian Forest Ecozone first into 9 main ecoregions. These ecoregions are differentiated primarily by elevation and proximity to the ocean. For example, the Valley and Central Lowlands Ecoregion essentially extends from Digby to Truro surrounding the Minas Basin. The distinguishing feature of this ecoregion, as outlined in the ELC manual (website:www.gov.ns.ca/natr/forestry/ecosystem/elcpg1.htm), is that the ecoregion is “sheltered from coastal climatic influences with warmer summer temperatures and milder winters than elsewhere in the province”. These conditions bring forth a unique combination of soil and vegetation types.

The ecoregions are further subdivided into ecodistricts as classified by distinct combinations of geology, landforms, soils and vegetation. There are a total of 40 ecodistricts in Nova Scotia. The Valley and Central Lowlands Ecoregion, for example, contains 3 ecodistricts: the Annapolis Valley Ecodistrict (extending from Digby to Canning), the Central Lowlands Ecodistrict (includes much of Hants County), and the Minas Lowlands (extending from east of Truro to Bass River).

A more detailed, localized way of classifying a forest or forest stand is by ecotype. Ecotypes are broad ecological groupings with similar moisture and nutrient regimes that are reflected in similar growth (productivity) capabilities. The FEC manual defines forest ecotypes according to their dominant soil and vegetation types. Ten different ecotypes have been identified in Nova Scotia, and each is associated with a specific group of soil types, vegetation types and site conditions.

Soil types are classified by moisture (wet, moist, fresh or dry), texture (coarse, medium, fine) and sometimes fertility (poor, medium, rich). Soil types can be easily identified in the field by digging a small soil pit and using the keys provided in the FEC manual to determine texture and type.

Vegetation types are described in terms of dominant overstory tree species cover and understory vegetation species. Vegetation communities and particular species can be used as indicators of site productivity. For instance, a ground vegetation mix of Red baneberry, Rose twisted stalk, Oak fern and Beaked hazelnut is an indicator of soil richness and a site that will support a shade-tolerant hardwood mix forest of Sugar maple, Yellow birch, White ash, and American beech. On the other hand, a ground vegetation mix of Cinnamon fern, Dwarf raspberry, Starflower, Sphagnum moss, False holly and Lambkill is suited to wet and poor-to-medium fertility sites, thus serves as an indicator of a site that will support a mainly coniferous forest of Red spruce, Black spruce, and Balsam fir with a mix of Red maple, White birch, Yellow birch, and White pine.

Once the ecotype of a site has been identified, the FEC manual provides management interpretations that address potential and operational hazards, including hazards associated with particular soil and vegetation types. Using the manual, the forest manager can develop appropriate prescriptions to ensure that activities on the ground are a success and not detrimental to the ecosystem.

Together, the ELC and the FEC provide a valuable perspective on a woodlot at the landscape and forest stand level, allowing the forest manager to fully understand ecological processes at play.

Selling the farm

There has been a strong public movement towards supporting Government purchase of Irving lands in the Digby Area. Buy Back Nova Scotia is a group that supports making this land into Crown land.

If this land sale follows the trend it'll be bought by a liquidating corporation, stripped of remaining timber, and gradually carved up into hundreds of fancy cottage lots for retiring baby-boomers with a lot of money. Especially on completely undeveloped lakes and miles of river frontage. Irving's real estate broker, Landvest (out of Portland, Maine) is really playing up the development potential of "large lots on unspoiled lakes" with "no encumbrances". Irving harvested some of these lands pretty hard, but it's still unsettled backcountry with mostly good productive forest land. A lot of it needs to heal/be restored through sane forestry. Historic public access for recreation and traditional uses is at stake here. (Contributed by Kermit DeGooyer.)

More help

We're happy to recommend another web resource for woodlot owners looking for ways to manage land without resorting to clearcutting. Forester Trish Amero, who coordinated the Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project in 2008, has started a blog at http://trishameroblog.blogspot.com/.

Trish will be sharing some of the knowledge and experience she and partner Sandy Hyde have gained working with woodlot owners, including information on forest ecology, managements plans, and restoring your woodlot through selection harvesting.

More photos from the AGM

Above, Robin Barrett spoke about the Voluntary Planning process.

Above, NSWOOA Secretary Paul Brison presented the minutes of the 2008 NSWOOA AGM while NSWOOA President Lorne Burrows took notes.

Above, Kim Thompson from Eastern Shore Forest Watch introduced the film Honour in the Woods.


Above, NSWOOA Board Member Ken McRury reported on his participation in the Forest Technical Advisory Committee.


Above, Jamie Simpson introduced his new book Restoring the Acadian Forest, which was available for purchase at the meeting.

Above, Bill MacKay of Nagaya Forest Restoration (standing) discussed the difference between Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and other types of certification. Seated in front of him, from left to right, were Jamie Simpson, George Johnson, and Wade Prest.

Above, NSWOOA Board Member Barbara Gallagher read a report from Board Member Austin Parsons summarizing his involvement with two projects: the Association for Sustainable Forestry's Category 7 Committee and a program to certify woodlots to FSC standards.

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.