NSWOOA

NSWOOA Update Newsletter 49

2012-01-20T22:18:00.001-04:00

NSWOOA Update Newsletter 49
January 19, 2012
WWW.nswooa.ca
nswooa@gmail.com
902 633 2108

In this Issue:
- Hello Woodlot Owners
- AGM advanced notice
- We Get Answers
- We Get Questions
- The NSWOOA asks the Premier
- Time to Re-Up
- How To Contact Us

Hello Woodlot Owners!
Biomass, Forest Health, and Carbon Storage
The December issue of Natural Resource Canada’s Information Forestry focuses on energy from biomass. The first article, “Forest Biomass: a Source of Bioenergy...” sounds promising when Brian Titus states that Canada produces 40 million tonnes of biomass per year, and that using half of this amount to generate energy would produce 6% of our energy requirements.
One assumes, of course, that he refers to the higher efficiency boilers now available and not the likes at the bioenergy plant that Nova Scotia Power is planning to use at Point Tupper. Nor does the article deal with the question of whether burning wood for electricity is even carbon neutral.
This article does report on Canada Forest Service’s study of the potential to remove slash from harvest sites without harming the soil’s ability to sustain a new crop of trees- one assumes of equal vigour and worth with the previous crop. Of course removal of trees in operations such as clear cuts (now called intensive harvests) will change the micro climates, soil content, erosion patterns, wildlife, and so on. Titus notes:
However, unlike the industrial process, there is no such thing as waste in ecology, The biomass removed contains nutrients, as well as carbon- an energy source for some organisms- and can provide habitat for a variety of other organisms if left in place. Researchers are asking: can slash be removed without compromising ecological processes? If so, how much can be removed and from what kinds of sites?
Titus goes on to explain the type of testing now being done, the development of a possible “nutrient calculator” and so on.
Immediately following the Titus article, Barb Crawford interviews soil chemist Caroline Preston about her work on carbon storage by forests and forest soil. Preston says that we need to know more about how stable carbon is in the soil, how much will turn into CO2 as we upset the balance (by harvesting biomsass), the effect of climate change on the gain or loss of stored carbon, how much more can be stored and what the saturation point is.
Well, you get the idea: This is all heady stuff. It’s nice when Science (or anyone) admits that it doesn’t know everything yet, and dangerous when it thinks it does. What does Preston feel about it all?
Some of this stuff doesn’t seem urgent right now, but when you look at what other countries are doing and what the effects of soil warming could be in the long run, it’s important.
We leave with this: How much of this science is being done in our Acadian Forest, and what are we to learn from it?

Annual General Meeting
Advanced notice is given for the annual general meeting of the NSWOOA in Old Barns on Saturday April 14. If you have input and suggestions we would like to hear before anything is finalized. We expect some guest speakers on some significant topics, some presentations on the Board’s activities, some awards, some time to get to know one another and of course, that pesky business meeting. Mark this date on your calendar now, and come to share, participate, listen, learn and get to know us.

We get Answers
In our last issue Mark Alvis asked about black locust trees.

I don't know anyone purposely practicing coppicing on any real scale, though there maybe a few in agricultural areas. It takes time and utilizes more land than traditional fencing and takes up room that can be profitably cultivated which is why hedgerows are a diminishing commodity in the UK. It's harder to move machinery around them, they're rigid in stature and long lived. Let's not forget also that coppicing also grew out of the demand and realities of medieval England for firewood and collecting rights by villiens and cottars. Larger stock was the property of the manor or religious house and only smaller wood (often wind throw) was legally collectible. Also smaller withrods were/are utilized for wattle and daub, fencing and the like. Tools were not as formidable as the people and large timber use, though common, was much more expensive in labour, tools etc. then smaller stock (send the kids out!). Also, finally, coppicing was relatively cheap (cheaper than fencing before wire) if labour was cheap and people had more time than money then. Coppicing also encourages edible wildlife (rabbits (NA has hares which don't build warrens)), eggs, pigeons all fare for the table and a curse for the farmer.
Black Locust is, according the Independent Sawmill & Woodlot magazine the BEST wood by weight for btu's (firewood). I mill some but probably not more than a thou or so off our own lot. It has a greenish cast to it when fresh (or shaded) milled and a slightly rank smell. Called 'poor mans teak', I'm told it was brought to NS as a boat-builders wood for things like deck timbers and superior rot resistance. This later quality has seen it used as support piers for buildings and beams, etc (Wikipedia relates an instance of 200 year plus life for some piers in Conn. under a heritage house)! It puts on height quickly and grows well from suckers. Porcupines will travel great distances to eat the leaves,I know not why, but will strip a tree quite readily in a summer or two. Windfirm and salt tolerant in habit. Arthritic looking twisty branches they are the last to leaf in the spring and the first to cast in the fall. Not much used in my experience by furniture makers but a nice wood though heavy. I know of no-one plantationing these and they come mostly as individuals (large) to the market.
( Reply from Simon Krasemann)

We Get Questions
(Anybody able to respond, please email us at the above email address.)
As you did your walkabout on the woodlot before the snowfall, you may have noticed the abundance of deciduous leaves. You may have wondered what role these leaves and the mulch they constitute play in the ecology of the forest. It was noticeable, also, on the CBC Radio program Maritime Noon recently that the gardening expert answering the phone calls three times referred to mulching plants or at least covering them with oak leaves as the most desirable treatment.
The question: What is so special about oak leaves as compared to other deciduous leaves, or even to needles?

NSWOOA Asks the Premier

The NSWOOA has asked Premier Dexter to consider the impact on the price of wood produced by small private woodlot owners in any deal securing future of the former NewPage mill in Port Hawkesbury. The Association points out that any deal providing fibre to Stern Partners from Crown land has the potential to further suppress the price received by woodlot owners for their product.

Additionally, about half the volume of wood traditionally used by the NewPage mill has been from small private woodlot owners, and the NSWOOA is anxious that this volume be protected in any deal which will see the mill continue to operate.

Membership Renewals

With the end of December came the expiry of our paid up memberships in the NSWOOA. They run from January 1 to December 31 each year. Here’s your opportunity to get ahead of the crowd this year by paying up now.

NSWOOA - 2012 Membership Application/
Renewal of Membership Form

( ) Renewal ( ) New

Name: ____________________________________________________________

Business Name: ____________________________________________________

Mailing Address: ___________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Telephone Number: ________________ Email Address:_____________________

1. ______I am a woodlot owner / operator? County: ____________________
All woodlot owners and operators become Regular Members (see below), with full voting rights in both the NSWOOA and in the NSWOOA – Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest Division.
______I want to join NSWOOA as an Affiliate or Associate Member (see below) in support of the Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest Division. My membership fees will primarily be directed to support the NSWOOA – OPDF Division. An Associate member has full voting rights in the OPDF Division only.
______ Student Associate membership
Regular Membership: open to anyone owning, leasing, renting or controlling woodland or to anyone who is a producer, and who supports the NSWOOA Mission Statement.

Affiliate and Associate Membership: open to organizations and individuals having similar aims and objects as the NSWOOA, and who support the NSWOOA Mission Statement.
_____Membership Cost- $30/year Student membership $10/year.

_____Subscription to Atlantic Forestry Review - $15/ year (special rate)

Please mail applications and cheques to: NSWOOA

PO Box 823

Truro, NS B2N 5G6

Mission Statement

NSWOOA is an independent organization of woodlot owners and operators achieving prosperity, stewardship, and solidarity through the practice of ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable forestry. Truly sustainable forest management means that all values of our woodlands -- ecological, social, cultural and economic -- must be preserved for future generations. The NSWOOA supports woodlot owners and operators in sustainable forestry through education, demonstration, marketing, and cooperation.

I support the aims, goals, and Mission Statement of NSWOOA:

Signature_____________________________________________________

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, newsletters and mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and the website: http://www.nswooa.ca

A greeting from the President of the NSWOOA.

2011-12-24T10:25:00.001-04:00

Season Greetings:

There has been lots to talk about in the forest sector in NS this past year. From strategy releases to mill closures, most Nova Scotians had a difficult time understanding what is taking place within the industry and are still questioning our government's commitment in standing behind the strategic direction set out in the Crossland and Bancroft Report.

The NSWOOA firmly stands behind the restoration and of the Acadian Forest. We will continue to promote and encourage private landowners to better understand their forest, so that it may provide them with economical, social and environmental returns.

In the year ahead the NSWOOA will be taking on new projects, moving forward with work plans at Otter Ponds and continuing to promote the a diverse, ecologically based forest sector in NS. We have a strong membership base but the NSWOOA needs your help, support and input.

Over the holidays, I encourage all our members to take a walk in their woods, with family or friends and enjoy the beauty of nature. Talk about the forest and let us know where you stand and how we can help.

Happy Holidays and all the Best in 2012!

Marc Chisholm,
Pressident, NSWOOA

NSWOOA Update Newsletter 47

2011-12-24T10:23:00.001-04:00

November 17, 2011
WWW.nswooa.ca
nswooa@gmail.com902 633 2108

In this Issue:
-Hello Woodlot Owners
-Question Period
-Workshop News
- Crisis in the Forest Industry
- Otter Ponds Update
- New Membership Category
- Renewal of Memberships
- How to Contact Us.
Hello Woodlot Owners:
It is probably true that there are potential difficulties for every woodlot owner working for some other woodlot owner. Last year there had been a request by a local woodlot owner to cut some firewood for him, but the work had not be done. A second request was harder to avoid, so now the work had to be done. The assignment was to cut eight cords of hardwood firewood from a ten acre woodlot. The reality was that the lot had been high-graded, one suspects several times, in the past. The first clue that something was wrong was when the owner explained that it was “a slow grow-growing lot.” The second clue was that the directions were for medium and large, but no huge diameter firewood.
A walk around the lot confirmed the matter. Among the pole sized fir and grey birch were a few trees of value or potential value such as several healthy, growing red oak . There were two impressive white pines, and some immature but promising white ash. A few black and red spruce were found here and there. But most of the hardwood from which the harvest was to come was immature red maple. In particular, second growth red maple with multiple stems on each stump.
Ah, yes, you see the potential difficulties here. An elderly man up the road stopped by to pay for a piece of timber. He was quite familiar with that woodlot, and ended up giving advice. “I always cut the biggest trees off the stump and let the small ones grow,” he offered.
“Yes, but if a tree only grows one fourth of an inch per year in diameter, isn’t it better to have a 6” or 8” tree grow that much all around its circumference than a 3” or 4” stem?” There was also the idea that the poorest shaped and less wind firm stems usually were the smaller ones.
“Well,” he countered, I always did it that way and there’s still wood on my lot.”
So there you have it. A dilemma. A compromise was reached, and a few of the larger stems left previously have been added to the harvest pile, but also there is a great deal of smaller wood produced from what in some places was more of a thinning and spacing exercise. What would you have done?

A Question to Answer
An email arrived on October 13 from member Graham Smith:
I have a good-sized red oak tree blown down on my woodlot on the North Mountain. The straight part of the trunk is about 15 feet, and the diameter is about 18 inches.
Does a log like this have market value beyond firewood?
Further contact revealed that the tree is easily accessible, and would be available for free to the harvester who had some higher level use for the log than burning it.
It’s a fair question, because there are many woodlot owners who have come upon one, two or a number of high value trees but not enough for a truck load. Sometimes the trees are left standing in the woods, sometimes they are made into firewood. Some woodlot owners who are able to do so, harvest the logs, bring in a portable sawmill and either use the product or sell it to local craftsmen.
What is your answer to Mr. Smith? And what is your solution to the problem of small volumes of specialized product?

November 26 & December 3: Learn how to manage the natural forest—from “start (what) to finish (how)”!
You are invited to join Picea Forestry Consulting and North Nova Forest Owners Co-Op Ltd. for an “on-the ground” learning experience focused on selection harvesting in the Acadian Forest. From 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm on Saturday November 26 and Saturday December 3, we will take a small group of woodlot owners and silviculture contractors to visit woodlots in the Wentworth area.
The walks will help build an understanding of the natural Acadian Forest—its structure, composition, and functions. They will also show how basic understanding of the ecology of the Acadian Forest helps forest managers improve forest health, growth, and diversity and how to implement appropriate methods in an ecologically responsible manner.
The woodlot walks are free and are being presented with funding from the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources. They are designed to be complementary, and we encourage you to attend both. However, you are also welcome to register for just one:
The first woodlot walk, November 26, will introduce woodlot owners and contractors to woodlot ecology and ecosystem-based forest management (EBFM). We will use the provincial forest ecosystem classification (FEC) guides and demonstrate how they are used with EBFM. This walk will also aim to answer questions such as: How do I know what species are suitable to grow on certain sites? How do I recognize growth potential? How do forests succeed from early to late stages of development? How do I recognize past human-caused and natural disturbances?
The second woodlot walk, December 3, will focus on pre-operational planning as a way for the woodlot owner or contractor to know what factors to consider when developing proper prescriptions and determining how to cost-effectively implement appropriate methods of partial harvest. This walk will aim to answer questions such as: How do I put the FEC manuals to practical use? What can I do to improve long-term site productivity? What are regenerating and tending activities? How can natural disturbance patterns and processes of natural mortality be mimicked through partial harvesting? How can I take advantage of available silviculture subsidies to help meet management objectives? This session will include an opportunity for attendees to “learn by doing” by marking trees for harvest or retention; this will include exercises aimed at both regenerating and tending.
To register, or for additional information on these programs, please call 902-673-2278 or email piceaeducation@gmail.com. We will be limiting participation in order to ensure plenty of time for interaction among the participants. So if you would like to come, please register right away. Spaces will be given out on first-come, first-served basis.

Crises in the Forest
One is a crisis; two or more and you have crises -and that is what we have. There have been a series of crises, and events are happening so rapidly that even daily media are having trouble keeping on top of all the events.
The cliché “perfect storm” comes to mind. Nova Scotia’s forest industry has been structured in such a fashion that there has been heavy dependence on three foreign owned pulp mills, and for years programs have been directed towards keeping them going with good quality low priced fibre. Suddenly there is a drop in world demand for paper, as technologies change. In the mean time there are new mills opening in countries where a tree of harvestable size can be grown in three to five years.
No one seems sure what changes will result, but it is becoming clear that providing large volumes of fibre at or below costs will not keep contractors going, will not entice private woodlot owners to harvest, and is not sustainable forestry.
We invite readers to share their visions and advice for how to deal with these crises, and how to change our forest industry for the better.

Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest Report
The AGM of the Otter Pond Demonstration Forest was held on a snowy Nov 5th morning in Mooseland, with over thirty interested and dedicated folks in attendance.

The chair, George Johnson and Wade Prest, the membership chair, both talked in their reports about the need for more participation from all four of the parent groups. The Otter Ponds Project is bigger than anyone imagined, overwhelming but also very exciting.

A slate of directors, with only a few changes, was nominated and approved by the membership. This was followed by a helpful discussion which had four main themes;
Communication- how do we tell the story of OPDF.
Education- how to get people on site and learning about sustainable forestry.
Paid Manager- the need for a consistent go-to person to organize the forestry work.
Inventory- what do we have on the ground now so we have something to compare to in the future.

We ended the day with a walk in the woods. The membership was impressed with the road building and the progress of the bridge construction. We were able to get a sense of how much work there is still to be done. We crossed the creek and spent some time chatting in a beautiful stand of Red Spruce. A great reminder to us all of why this project is so important; an assured future for the Acadian Forest.

By Kate Campbell, Director

New Membership Category
The Board of the Association Has decided to create a second category of associate membership, a student membership costing $10 per year. Any student interested in forestry, the woods, environment, being a woodlot owner, etc., qualifies for this type of membership. Like all other members, students would receive noticed of meetings, be invited to all membership meetings, receive our electronic newsletter, be a member of the Otter Ponds Demonstration forest and so on. ( Remember that associate members do not have voting rights at NSWOOA meetings, but do at OPDF meetings ). The purposes behind the creation of this membership are: 1) to allow students with interests in the forests to participate in this organization, and, 2) to create a way woodlot owner parents and grandparents can bring their children into the fold of woodlot owners. How about giving a membership to someone in your family?

Membership Renewals

This is November. Then comes December, and with the end of December comes the expiry of our paid up memberships in the NSWOOA. They run from January 1 to December 31 each year. Here’s your opportunity to get ahead of the crowd by paying up now.

Lines of CommunicationMembers 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, newsletters and mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and the website: http://www.nswooa.ca

NSWOOA UPDATE 43

2011-06-07T09:06:00.001-03:00

NSWOOA Update Newsletter 43
May 30, 2011
WWW.nswooa.ca
nswooa@gmail.com902 633 2108

In This Issue:
- Hello Woodlot Owners
- The New NSWOOA Board
- Many Thanks
- Educational Opportunity From Windhorse Farm
- Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest Report
- Another Educational Opportunity
- How to Contact Us.

Hello Woodlot Owners: The Blame Game

The Blame Game
Blame might be described as assigning responsibility to somebody for a negative outcome, a bad situation, and so on.
Who is being blamed now? Apparently we, woodlot owners, are being blamed for a perceived lack of roundwood being supplied to the various roundwood users. Supposedly this is because private woodlot owners are not properly managing their holdings. Perhaps you have heard industry say this, or politicians, or, eventually, the media? The Woodridge Report certainly implies it, and says that many woodlot are idle because owners are too old, or too new and too urban.
Of course there is the possibility that there is no real shortage, but instead there is an unrealistic expectation about how much fibre private woodlot owners could/should provide. That is possible too.
At the AGM in April the topic of woodlot owners being blamed for shortages was discussed, leading to a request from the floor that the Directors look into this perceived shortfall of round wood from small woodlot owners, and to do what they determined appropriate to correct the mistaken opinion. And we all were asked to debunk the myth whenever we heard it.
As a result of this discussion, a quick unscientific check of a handful of woodlot owners at the AGM concluded that none of them had held product from the markets because irresponsible or malicious motives.
Woodridge suggests that one reason for lack of production from small woodlots has dropped from its maximum is that woodlot owners are older now and cannot do the work themselves. Or that they have passed on and the property is now in the hands of urban dwelling heirs who have no interest in production. In reality there are many reasons, for both woodlot owners who actively manage and those who do not, to explain their current production. Woodridge never even mentions these. They include prices being too low to cover costs, woodlots depleted from past harvesting practices, contractors who only harvest by clearcutting, lack of contractors who have machinery suitable for working on small woodlots, pulp mills moving to chipping operations, the elimination of woodlot owner groups from the bargaining process, and the realization that woodlots provide other services and values than production of fibre. And don’t forget that woodlot owners and the general public have far more expertise and science than ever before.
In the May issue the Atlantic Forestry Review, commenting on John MacDonell, receiving the Friend of the Acadian Forest Award, quotes the former Minister of Natural Resources: “....my experience told me we could not keep doing what we were doing. It was a race to the bottom. I never bought the argument that if we changed anything we were going to put people out of work. I think we were going to put people out of work the way we were going.” Perhaps Woodridge was asked to answer the wrong question. It’s not how can we keep the status quo, but how can we have something better?

The New Line Up
The retirement of President Austin Parsons from the Board of Directors has meant a new alignment of officers. The Association’s by-laws require the directors to elect a new slate of officers the first meeting following the AGM. The President then has the responsibility of selecting his executives.

NSWOOA President Marc Chisholm
Vice President Matt Miller
Treasurer Tony Phillips
Recording Secretary Paul Brison
Corresponding Secretary Ken MacRury
CWSD Lorne Burrows
Executive Members Marc Chisholm
Matt Miller
George Johnson
Wade Prest
Lorne Burrows
Directors Charlie Baird
Jack McLellan
George Johnson
Jamie Simpson
Christie Verstraten
It is noted that George Johnson is President of the Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest
Division.

Many Thanks
A special Directors meeting was held on May 19 to discuss the Woodridge Report and to begin formulating a position or response to it. In preparation for the meeting a request was sent out to all members asking for your reactions and evaluations.

We had a tremendous response. There were views and opinions, and analysis from a great number of you, and we really appreciate the input. It provided a sense of what the membership thinks about the report, and will supports us as we work towards a position or action.

An Educational Opportunity: Windhorse Forestry
JULY 15 - 17

Windhorse Farm, in the LaHave River watershed, is right in the heart of the Acadian Forest, one of six endangered forests of North America. Although the entire region has been severely abused over the past few hundred years, and especially since the advent of industrial clear cutting, there remain a few remnants of mature, fully functioning Acadian Forest. Windhorse Farm is one such place. Settled in 1840 by the Conrad Wentzell family, the woodlot has been harvested each year for the last 170 years yet has the same volume of standing timber today as it had when the first axe bit wood in 1840. It is, in fact, the longest standing demonstration of forest sustainability in Canada.

Join us at Windhorse farm from July 15 – 17 to explore the forest and to learn the practices and methods that make forestry at Windhorse the successful model it is today.

In this course we will look at how to deepen our own personal connection with the forest and how this relationship is foundational to practicing forestry in this way. The course will also examine the different perspectives that can be applied to finding a path to sustainable forestry and how the various forestry tools can be applied depending on which view you take.

For a full course description please visit www.windhorsefarm.org or call 902-543-6955

Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest
It is shaping up to be a busy spring and summer on the Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest, according to President George Johnson. First, Otter Ponds has received a grant from DNR to do a management plan which will lead to FSC certification through Forest Keepers. Secondly, preliminary work is underway to construct 3/4 quarters of a mile of road including a bridge across the Otter Pond Brook this summer . Also, discussions are taking place on how to make a small amount of FSC certified wood available to local users.
A number of new NSWOOA members have indicated that they have joined as associate members in order to be a part of the Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest. In the case of these members, $25 of the $30 membership fee is turned over to the OPDF.

Another Educational Opportunity.
Here's a notice of a 5-day course on ecological forestry, taking place in Sackville NB in July. Includes both practical, hands-on woodlot management experiences (and chainsaw operation if you want), and classroom time on forest ecology and forestry theory. Students last year loved it (or so they said!)Ecological Forestry Short Course – Using forest management techniques that mimic ecological processes to promote healthy and biodiverse woodlots in the Maritimes
Lead Instructor: Jamie Simpson, M.Sc.F, RPF. Author of Restoring the Acadian Forest: A Stewardship Guide for Woodlot Owners in the Maritimes.
Duration: July 18th - 22nd
Location: Sackville, N.B.
Community Forests International (CFI) endorses a middle-of-the-path approach to forestry in the maritimes, one that balances forest conservation with forestry enterprise. Understanding that our communities have long depended on wood products harvested from the local Acadian Forest, CFI promotes Ecological Forestry as a way of earning a living while maintaining the long-term health, diversity and integrity of this unique forest type.
While learning and growing as an organization, Community Forests International has been in contact with some remarkable stewards of the Acadian Forest. Spending time with those who have long practiced an ecological approach to forestry has prompted the development of a short course to extend the important wisdom, skills, and forestlands philosophies of these stewards to others in the region.
From July 18th - 22nd, 2011, Community Forests International will be offering its second annual 'Ecological Forestry Short Course' in Sackville, New Brunswick. If you’ve spent the summer planting trees, and are interested in learning about a more natural process of forest restoration, or if you own a woodlot and want to sharpen your skills, this course offers a wide array of topics including: native plant and tree identification, chainsaw safety and maintenance, principles of ecological and restoration forestry, small-scale sawmill operation, wildcrafting, and value-added wood product enterprise.
To register or receive additional information please email info@forestsinternational.org or call (506) 536 - 3738. Cost is $450 per participant (lunch and refreshments included). $50 off for early registration (before July 1st) and bursaries available by application.
Jamie Simpson, M.Sc.F., Professional Forester, registered in New Brunswick

Lines of CommunicationMembers 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, newsletters and mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and the website: http://www.nswooa.ca

NSWOOA Update 42

2011-05-04T20:04:00.000-03:00

NSWOOA Update 42
April 30, 2011
WWW.nswooa.ca
nswooa@gmail.com
902 633 2108

In This Issue:
-Hello Woodlot Owners
-AGM Review
- Transitions
-President’s Address
- A Note of Sorrow
- How to Contact Us

Hello Woodlot Owners:
Cleaning out the old green file cabinet which resides in the hallway last Wednesday proved to be a rewarding experience after all. There, under the hanging files, and all crumpled up, was the January-February issue of Forest Times. For those not so long in the tooth as some of the rest of us, Forest Times was published six times a year by the Nova Scotia Department of Lands and Forests “as an education and public information project.” It was financed by the Department and the Canadian Government, and states its purpose as “to provide information on forest improvement to private landowners and others interested in the forests of Nova Scotia.”
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
The content is interesting as well. It included articles on FPANS new home, homemade technology used on woodlots, and forestry education for youth. Also there was a book review, a listing of new technical reports available, advice on felling problem trees, and a round-up of news in the group venture associations.
In short, the Forest Times was part of an education and outreach initiative of the Department of Lands and Forests (now the Department of Natural Resources): extension services.
With the new forest strategy about to be released it is perhaps time for DLF/DNR to once again become involved with information sharing, educational projects and some type of extension services. There are going to be difficulties adjusting to the new regime of forestry practices, a need for training of harvesters, and land owners. And don’t forget the public. The recent Voluntary planning hearings made it very clear that the general public want to be kept abreast of what is happening, why , where and how.
Indeed the two recent Section Seven Silviculture Outreach Programs conducted by the NSWOOA/Picea Forestry Consulting are evidence that a new appreciation of extension services is growing. It will be interesting to see if more and diverse and woodlot owner focused programs are part of the new forest strategy package.

Annual General Meeting Report
This year’s version of the Annual General Meeting was a well attended and informative event.
- Keynote speaker Kevin Keys gave an extensive presentation on soil types and how they inform harvesting and silviculture practices. There was a great deal of information here and many questions and observations resulted. Two of the three new guides are now published, and copies were presented to Patricia Amero and Sandy Hyde (Picea Forestry) who have been leaders in employing soil types into management plans, and to Dave Sutherland of ASF for use by his organization.
- Dave Sutherland explained the structure and purpose of the Association For Sustainable Forestry, noting that Section 7 Silviculture is becoming a significant part of the ASF’s business, along with PCT’s. He invited the NSWOOA to become a member of the ASF.
- Will Martin provided a different model of private forest management used in Ontario where full taxation of woodlots provides both carrot and stick for managers to manage sustainably.
- Wade Prest alerted members to be on guard when they hear politicians, media or others blame a perceived lack of roundwood on the market on poor management practices on private woodlots. He reviewed some of the conditions which might give this impression and also the reasons this is not true, urging us to refute this assumption when we encounter it.
- Friend of the Acadian Forest awards were presented by Tom Miller to Bob Bancroft; by Minga O’Brien to Donna Crossland; and by Wade Prest to John MacDonell.
- There were displays and products for sale including maple syrup, trees, honey, unique wood for woodworking projects.

Transitions
We say thank you and all the best to retiring directors Austin Powers and Barbara Gallagher. Our Association is certainly the beneficiary of your hard work and dedication’
We say thank you and welcome to new director Christie Verstraten.
Christie is a recent graduate student at Dalhousie University currently pursuing a Masters in Resource and Environmental Management.
She has completed several research projects and papers on sustainable forest management in Nova Scotia over the course of her academic career and has focussed much of her research on small private woodlot owners in the province. Growing up on a dairy farm in Cumberland County and in her family’s woodlots, Christie has a genuine respect and appreciation for the land and advocates responsible and sustainable land stewardship. She hopes to eventually pursue a career in private woodlot management and organic farming.

President’s Address to the AGM
I want to start by saying something obvious. A group’s accomplishments are the sum of the work and effort of the individuals who make up the group. In this spirit, I want to thank the 2010 – 2011 NSWOOA Board of Directors on behalf of the association for their past year’s efforts and as you will hear in a few moments, the resulting list of accomplishments. Without this group of individuals who worked together over the course of a year, none of what I’m about to talk about would have happened.
But first, I want to put into words this President’s view of the association’s present vision or mission statement. Said another way, what follows is my understanding of NSWOOA’s niche in the practical and political landscape of present day Nova Scotia forestry.

So, what is our present vision? I think of it can best, and most succinctly be described as advocates of a certain type of Acadian Forest rehabilitation.

What I mean by the statement “a certain type of Acadian Forest rehabilitation” is one that takes an ecosystem approach to developing a multi-age, multi-species forest. A forest based on local moisture and soil regimes (an ecosystem approach) that promotes natural succession and works with its natural species composition of trees, plants and wildlife. In other words, a forest that works with nature.
Given we live in Nova Scotia with its four hundred + year history of European harvest and past practices that include large scale clear cuts, high grading and second, third and possibly fourth generation cuts, I suspect most of us are working with an ecologically simplified forest. As such, we are rehabilitating these forests to improve their biodiversity. We are doing this by promoting the above mentioned species compositions, but also leaving both short term and long term carbon on the ground – deadwood, both tops and trunks and limiting our harvests to appropriate scale cuts. In this spirit, there is a priority given to working with the woodlot’s ecology. The assumption being that ecological health expressed in terms of increased biodiversity will in turn lead to both social and economic benefits.
So, what does this woodlot look like? I don’t think this question matters, but it is one a number of people ask. There is no one picture of the ideal woodlot. The picture is different, depending on what moisture and soil regime one has and the point in the natural succession of the forest one happens to be living thru. The key here is increased biodiversity – many different species of trees and plants and eco-regimes, which will hopefully lead to a variety of wildlife species.
You may have noticed I said rehabilitation and not restoration. In my mind, forest restoration is a non-starter or at worst, a call for inaction. The basic assumption behind restoration is to bring something, in this case the forest, back to some point in time; for arguments sake, say 1590 before the first Europeans explored this area. This is another point of fascination for people – what did the forest look like before Europeans found the place. It isn’t logical. The act of restoration depends on the assumption of perfect information, or at least a set of information proponents and critics can agree upon. This won’t happen.
Even if this information existed, it would be a moving target given what we know about local, natural disturbance patterns.
I believe what we are doing is more about rehabilitation. An idea that is not dependent on a past vision, but one based on a present day technical understanding of the forest and to improve its ecological condition.

As I mentioned above, our vision, or at least my interpretation of it, is to take ecologically simplified forests and thru management, increase their biodiversity. One isn’t worried so much about the forest will look like, but that it is robust, has ecological redundancy put in place and can adapt to changing climate. At the same time, there is the hope that what one leaves is better off than what one started with. This is a forward thinking perspective.

In this spirit, the association over the past year both educated and was an advocate. I will divide our accomplishments into two parts: education and advocacy.

Education
Get the word out to small private woodlot owners as well as our members about uneven age management, and the concept of Acadian Forest rehabilitation
Field Day (George Johnson)
Langille Property outside of Pictou
Focus on uneven age management and forestry techniques

Otter Ponds Demonstration woodlot
A working woodlot practicing Acadian Forest rehabilitation (George Johnson is President of this division)
We have been fortunate to partner with Picea Forestry Consultants Limited to deliver woodlot owner education programs and woodlot certification programs. They have worked most closely with directors Tony Phillips, Paul Brison, Wade Prest.
Picea Partnership Projects
-Category 7 Uneven Age Management Outreach Project with PICEA Forestry Consultants Ltd. (video as part of Dave Sutherland’s presentation)
-FSC Woodlot Certification project again with PICEA Forestry Consultants Ltd
-ASF Category 7 Committee

Educating our members about the board’s activities– a lot happens at the board level but it is a challenge to continually get the message out
-directions
-membership outreach
-NSWOOA UPDATE newsletter (Paul Brison)
-web page (future work)
-related but not directly about keeping our membership informed is the membership drive (Marc Chisholm) coordinate records and send out reminders. Our primary source of funding is membership fees (both new members and renewals)
Advocacy
Objectives: Acadian forest rehabilitation: pushing 50% reduction in clearcutting, ban on whole tree harvesting , more $ to uneven age management, curbs on biomass
UARB (utilities and Review Board application by New Page, Port Hawksbury for their biomass project. NSWOOA was a formal intervener. (George Johnson, chair, Wade Prest, Lorne Burrows, Matt Miller), Austin Parsons ex-officio (Wade Prest was appointed the spokesperson for the group.)
The NSWOOA’s position was thatwe weren’t against the project, but expressed reservations about New Page’s technical assumptions about wood supply and the project’s dependence on small private woodlot owners for biomass.
ALL MEMBERS COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES (Lorne Burrows, Matt Miller, Austin Parsons) The NSWOOA representatives were asked questions on a range of topics from the members of the committee. The members were interested in our positions on various topics. The discussion is a public record.
STRATHLORNE NURSERY ROUND TABLE (Austin Parsons)
I asked by MLA Alan MacMaster to come up to the nursery to be part of a group discussion about future directions for the facility. He was interested in the idea about a Category 8 Silviculture funding option. The board has had only cursory discussions about what would make up a category 8, but it appears there is a political interest in this topic.
Meetings with Premier Dexter and DNR Minister Parker
Premier Dexter: Ken MacRury, Marc Chisholm, Wade Prest, AP
Minister Parker: Matt Miller, Wade Prest, AP
General discussions, ½ hour with the Premier, an hour with the Minister, Confirmation of the six issues from policy review in the natural resources strategy (forestry section)
Woodlot Owner Conference Presentations (Matt Miller)
Tell others who we are, our vision, what we have done and where we are going
FSC Maritime Regional Standard Review We will be involved in this review process.
Forest Technical Advisory Committee (Ken MacRury) met once (April) and was inconclusive. Concerns about the committee

Down the road:
Proposal to continue un-even age management education of small private woodlot owners project (Jamie Simpson, Matt Miller)
A project about getting the word out.
It was a special year in Nova Scotia Forestry with the publication of the Natural Resources Strategy - Future of Nova Scotia Forestry. Significant work, but policy change happens in baby steps. Yet, it takes personal initiative, sacrifice and guts to buck the trend and go against entrenched ideas.
This work was based on public input, political will and the particular efforts of several - so much so that NSWOOA would like to formally recognize three people’s contribution to the Acadian Forest: Minister John MacDonnell, Ms. Donna Crossland and Mr. Bob Bancroft.

A Note of Sorrow
Directors and members of the NSWOOA extend their sympathies and condolences to Director Charlie Baird and his family on the April 21st passing of his father, Carson (Ted) Baird.

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, newsletters and mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and the website: http://www.nswooa.ca

AGM

2011-04-06T21:06:00.000-03:00

The NSWOOA Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday April 9

- Masonic Hall, Great Village Take exit 10 off Trqans Canada. No toll if coming from Truro. Follow the signs.
- Registration 8:15
- Cost $10 for members, $20 for visitors, guests - includes meal
- Full Program. Check Agenda in previous remindsr, or on the web site.
- Free opportunity to market your products and services.

If you need additional information, please call 902 633 2108

NSWOOA Update 41

2011-03-13T14:27:00.000-03:00

March 12, 2011
WWW.nswooa.ca
nswooa@gmail.com902 633 2108
The Annual General Meeting Issue

In this Issue
Notice of Meeting
Who, What, When, Where, Costs
Agenda
Market Opportunities for Members
Sad News
Homework to Do
A Celebration
Membership Renewal Form
How to Contact Us.

Notice of Meeting
The Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association will hold its Annual General Meeting on April 9,2011 at the Masonic Hall in Great Village. All members, associate members and affiliate members are invited to attend. Guests and visitors are welcome. Registration opens at 8:15 and the meeting closes at 3:30. Besides the business meeting, a full program of speakers and discussion is planned. Please plan now to attend. Cost is $10 for members, $20 for others.

AGM Information

Who:
NSWOOA Members, Woodlot owners, Prospective Members, and Friends, You’re invited to the Annual General Meeting of the NSWOOA

When:
April 9 2011 Registration at 8:15 Meeting at 9:00

Where: Masonic Hall, Great Village N.S. Heading north from Truro on the Trans Canada, take Exit 10 (No toll) and turn towards Route 2 and the village of Great Village (Watch for the signs). The Masonic Hall is on the hill just before the access road joins Rte. 2.

Costs:Registration Cost (includes lunch):
Members $10 Guests/visitors $20

Tentative Agenda
Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators AssociationAgenda for the Annual General Meeting
Saturday, April 9, 2011 Masonic Hall, Great Village, NS

8:15 Registration, membership renewals, set up displays, post ads, and sell products
8:50 Call to Order and Welcome
9:00 President’s Address by Austin Parsons
9:30 Program begins with David Sutherland, ASF Co-ordinator: Silviculture funding

10:15 Refreshment Break
10:30 Keynote speaker, Kevin Keys, DNR Forest Soils Specialist
12:00 Lunch, exchange of materials and sale of products
12:45 Awards Presentations: Friend of the Acadian Forest Awards to John MacDonell, Donna Crossland, and Bob Bancroft. Retiring Directors
1:15 Will Martin: Private Woodlot Initiatives in Ontario
1:45 Board of Directors: UARB, clearcutting, biomass development, whole tree harvesting, DNR resources strategy review report
2:30 Business Meeting Resumes
-Minutes/Business Arising
-Financial Report
-Nomination and election of directors
-Resolutions from the floor
and close of business meeting
3:15 – 3:30 Wrap-up and adjournment

About the Speakers
David Sutherland is the co-ordinator at the Association for Sustainable Forestry (ASF). Over the years ASF has delivered silviculture services to private woodlot owners, such as planting, cleaning and PCT’s . Lately it has been engaged in Section Seven Silviculture, which is uneven aged management, quality improvements and the like. Dave has a background in all aspects of forestry and a wealth of experience.
Kevin Keys is our keynote speaker. He is the soil specialist for DNR. Many will remember his informative presentation at our September field day, where he impressed many, and educated a lot of us.
Will Martin is a former director of the NSWOOA who has been living and working in Ontario and now returns home. In Ontario he was involved with woodlot management through tax incentives and the like.

Memberships
The Annual General meeting provides another opportunity for regular members to renew their membership for 2011. We also welcome new member applications at this time. If you have been a member in the past and have let it slip for a few years, this is a good time to sign up again. Regular membership (woodlot owners) affiliate members (groups and associations) and associate memberships (non woodlot owner but supporting our cause) are all $30 per year. This meeting provides the last chance for members to sign up for The Atlantic Forestry Review at a cost of $15/ year.

Market Opportunities for Members
For the past several years NSWOOA members have been invited to use this gathering of woodlot owners and friends as an opportunity to buy, sell, advertise and trade. Director Charlie Baird will be present to find a display site for products, ads, demonstrations. Everyone is encouraged to browse and share during registration, at coffee break and lunch.
Advertise a logging winch or other piece of equipment
Put up an ad for equipment wanted
Circulate your business card or flyer
Offer cruise skills, management plan writing, restoration skills
Put some non-timber forest products (NTFP) up for sale
Find a source for materials used in your operation
Let us know of mobile band saw services
Sell honey, maple syrup
Offer some woodworking crafts for sale

Sad News
It is with heavy heart that the NSWOOA learned recently of the death of Alfred Scothorn of Hardwoodlands on February 2, 2011. Many long time members will remember Alfred from the annual meetings and field days he regularly attended. He was a strong supporter of the Association, having served as its president. Alfred’s gentle manner and his personal warmth was matched by his interest in and delight with all aspects of the forest. He has been a long time friend and his loss is a heavy load to carry.

Homework to Do
Three members of the NSWOOA recently made a significant presentation to the All Parties Standing Committee on Forestry. It was followed by an extensive Q&A session. The transcript is available on line and should be of interest to many members. Let us know what you think about this testimony by responding to our email address. The address is: http://nslegislature.ca/index.php/committees/committee_hansard/C10/re_2011jan20

A Celebration
Pam Langille was an environmental activist who was involved in forestry issues. She provided a model for most of us to strive for, and was much admired for her contributions to the NAWOOA (director and secretary for several years), the EAC, Eastern Shore Forest Watch, and a host of other organizations. Upon her passing an award was set up to be administered by the Nova Scotia Environmental Network.
This year’s winner of the Pam Langille Forestry Award is Wade Prest. Wade was recognized for his leadership roles in the NSWOOA and other organizations, his work to educate the public on forest issues, and most recently, his leadership in establishing the Otter Ponds Demonstration Network. Congratulations Wade!

NSWOOA 2011 Membership Application
( ) Renewal ( ) New
Name: ______________________________________________________
Business Name:_______________________________________________
Mailing Address:_ ____________________________________________
______________________________________________
Telephone Number:____________________________________________
Email Address:_______________________________________________

1. Are you a woodlot owner? ______ County:__________________________
2. Are you joining NSWOOA as an Associate Member in support of Otters Ponds Demonstration Forest? ______
_____Membership Cost- $30/year
_____Atlantic Forestry Journal Subscription - $15/ year (special rate)

Please mail applications and cheques to:
NSWOOA
Box 823 Truro, NS
B2N 5G6

Regular Membership: open to anyone owning, leasing, renting or controlling woodland or to anyone who is a producer
Associate Member: any individual having similar aims and objects as the association but does not own woodland
Mission Statement
NSWOOA is an independent organization of woodlot owners and operators achieving prosperity, stewardship, and solidarity through the practice of ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable forestry.
Truly sustainable forest management means that all values of our woodlands -- ecological, social, cultural and economic -- must be preserved for future generations.
The NSWOOA supports woodlot owners and operators in sustainable forestry through education, demonstration, marketing, and cooperation
I am in support of the aims and goals of NSWOOA:
Signature__________________________________________________________

Lines of CommunicationMembers 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, newsletters and mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and the website: http://www.nswooa.ca

AGM INFORMATION

2011-03-12T11:25:00.001-04:00

Notice of Meeting
The Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association will hold its Annual General Meeting on April 9,2011 at the Masonic Hall in Great Village. All members, associate members and affiliate members are invited to attend. Guests and visitors are welcome. Registration opens at 8:15 and the meeting closes at 3:30. Besides the business meeting, a full program of speakers and discussion is planned. Please plan now to attend. Cost is $10 for members, $20 for others.

Agenda
Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association Agenda for the Annual General Meeting
Saturday, April 9, 2011 Masonic Hall, Great Village, NS8:15 Registration, membership renewals, set up displays, post ads, and sell products
8:50 Call to Order and Welcome
9:00 President’s Address by Austin Parsons 9:30 David Sutherland, ASF Co-ordinator: Silviculture funding
10:15 Refreshment Break
10:30 Kevin Keys, DNR Forest Soils Specialist
12:00 Lunch, exchange of materials and sale of products
12:45 Awards Presentations: Friend of the Acadian Forest Awards to John MacDonell, Donna Crossland, and Bob Bancroft. Retiring Directors
1:15 Will Martin: Private Woodlot Initiatives in Ontario
1:45 Board of Directors: UARB, clearcutting, biomass development, whole tree harvesting, DNR resources strategy review report
2:30 Business Meeting
-Minutes/Business Arising
-Financial Report
-Nomination and election of directors
-Resolutions from the floor
and close of business meeting
3:15 – 3:30 Wrap-up and adjournment

Additional information is available in Issue 41 of the NSWOOA Update Newsletter, or at our web site nswooa.ca.

UPDATE 40

2011-03-07T14:39:00.001-04:00

NSWOOA Update 40
January 27, 2011
WWW.nswooa.ca
nswooa@gmail.com902 633 2108

In This Issue:
- Changing Horses
- Membership Drive
- Membership Application Form
- Nature’s Way
- Disturbing
- How to Contact Us

Hello Woodlot Owners-
Changing Horses
Changing Horses in mid stream is usually frowned upon.
The old adage about not switching mounts while fording water is probably rooted in battles of old, or perhaps in the western movies some of us grew up with. The air of uncertainty that surrounds the reform of Nova Scotia’s forest practices and regulations is certainly not helpful to any of the parties with an iron in the fire (to use another old cliché).
Premier Dexter in the January 21 Herald gave the impression that things were progressing along the desired lines, but perhaps a bit more slowly. We must assume he is up to date on all the ins and outs of the process and policies.
So what can we take from the appointment of Charlie Parker as the new Minister of Natural Resources? For one, that the Premier was looking for a Minister who had an understanding of the forests, and the industries based on it. Secondly, that this ministry deserves a high profile minister. And finally, that he wanted someone ready to go, someone who did not need a lot of time to orient himselfs and get his bearings.
One other possible reason to be positive is the fact that in opposition Mr. Parker once introduced legislation that would have severely limited or stopped clearcutting if it had passed. We will just have to wait a bit to see if changing the horses has been a good move or not.

Membership Drive
The NSWOOA is conducting a membership drive in 2011. Our membership has remained steady around approximately 100 members the past few years. Our goal for 2011 is to increase membership to at least 150 members. Annual membership fees are our main source of income and we don't receive any funding from government or industry. We need your help! Please pass on a membership application to friends and family who share the aims and goals NSWOOA.

We will be sending out invoices to all 2010 members and will be solicting past members as well. Please send in your application as soon as possible.

Marc Chisholm

NSWOOA 2011 Membership Application
( ) Renewal ( ) New
Name: ______________________________________________________
Business Name:_______________________________________________
Mailing Address:_ ____________________________________________
______________________________________________
Telephone Number:____________________________________________
Email Address:_______________________________________________

1. Are you a woodlot owner? ______ County:__________________________
2. Are you joining NSWOOA as an Associate Member in support of Otters Ponds Demonstration Forest? ______
_____Membership Cost- $30/year
_____Atlantic Forestry Journal Subscription - $15/ year (special rate)

Please mail applications and cheques to:
NSWOOA
Box 823 Truro, NS
B2N 5G6

Regular Membership: open to anyone owning, leasing, renting or controlling woodland or to anyone who is a producer
Associate Member: any individual having similar aims and objects as the association but does not own woodland
Mission Statement
NSWOOA is an independent organization of woodlot owners and operators achieving prosperity, stewardship, and solidarity through the practice of ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable forestry.
Truly sustainable forest management means that all values of our woodlands -- ecological, social, cultural and economic -- must be preserved for future generations.
The NSWOOA supports woodlot owners and operators in sustainable forestry through education, demonstration, marketing, and cooperation
I am in support of the aims and goals of NSWOOA:
Signature__________________________________________________________

Nature’s Way
As one ages a tiny bit, one realizes that there is no end to the work that can be done. No Amount of effort will get everything done on the woodlot that can, should and could be done. This realization causes woodlot owners to think about working smarter rather than working harder, or working more. Or perhaps about getting some help. Alan Watson Featherstone’s essay “The Vision of Trees for Life” which appears in Wild Foresting (Alan Drengson and Duncan Taylor) suggests we get as much help as possible from nature itself: The simplest and most effective way of regenerating a forest involves “the minimum of intervention and allows nature to do most of the work.”
Tom Miller, former NSWOOA president and Acadian Forest restoration expert would agree with that concept. For many years now he has given demonstrations and talks about restoration, planting, thinning, and conversions from plantations, all with an eye to letting nature take the lead.
Sandy Hyde of Picea Forestry, one would suspect, agrees as well. In his presentation at the September field day in Hopewell, he discussed how one might deal with white spruce growing on old farm land, and his most obvious message was to work with what you have, what nature gives you.
Charlie Baird runs a big processor in the woods. In the profile which appeared last year in Atlantic Forestry he explains his method of harvesting, why he works the way he does. The writer quotes him, “You can always find something to leave.”
Probably each of us on our own woodlots has developed little strategies that mimic nature, or take advantage of nature. All these approaches, methods and “tricks” are part of the larger picture, but one thing is for sure: it is better to have nature working for you than to be working against nature.

Disturbing news on the biomass front.
by Jamie Simjpson
The federal government is giving Northern Pulp $28.1 million to help its biomass burning ambitions in Pictou, and Nova Scotia Power is receiving $8.2 million to help get its biomass burning project underway in Trenton. The NSPI project could require some 300,000 tonnes of harvested wood per year; it's not yet clear the size of Northern Pulp's project. NSPI's project alone could result in upwards of 43 square kilometres of new clearcutting per year (assuming 70 tonnes of biomass wood harvested per hectare).

This is extremely disturbing, given that (1) we do not have any solid evidence from the Department of Natural Resources that the biomass supply is available, (2) the demand for biomass wood will be concentrated in central and eastern Nova Scotia (Port Hawksbury, Trenton and Pictou), and (3) burning wood for electricity only increases carbon emissions over the next several decades, compared with burning coal.

It is also disturbing that Northern Pulp continues to be the recipient of corporate life-support welfare. This is a company that publicly admitted it manages its forests on a 33-year rotation, and which continues to rely on whole-tree clearcut harvesting. And where do its profits go? Northern Pulp is owned by Blue Wolf Capital, Wall Street, New York city.

(If you are wondering what you can do to influence the best possible outcome to this threat, contact Jamie for his suggestions.Send questions to us and we will forward them.)

Lines of CommunicationMembers 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, newsletters and mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and the website: http://www.nswooa.ca

NSWOOA UPDATE 39

2010-12-22T09:11:00.002-04:00

NSWOOA Update 39
December 13, 2010
WWW.nswooa.ca
nswooa@gmail.com902 633 2108

In This Issue:
- Christmas Greetings
- The New Forestry Policy
- After the Announcement
- Membership Renewals
- Build Your Own Yurt Workshop.
- Redtail News
- How to Contact Us
-

Christmas Greetings
The Board of Directors of the NSWOOA extends to you wishes for a blessed and peaceful holiday season. May you spend the holidays with friends and loved ones, and may everyone keep safe and well.

Government Gives Direction on the Future of Forestry
Department of Natural Resources
December 1, 2010 11:34 AM

Changes to the way Nova Scotia's forests are managed will better protect them, secure good jobs and ensure that the province's forest industry remains competitive.

The changes were announced today, Dec. 1, as six strategic directions that will be the basis for future forestry policy.

"We are charting a new course that enables Nova Scotians to make a good living from our natural resources while ensuring future generations can enjoy similar benefits," said Natural Resources Minister John MacDonell. "These strategic directions will bring positive changes to our forests and guide the forest industry to managing them sustainably."

The Mi'kmaq and key stakeholders will be invited to provide input before the policies are finalized. Rules and guidelines to support these directions will become part of the next steps in the strategy process.

"Now that we've explained what we're going to do, we will be meeting with the Mi'kmaq, small woodlot owner representatives, the large mills and non-government environmental organizations for input on how we're going to achieve the strategic directions," said Mr. MacDonell. "We also have an agreed to consultation process with the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia and we will be using that to consult with them."

Rex Veinot, a small private woodlot owner in Maplewood, Lunenburg Co. and two-time winner of the Woodlot Owner of the Year award, welcomed the new strategic directions.

"Small woodlot owners who want to practice sustainable forest management will welcome these changes," said Mr. Veinot. "Many small woodlot colleagues practice uneven-aged management, while recognizing that clear-cutting is necessary in some stands, but not at the rate that has occurred in the past."

The strategic policy directions are:
-- Reduce the proportion of wood harvested by clear cutting to no more than 50 per cent of all forest harvests over a five-year period. Commercial harvests will be registered with the Department of Natural Resources and progress will be reported annually.
-- Prohibit removing whole trees from the forest site to maintain woody debris, which is important for soil and biodiversity management and is consistent with the province's Renewable Electricity Plan. Christmas tree harvesting will be exempt.
-- Public funds will not go toward herbicide spraying for forestry.
-- Private land owners will not need management plans to harvest their woodlots for non-commercial energy use.
-- Analyze options for a provincewide annual allowable cut to limit total harvested amounts.
-- Incorporate forest biomass harvest requirements in the Code of Forest Practice and, as stated in the Renewable Electricity Plan, revise regulations to ensure commercial users of biomass for energy or fuel production are registered buyers and subject to the same rules as the forest industry.

The Department of Natural Resources is in the final phase of writing the natural resources strategy. The forest policy framework and more information is available at gov.ns.ca/natr .

After the Announcement, the Next Step.
By Tony Phillips

December 6. At the invitation of Minister John MacDonell, representatives of woodlot owner groups met with members of the DNR at Founders' Square, Halifax to discuss the new natural resources policy and its implementation. We attended the second of two meeting, and waited in the hall for until the first meeting ended and representatives of the Ecology Action Centre, Sierra Club, the Margaree Environmental Association and others left. (Apparently the DNR consultation involves keeping the different interest groups in separate "silos" - a standard procedure.) Our meeting involved representatives of The Forest Fibre Producers of Nova Scotia, The Federation Of Nova Scotia Woodland Owners, the Nova Scotia Farmers Federation of Agriculture, the NSWOOA and staff of the DNR. The minister was unable to attend and the meeting was chaired by deputy minister Brian Gilbert. He stated that the DNR foresaw the need to work with and through third party groups (like us) to achieve the goals of the new policy since the DNR no longer provided extension services. Mr. Gilbert said the new policies will not be implemented all at once; a staff member foresaw a 2-5 year roll out period for regulations concerning different aspects. However, Mr. Gilbert did say that limiting of clearcuts topped the priority list and action on that issue was anticipated in January. Speakers for some stakeholders advocated voluntary compliance, spoke of the need for definition of clearcut and worried the 50% clearcut target will turn into a quota and restrict people's approach to harvesting. Our delegation to this meeting included George Johnson, Wade Prest, Matt Miller, and Tony Phillips. Wade Prest spoke briefly, supporting the minister's plan and expressing the willingness of our organization to help facilitate the new direction through our constituency - the small woodlot owners of Nova Scotia.

Membership Drive 2011
Marc Chisholm, Membership Services Coordinator

All memberships purchased after November 1 will take effect as of January 1st of the next calendar year. Paid NSWOOA memberships in 2010 was 103. This is up slightly from recent years. Membership fees are our main source of revenue so we are hoping to increase our paid membership in 2011. Membership fees enable the NSWOOA to promote good forest practices and encourage the restoration of the Acadian Forest. Please help recruit new members- call a friend or neighbor!

The membership drive will begin in the new year. Happy Holidays.

Season's greetings!
Outreach Project Final Report

We here at the Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project want to wish all the woodlot owners and contractors who have participated in our programs a happy holiday season and extend our thanks to all of you for your commitment to good stewardship of Nova Scotia’s forests.
As many of you know, this is the second time Picea Forestry Consultants has been privileged to deliver this educational program on behalf of uneven-aged management and the Category 7 Quality Improvement Silviculture Program, which provides funding for silviculture treatments associated with uneven-aged management. (For an explanation of uneven-aged management and the Category 7 program, please see our handout titled “Growing High Value Trees”, which is available online at http://www.asforestry.com/PDFs/cat7/Growinghighvaluetrees.pdf)
The Outreach Team has delivered workshops all over the province, visited more than a hundred of Nova Scotia woodlots and woodlot owners, and created a database of nearly 600 Nova Scotia woodlot owners who are interested in uneven-aged management. We have been able to further establish that there is great interest in this type of woodlot management and demand among woodlot owners for the associated silviculture treatments. Thanks to you, the province is, we hope, entering a new era in forest management.
We want to send special thanks to the Association for Sustainable Forestry (ASF) for administering this project, the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources (NSDNR) for providing funding, and the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association (NSWOOA) for partnering with us to deliver the project. Special thanks also go to the woodlot owners and contractors who helped the team with the workshops offered this year:
Kevin Veinotte, woodlot owner who hosted our workshop in the West Northfield area, Lunenburg County, and Tristan Kelly, who helped with the horse and wagon rides.
Travis Parsons, contractor host of our workshop in near Mahone Bay, Lunenburg County. Paul Brison, NSWOOA board member and host of our woodlot owner workshop in Cheverie, Hants County.
Royce Ford, woodlot owner host of our workshop in Maitland Bridge, Annapolis County.
Wade Prest, NSWOOA board member and woodlot owner host of our workshop in Mooseland, Halifax County.
Brian Brown, woodlot owner host of our workshop near Springhill, Cumberland County.
Ken MacRury, NSWOOA board member and woodlot owner host of our workshop near Baddeck, Victoria County, and Ralph Stewart of Scott & Stewart Forestry, who added so much to the workshop by answering questions about the work Scott & Stewart has done on Ken’s woodlot.
Bill Angevine, woodlot owner host of our workshop in St. Andrews, Antigonish County, and NSDNR District Supervisor Glenn Terris for his contributions to this workshop.
Jim Hurlburt, woodlot owner host of our workshop in Carleton, Yarmouth County, and Eldon and Lucille White for their help in making arrangements for this workshop.
Greg Watson, woodlot owner host for both woodlot owner and contractor workshops in the Wentworth area, Colchester County, and David MacMillan, contractor who contributed much to the session by discussing the selection harvest work he did on this woodlot. Thanks also to NSDNR forest technician Norman Doucet for his contributions to this workshop.
Neal Livingston, woodlot owner host of our workshop in Strathlorne, Inverness County.
Steve and Debbie Bezanson, woodlot owner hosts of our workshop in Black Rock, Kings County, and Jorg Beyeler, director of the Forestry Division at the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, who attended this workshop and contributed his expertise.
John MacDonald, woodlot owner host of our workshop in Alma, Pictou County; Matt Miller, who did the management plan and crop tree release/crop tree pruning work on this woodlot; and Tom Miller, who helped us locate the site and also helped with arrangements for food and hall rental.
David Fraser of BA Fraser Lumber Ltd., contractor host of our workshop in Margaree Forks, Inverness County, and David Zilman, the woods worker who conducted the selection harvest and contributed excellent comments to the session.
The following individuals have also been especially helpful this year. We extend a special and sincere thanks to :ASF Coordinator David Sutherland.
Forest Products Association of Nova Scotia staff person Leslie Samson.
NSWOOA Board Member Tony Phillips.
NSDNR Extension Forester Simon Mutabazi.
NSDNR Private Land Forester Don Cameron.
Former ASF Coordinator Rebecca Aggas.
Finally, we wish to thank NSWOOA board member Paul Brison and all of the other individuals and organizations that helped us publicize our workshops, the caterers who provided delicious snacks and lunches for the woodlot owner workshops, and the hard-working volunteers who maintain the community halls where we held many of our workshops.Sincerely,
Patricia Amero and Flora Johnson
For the Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project
902-673-2278

Workshop Announced
Yurt Building Workshops 2011
Join Little Foot Yurts; makers of traditional coppice wood yurts and learn how to build your own yurt – a low impact, affordable, shelter originating from Central Asia.

When: January 21-23 AND January 28-30 Where: 1459 White Rock Rd, Wolfville, Nova Scotia
Cost: $290 plus tax, Includes workshop fee, yurt camping, gourmet local & organic vegetarian food, and a yurt zine.
Accommodation: Sleep, eat, learn and share with others in cozy felted yurts equipped with wood stoves.
Registration: Please register online at http://www.lfy.ca/yurt_building_workshop/index.html Full agenda is posted on our website.
Deposit: A non-refundable deposit of $150 is required to reserve your spot. Deposit deadline is December 15th.

This two and a half day workshop will provide a thorough introduction to yurts, and the basics of yurt construction including: coppice as a timber crop, Acadian forest species, making a greenwood working station, using a drawknife, froe and other hand tools, planning and designing your walls, roof, and wheel, and erecting a yurt. Leave with the practical skills and resources to start building your own yurt. Open to all skill levels. Families welcome. (Children 6 and under are free, children between 7-13 are half price, and 14 and up are normal price)

For more information please contact Selene Cole at 902 670-4556 selene@lfy.ca or visit www.lfy.ca
--
Selene, Alex & Yara Cole
Little Foot Yurts
1459 White Rock Rd, RR#1
Wolfville, NS, B4P 2R1
902 670-4556
info@lfy.ca, www.lfy.ca

Redtail News

Today Friends of Redtail Society has officially become guardian—and student—of 313 acres of forestland, waterway and life giving habitat. This is a momentous day in a journey that began one August day in 2006. This is a day of reflecting, a day worthy of marking and celebrating.

There are so many to thank. Every donation, every action, every fundraiser has brought us here. This is a shared success. Please visit the donor page of our website to see all who have played a part, check for your name and please let us know if we’ve missed anyone.

We would like to invite you to join us for Grenzgang*, an event we hosted last year and will no doubt become an annual tradition. It will be our first opportunity to gather in celebration on the land. Grenzgang or “Border Walk” will take place on Thursday, December 30. We will gather at the brook on MacBeth Road in time for a 2pm departure. We will not walk the entire perimeter, but will traverse a significant portion with the walk likely to last approximately two hours. Cider & hot chocolate will be served afterwards.

Please let us know if you’re able to attend. Be sure to dress for the weather and bring refreshments for the walk. Snowshoes/skis may be needed, depending on the conditions.

We hope you’ll be able to join us.
Please accept our best wishes for the holiday season,
The Board of Friends of Redtail Society (Bernadette, Volker, Geoff, Michelle, Nancy, Billy & Steve)

* Grenzgang is a German tradition in which all of the villagers gather together at the end of the year and walk the borders of their community. It was a way of symbolically bringing the year's business to a close and checking the community's boundary markers. The villagers would together ensure their border was secure and identify anything in need of repair. It is a tradition that continues to this day and although it is much more of a party now, it continues to provide an important connection to place.

A similar tradition in England was called "Beating the Bounds" on Rogation Day. Historically it took the population and electorate of the Parish around its borders stopping at the 'mere stones' to take refreshment and to beat the younger members of the flock so that they would remember where the stone was in case they were needed to make oral testimony as to the existence and placement of the markers

Lines of CommunicationMembers 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, newsletters and mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and the website: http://www.nswooa.ca

UPDATE 38

2010-11-22T20:29:00.001-04:00

NSWOOA Update 38
November 5, 2010
WWW.nswooa.ca
nswooa@gmail.com902 633-2108

In this Issue:
- Rally in Support
- Standing Committee
- Press Release: PEI New
- Reation to Press Release
- Hello Woodlot Owners
- Outreach Program News
- How to Contact Us

Rally in Support

By Meredith Brown
Amid the forest of high rise towers in downtown Halifax several hundred enthusiastic people rallied in support of the implementation of the “Bancroft/Crossland Report” on Friday October 29th.

It was encouraging to see a mix of young and old, urban and rural dwellers united in their commitment to sustainable forest practices. They came to make their positions known, their voices heard.

As government ministers looked on from the steps of the legislature, numerous speakers addressed the crowd over the two hour rally with personal accounts of the effect of forest devastation in their areas, scientific data supporting the need for biodiversity, fisheries and tourism affected by the health of our forests, wood lot owners concerns, challenges from within the industry, and politicians involved in the issues.

Our forests were serenaded in song and in traditional Mi’Kmaq drumming. By the end of the morning, both the speakers and the crowd joined their voices in unison: “The Status Quo Is Not an Option”.

Meredith Brown is an Environmental Studies student at Dalhousie University and an environmental activist who has previously contributed to this newsletter . The successful rally in support of positive forest policy change was organized by the Ecology Action Center, and included a wide representation from concerned groups and organizations.

Standing Committee
The NSWOOA has been invited to appear before the Nova Scotia All Party Standing Committee on Forestry in January. We have been asked to explain what forest sustainability means to woodlot owners. The report we intend to deliver is being prepared, and your input is desired. Use the contact information at the bottom of this newsletter to help us determine what the MLS’s will hear.

PEI Forestry News!
Reproduced below is a press release dated September 17, which details a major shift in forest policy in our neighboring province. This significant event is the result of much effort on the part of NSWOOA member and well known forest authority Bill McKay of Nagaya Forest Restoration Ltd.
Province Pursues Forest Certification

Environment, Energy & Forestry
In recognition of National Forest Week, September 19-25, the Department of Environment, Energy and Forestry announced it will pursue Forest Stewardship Council certification for public lands which includes 75,000 acres of forest across Prince Edward Island, says Minister Richard Brown.
“This international certification will ensure that forests under public management are meeting international standards for sustainable management,” said Minister Brown. “It will also create awareness among Islanders of the significant role forests play in our environment, our economy and our rural communities.”
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, not-for-profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC certification sets standards for forest management and audits compliance to ensure standards are being met. The Province is applying for FSC certification through the Nagaya Forest Restoration Ltd., which certifies thousands of acres of forest throughout the Maritimes.
“FSC certification is in line with our Provincial Forest Policy which commits to demonstrating forest certification on public lands as well as increased forest restoration,” said Mr. Brown. “Not only will certification improve forest quality, it will also increase opportunities in the marketplace where demand for FSC products currently exceeds supply, and buyers pay a premium for certified wood in some markets.”
The department plans to apply for FSC certification of selected parcels this year and will proceed with additional properties until all the lands are certified.
The purpose of National Forest Week is to celebrate our forest resources and to raise awareness of the beauty of this natural resource and the vital role it plays in our quality of life and economic development.
To learn more about the Forest Stewardship Council, go to www.fsc.org/about-fsc.html.

Reaction to the Press Release
By Patricia Amero, Picea Forestry/Acadian Forest Keepers
We would to draw special attention to this press release from PEI. Such exciting news is the result of Bill McKay’s commitment and work with Kate MacQuarrie, amongst others of the PEI Government’s Environment, Energy and Forestry Department, over the past few years to assist the PEI Government to reach their goal to pursue FSC certification for 75,000 acres of Crown Land. This announcement represents a magnificent opportunity for the public forests and communities of PEI.

The certification process of these Crown Lands has begun with the development of a forest management plan to Nagaya’s / Acadian Forest Keeper’s high standards of responsible forest stewardship for a 170 hectare parcel near the Caledonia area of PEI. Rosalyn Ridlington-Abbott of PEI’s Department of Environment, Energy and Forestry, who many FSC pool members met during the annual gathering in June, is currently working on the development of the management plan.

This endeavour undertaken by the PEI government serves as a prime example of a government being serious and committed to responsible forest stewardship; as well as to create awareness of the significant role forests play in our environment, economy and rural communities. We would like to see our government take similar steps on Crown Land since this is one of the best ways to promote responsible stewardship as well as promote change in forest practices that will benefit present and future generations to all Nova Scotians. Picea/Acadian Forest Keepers has brought this to attention of our Natural Resources Minister MacDonell in form of an email and letter to his constituency office.

An Interesting Invitation

The Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute invites you to its annual Woodland Demonstration Day
Saturday November 13 (Rain Date Sunday Nov.14th)
Uhlman Woodland Property- West Caledonia (Chute Road off West Caledonia Road)
Meal Provided
Topics include: -Non Timber Products
-Forest Management Plans
-Ecosystem Classification
-Aquatic conductivity
-Eastern ribbonsnakes
-Forest insects
-Common Loons
-Wetland Policy
-FSC Certification
-Water Quality

· For information and assistance call 902-682 2371 or email info@merseytobeatic.ca

Hello Woodlot Owners-
Irony?
Perhaps, but one piece of advice that everyone giving advice should adhere to is, “Never give advice.”
In a previous issue this column dealt with a neighbor’s request for advice about what to do with a patch of grey birch on his property. The small size and crooked shape of the trees made it economically unattractive (and labor intensive) to harvest. The advice offered was to possibly cut the trees and just lay them down, possibly also harvest some for the local market, treating this as a labor of love effort, rather than a money maker. The idea was that the land owner could create room and sunlight to encourage regeneration of more valuable or desired species.
Well, a problem arose on the back forty this Fall. That problem was poor quality fir. Mixed with the fir were a few spruce, scattered large remnant maples, but in many spaces the mix included grey birch. Removal of said fir would produced some fir studwood, more fir pulpwood (or whatever it could be sold for, even firewood) and some rather open spaces. There was some scattered spruce and quite a bit of red maple regen on the ground.
The work is all done now, the fir removed except the standing dead fir was left standing. And the regen is now protected by grey birch nurse trees ! It will never qualify for Section Seven assistance, but it does at least have a good chance of succeeding.
The irony is that the weed tree has become a valued nurse tree, without which restoration of Acadian forest trees would be more difficult.

Outreach Coordinator’s Report
Flora Johnson and Patricia Amero
Just a few more fall workshops left to go. A few site visits still available.
The Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project is designed to educate woodland owners and silviculture contractors interested in growing long-lived, shade-tolerant tree species and quality forest products. In 2010, the NSWOOA signed a contract with the Association for Sustainable Forestry (ASF) to offer an expanded version of this educational project, which was first offered in partnership with Picea Forestry Consulting in 2008.
Funded by the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources (NSDNR), the Outreach Project focuses on silviculture practices associated with uneven-aged management—selection management, crop tree release, and crop tree pruning–and on funding available for these treatments through the ASF’s Category 7 Quality Improvement Silviculture Program. This time around, the project is also providing woodland owners and contractors with information on forest ecosystem classification, ecosystem-based forest management, crop tree selection, and tree marking.
September and October were very busy. We attended all three Woodlot Owner of the Year events, delivered four workshops for woodlot owners and two workshops for silviculture contractors, and visited more than 40 woodlots all over the province.
Workshops
Workshops have been very well attended and a great success. We’ve had great discussions, great food, and interesting walks in the woods, which as a whole involved a wide range of mixedwood, hardwood and softwood forest conditions from sites that have been managed on an uneven aged basis for generations to sites that are undergoing Acadian Forest restoration. Most of the time, we’ve even had good weather. What could be better than that?The two remaining woodlot owner workshops (November 6 in Black Rock, Kings County, and November 13 in Alma, Pictou County) are already full. However, we have waiting lists for both workshops, so if you would like to attend please call us at 902-673-2278 or email us at outreach@asforestry.com.
We still have room in our final silviculture contractor workshop, which will be held in Margaree Forks on November 18. If you are a silviculture contractor who is interested in this type of work, are doing the work and would like to find out more, we encourage you to register. This workshop lasts about four hours starting at noon and will takes place in the field.
Site visits
We have completed more than three-quarters of the site visits from one end of the province to the other, which is included under funding of this project, but we still have openings for a few more.
The primary purpose of these visits is to assess whether a woodlot or sections might be eligible for funding under the Category 7 Program, which provides financial assistance to woodlot owners and contractors who are engaged in crop tree release, crop tree pruning, and selection harvesting. (All three of these silviculture techniques are discussed during our workshops, as is the Category 7 program.) The visits are free and last about three hours. This is also provides the woodlot owner with opportunities to ask the project team member questions either generally about their forest and/or specifically regarding how to do this type of work and challenges involved.
Unfortunately, we can’t promise to give a site visit to everyone who requests one. But we will try to accommodate as many people as possible and for those who cannot be visited we will send along names to the ASF Coordinator David Sutherland. We encourage you to call (902-673-2278) or outreach@asforestry.com if you’re interested.
Winding down
As the project moves into its final phase, we look back on the last 10 months with a great sense of accomplishment and a feeling of gratitude for the opportunity to meet so many Nova Scotia woodlot owners who are dedicated to good stewardship of their “piece of forest”. Thank you for your willingness to educate yourselves about good forestry practices, sharing your enthusiasm and interest with us, and most of all for your commitment to making our forests better for future generations.

Lines of CommunicationMembers 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, newsletters and mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and the website: http://www.nswooa.ca

UPDATE 37

2010-11-22T20:25:00.002-04:00

NSWOOA Update 37
October 3, 2010
WWW.nswooa.ca
nswooa@gmail.com902 633-2108

In this Issue:
-Field Day Review
-Outreach Project Update
- The Past Raises its Head
- A Call to Action
-Non Timber Products Marketing Opportunity
-Tony Phillips Reviews Jamie Simpson’s book (Attachment)
- How to Contact Us.

Field Day Meets Expectations
Fine weather and high spirits resulted in a successful and well attended NSWOOA Field Day on the Lloyd and Marlene Langille woodlot on September 18. Guides escorted the visitors to six presentations, including a portable saw mill, a soil specialist, a Red Tail Society presentation, a wetlands specialist, a tree marking selection harvest site, and an old field white spruce stand discussion. A special thank-you goes out to our hosts and their family and friends who contributed so much to this year’s successful event.
New this year was a family registration rate, and there was a notable increase in young people on site.
Afternoon presentations under the big tent included updates on the NSWOOA presentation to the Utilities Review Board hearings on proposed biomass electrical generation, an Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest update, and a presentation by Matt Miller concerning possible changes in forest policy resulting from the on-going Strategic Review.
The day was capped off by an appearance by the Minister of Natural Resources, John MacDonell, who gave his views on possible changes. It is of note that Mr. MacDonell said that he believed that the majority of woodlot owners will not notice any changes in operations, as they are already managing their woodlots to high standards. Also, in response to a direct question, he indicated that Natural Resources would not be moving to a permit system for harvests.
Several interesting observations from the Minister were triggedred by his recent visit to Maine. Clearcutting as a harvest method has mostly disappeared in Maine and the impact on the forest is readily appreciated. Also, the Minister was impressed by the culture of value-add found in that State. He noted that there is great emphasis to make something, to add value, to forest products in the state.
Conservations with visitors seem to indicate they were pleased with their experiences. It was a great day.

From the event Chair of the Field Day.

I have been privileged with the title of Field Day Chair several times now !
As committee chair I am authorized to bring together many energetic and professional, volunteers, then empower these people to work on your behalf .
This years field day, hosted by Marlene and Lloyd Langille of Foxbrook in Pictou County was a fine example of such an effort.
In the name of all those volunteers,
Thank You !
george j

Outreach Project Report

We have now assigned a date and location for our sixth full-day workshop for woodlot owners. We also have dates for all three half-day workshops for silviculture contractors.

The woodlot owner workshops are as follows:
• St. Andrews, Antigonish County, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010.*
• Carleton, Yarmouth County, Saturday, Oct. 2, 2010.*
• Wentworth area, Colchester County, Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010.
• Near Mabou, Inverness County, Cape Breton, Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010.
• Black Rock, Kings County, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010.
• Pleasant Valley area, Pictou County, Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010.

These free, full-day workshops follow the same format as the workshops we offered last spring: An indoor session in the morning will be followed by lunch, followed by a visit to a nearby woodlot. We will be talking about the “how to’s” of growing high-value trees, including information on crop tree selection, crop tree release, selection management, crop tree pruning, ecosystem-based forest management, tree marking, and the Category 7 Quality Improvement Silviculture Program.

Our schedule of workshops for silviculture contractors is as follows:
• Thursday, Sept. 23, Bridgewater area, Lunenburg County *
• Thursday, Oct. 7, Wentworth area, Colchester County
• Thursday, Nov. 18, Eastern Region, location TBA.

These three-hour workshops take place during the afternoon in the field on a woodlot where we can demonstrate qualifying Category 7 silviculture sites both before and after treatment. These sessions will emphasize on how to identify appropriate sites, how to ensure that quality-improvement silviculture treatments are successful, and how they can be cost effective. Topics to be discussed also include how to decide which trees to harvest and which to retain, ecosystem-based forest management, and challenges of doing this kind of work.

If you haven’t already registered for one of these workshops, we encourage you to do so soon, because space is limited to 25 people per workshop. Call us at 902-673-2278 or email us at outreach@asforestry.com to register. Hope to see you there!

Sincerely,
Flora Johnson
For the Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project
902-673-2278

These events have been completed since this item was submitted. Picea indicates that there was a good result at each event, and were especially pleased with the contractor turn out.

From the Past
In the Ray Travis Article cited in the last issue of the Update (Ecoforestry-Doing the Right Thing, in Wild Foresting by Drengson and Taylor) he noted that “conventional” image of clearcutting mimicking fire is incorrect. The same article raises another interesting point, especially forthose of us woodlot owners who are also considered to be baby boomers: the perspective that forestry education took in the formative years of our lives.
“The gospel of efficiency,” he says, “was widespread in many of the forestry schools on the 1900’s. Any forestry student opening a textbook in the 1950’s or 1960’s would find information on how to convert old growth stands into even aged regulated forests…and how to calculate the financial rotation of a forest.” P. 41.

Do we still tend to think like this?

A Call to Action- Jamie Simpson

As you know, government will soon release new policy direction for our forests. As expected, the forest industry has exerted pressure to stop these changes to preserve the status quo. Unfortunately, misunderstandings about the recommendations have spread as well.

In reality, the majority of landowners will not be affected by the proposed changes - those who already do good work in their forests will be better rewarded for their good work. The losers will be those who indiscriminately clearcut without regard for forest health and long-term value of the forest.

Unfortunately, industry may be gaining traction with government at this late stage in the process.

I'm writing to ask for your help to make sure the process is not derailed. The public review process, and panel of experts' report, was clear that change is necessary. And the Honourable John MacDonell (Minister of Natural Resources) is clear that he wants to reduce clearcutting. However, government may buckle under pressure from industry.

Please take a moment to

1) write a note to the Premier and Minister MacDonell at the addresses below,

2) meet with your MLA (they are usually in their offices on Mondays and Fridays) and give them heck if they're thinking of back-tracking on the proposed changes,

3) send a short letter to the editor in support of the changes (letters@herald.ca), and

4) ask friends and relatives, especially those who own woodlots, to register their support as well.

Thousands of Nova Scotians have made their views known that we want less clearcutting. Now is the moment of truth for the government -- please let them know we want them to follow through with the recommendations to reduce clearcutting, and increase incentives for those doing good work in the woods. This is the best chance we've had in decades to make real improvement to how our forests are used - let's not lose it now!

Don't hesitate to contact me with any questions.
Premier Darrell Dexter
Office of the Premier
7th Floor, One Government Place
1700 Granville St
PO Box 726
Halifax, NS, B3J 2T3
Telephone: 902-424-6600
Fax: 902-424-7648
Email: premier@gov.ns.ca

Minister John MacDonell
Minister of Natural Resources
Department of Natural Resources
3rd Floor, Founders Square
1701 Hollis Street
PO Box 698
Halifax, NS, B3J 2T9
Telephone: 902-424-4037
Fax: 902-424-0594
Email: min_dnr@gov.ns.ca

NTFP Marketing Opportunity

DNR is offering free advertising for anyone selling non-timber forest related products. DNR is putting out a new edition of its "From Our Atlantic Woods" catalogue. The catalogue includes

- specialty wood-products (non-milled, or products from figured woods)
- Christmas trees and related greenery
- mushrooms
- essential oils
- nutraceuticals
- pharmaceuticals & morticians
- wild berries, nuts, fruit syrup
- craft products
- recreational and ecotourism opportunities

Visit www.fromouratlanticwoods.com to get your products into the catalogue.

Lines of CommunicationMembers 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, newsletters and mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and the website: http://www.nswooa.ca

NSWOOA FIELD DAY SEPT. 18

2010-08-09T09:40:00.001-03:00

For immediate release

Three more presenters have confirmed they’ll participate in the 2010 Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association’s field day in Pictou County.

That brings the total number of presenters to six for the Saturday, Sept. 18, event, hosted by Lloyd and Marlene Langille of the Hopewell area, near New Glasgow.

One of the attractions and highlights of the field day will be horse and wagon rides to different parts of the woodlot. Great for families. A lunch of local food will also be featured.

The Langilles have been harvesting wood from a 130-acre mixed woodlot annually for more than 40 years.

Yet because they’ve done so mainly through selection harvesting — cutting trees singly or in small groups — wood volume has been retained and cut areas are vigorous and healthy with natural regeneration. They try to avoid clear-cutting.

Activities include practical examples of woodland stewardship and discussion of broader issues of conservation and biodiversity.

The three presenters who have recently confirmed their participation are:

• Forestry consultant Tom Miller will mark an area of trees to help illustrate to landowners which ones should be cut and which should be left to grow, and how this can vary depending on the landowner’s values and objectives.

• Forestry consultants Patricia Amero or Sandy Hyde will use an old field White spruce site, which is a common stand type on Nova Scotia woodlots, to show how these sites can be restored to a natural forest.

• Portable sawmill operator Rodney Spencer, who has set up his Woodmizer sawmill in barnyards, fields, building lots and woodlot landing areas, will show how lumber is sawn and explain what’s involved in the process.

Previously confirmed presenters are:

• John Brazner, Wetland Specialist for Nova Scotia Environment, will talk about the value of wetlands and discuss wetland policy in Nova Scotia.

• Soil specialist Kevin Keys will use a blown-down tree with its roots and soil exposed to illustrate the importance of soil biology, particularly in terms of site productivity and ecosystem health.

• Billy MacDonald of the Friends of the Redtail Society, or another Redtail representative, will talk about the non-profit group’s efforts to raise funds to prevent a large parcel of land in Pictou County, some of which is old forest, from being clear-cut.

The board of the NSWOOA invites anyone interested to enjoy a day in the woods. Cost for the day, including lunch, is $20 for NSWOOA members, $25 for non-members and a special family rate of $40.

For further information, please contact NSWOOA board members or send an email to nswooa@gmail.com.

NSWOOA UPDATE 36

2010-08-09T09:06:00.001-03:00

NSWOOA Update 36
August 7, 2010
WWW.nswooa.ca
nswooa@gmail.com
902 633-2108

In this Issue:

The Big Event
Hello Woodlot Owners
Outreach Coordinator’s Report
Otter Ponds News
The NSWOOA at the URAB Hearings
Thinking About Trees
How to Contact Us

Sept. 18 NSWOOA field day in Pictou County

Three presenters have already been confirmed for this year’s Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association’s field day in September in Pictou County.

Lloyd and Marlene Langille of the Hopewell area, near New Glasgow, will host the event at their 130-acre mixed woodlot on Saturday, Sept. 18.

The day will include practical examples of woodland stewardship, conservation, biodiversity and more.

Registration ($20 for members, $25 non-member, $40 family rate) is 8:00-9:00 AM.

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

Presenters who have confirmed their participation are:

John Brazner, Wetland Specialist for Nova Scotia Environment, will talk about the value of wetlands and listen to comments or concerns and answer questions about wetland policy in Nova Scotia.

Soil specialist Kevin Keys will use a blown-down tree with its roots and soil exposed to illustrate the importance of soil biology, particularly in terms of site productivity and ecosystem health. Kevin will refer to a soil pit to show the general importance of soil biology, chemistry, and physical characteristics in terms of site productivity.

Billy MacDonald of the Friends of the Redtail Society, or another Redtail representative, will discuss the importance of conservation and biodiversity at an old forest site. The speaker will also talk about the non-profit group’s efforts to raise funds to prevent a large parcel of land in Pictou County, some of which is old forest, from being clear-cut.

The board of the NSWOOA invites anyone interested to enjoy a day in the woods.

To get there: Take exit 24 on highway 104. Head south on highway 374 towards Hopewell. Travel approximately 11 kilometers to the Marshdale Road, then turn right on the Marshdale Road which is across from the Post Office and drive 4 kilometers, turn right on White Hill Road, 500 meters to parking area and registration will be on the left.

For further information, please contact NSWOOA board members or send an email to nswooa@gmail.com or please contact NSWOOA directors George Johnson (668-2493) or Austin Parsons (233-3431), Lloyd and Marlene Langille (923-2600), or field day committee members Sandy Hyde (790-2082) or Steve Harder (351-2214).

Hello Woodlot Owners

One doesn’t often think of Summer as being the busy season for woodlot owners, but it has been for the NSWOOA this year! Early summer has seen the completion of the work leading up to the establishment of the Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest (together with three other groups). Also there is the preparation for and finally the delivery of testimony to the Utility and Review Board concerning the establishment of a mega project to generate energy from forest fibre. Then in the background is the on-going issue of the possible adoption of some, quite a few, or many of the recommendations of the Bancroft/Crossland Phase II Report. This last issue has included a great number of letters to the editor, companies and associations circulating letters to stir up opposition to change, and -really- a great deal of passion.

All these activities mentioned are occurring while the usual business of the day has to be taken care of: The Section 7 Silviculture Phase II is on-going, and the committee organizing the September 18 woodlot field day in Hopewell is busy at work as well.

We owe a great debt of thanks to those individuals who have given of their time and expertise on our behalf during this time of year that so many of us like to take it easy.

Outreach Coordinator’s Report
Looking forward to fall workshops. Are you interested in a free site visit?
The Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project is designed to educate woodland owners and silviculture contractors interested in growing long-lived, shade-tolerant tree species and quality forest products. In 2010, the NSWOOA signed a contract with the Association for Sustainable Forestry (ASF) to offer an expanded version of this educational project, which was first offered in partnership with Picea Forestry Consulting in 2008.
Funded by the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, the Outreach Project focuses on silviculture practices associated with uneven-aged management—selection management, crop tree release, and crop tree pruning–and on funding available for these treatments through the ASF’s Category 7 Quality Improvement Silviculture Program. This time around, the project is also providing woodland owners and contractors with information on forest ecosystem classification, ecosystem-based forest management, crop tree selection, and tree marking.
Looking back to the spring workshops
We began our work at the end of January, 2010, and offered series of woodlot owner workshops that were attended by more than 100 woodlot owners from the end of April into June. The workshops focused on the “how tos” of growing high-value trees, including information on crop tree selection, crop tree release, selection management, crop tree pruning, ecosystem-based forest management, tree marking, and the Category 7 Program.
We were very pleased with the how these workshops went. For one thing, we had good weather for all workshops; it didn’t even rain on the days when we were sure it would. We were even more fortunate in the woodlot owners who turned out for these workshops. They were attentive and keen to learn about uneven-aged management. They asked good questions and provided interesting feedback during both the morning sessions, which were held indoors, and the afternoon sessions, which took place outdoors on a nearby woodlot.
A highlight of the woodlot tours was the tree marking exercise, in which woodlot owners were given flagging tape and asked to choose which trees in an area they would harvest and which they would leave. This led to a great hands-on experience and plenty of interesting discussion!
We want to extend a special thanks to all the NSWOOA members who helped make the spring workshops a success, especially Paul Brison, Wade Prest, and Ken MacRury.
Looking forward to fall workshops
The team is now looking forward to hosting workshops for woodlot owners and silviculture contractors in the fall. Our schedule of fall woodlot owner workshops is as follows:
The workshop in St. Andrews, Antigonish County, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010.
The workshop in Carleton, Yarmouth County, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2010.
The workshop in the Wentworth area, Colchester County, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010.
The workshop near Mabou, Inverness County, Cape Breton, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010.
The workshop in Black Rock, Kings County, will be held on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010.
In addition we are taking tentative registrations for a workshop to be held in Pictou County, which we are planning to offer on Saturday, Nov. 13.
These free, full-day workshops follow the same format as the workshops we offered in the spring: An indoor session in the morning will be followed by lunch, followed by a visit to a nearby woodlot. Registration is capped at 25 people per workshop, so if you are interested in attending one of these workshops please register as soon as you can. Call 902-673-2278 or email outreach@asforestry.com
Workshops for silviculture contractors
We will also be offering 3 half-day workshops for silviculture contractors in the fall. One of these has been scheduled for the Bridgewater area, Lunenburg County, on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010. Another has been scheduled for the Wentworth area, Colchester County, on Thursday, Oct. 7, 2010. The third contractor workshop will be held in the Eastern Region, but the date and county are not yet determined. It will most likely be held in November.
These workshops are an opportunity for silviculture contractors to learn and share information and ideas. We will discuss the full range of variables involved when implementing Category 7 treatments and uneven-aged management in varying forest conditions. If you are a contractor, we encourage you to register. If you are a woodlot owner who has been working with a silviculture contractor, we encourage you to pass this information on.
Site visits
We are also doing free site visits to woodlots all over the province in order to determine whether these woodlots are eligible for funding under the Category 7 Program. The visits also allow us to help woodlot owners understand what they would have to do in order to qualify for funding, with some discussion of the “how”.
The visits are free and last about three hours. We will be conducting these site visits from late summer through the fall and possibly even through next winter.
If you are interested in receiving a site visit, please get in touch with us and provide some information about your woodlot. We need to know whether your woodlot has previously been visited by the ASF, where it’s located, and how to contact you. It would also be helpful if you could provide some background information on the woodlot, such as its size, whether you have done much harvesting, and what harvesting methods have been used.
Unfortunately, we may not be able to give site visits to all who are interested. Also please note that we may not be able to get in touch right away. If your woodlot meets our criteria and we are going to have a team member in your area, we’ll get in touch to see if we can set up an appointment for a date before March 2011, which is when this project concludes.
For more information
If you are interested in learning more about uneven-aged management, you can download copies of our literature from the ASF website:
“Growing High Value Trees” is our handout on the Category 7 program and the Category 7 silviculture treatments. It can be downloaded in pdf format at http://www.asforestry.com/PDFs/cat7/Growinghighvaluetrees.pdf
“Managing the Natural Forest” is about ecosystem-based forest management. It can be downloaded in pdf format at http://www.asforestry.com/PDFs/cat7/Managingthenaturalforest.pdf
“Choosing Which Trees to Keep and Which to Take” is about crop tree selection and tree marking. It can be downloaded in pdf format at http://www.asforestry.com/PDFs/cat7/Choosingtreestokeepandtake.pdf

We hope to see you at one of our fall programs.
Patricia Amero, RFP
Picea Forestry Consulting, http://www.piceaforestry.ca
Coordinator, the Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project
902-673-2278

The Minister Speaks

We thought our members and others would be interested in DNR Minister John MacDonell’s take on the possibility of changes to forestry practices and policy based upon Phase II Forestry Report. It has appeared in the July 9 HalifaxNewsNet newspaper (The Weekly News) and is used with permission. If technical skills permit, it is provided as an attachment to this newsletter.

Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest Division

The summer has been slipping by since the signing of the Operating Agreement for the Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest on June 22, 2010. Prior to that time, general discussions had taken place with DNR on how to proceed with the management planning process. The OPDF Division Board will now assume full authority over the project. As usual, it's difficult to find common time in the schedules of our 14 Board members to fit in more meetings.

One of the first tasks to be addressed by the Board will be to identify and map geological hazards resulting from past exploration and mining activities. The Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest contains the site of the first discovery of gold in Nova Scotia, in 1858. The discovery, ten miles inland from the coastal settlement of Tangier, led to the Province's first gold rush in the summer of 1860. In the words of Joseph Howe, who was sent to investigate the rumours of riches, upon arriving at the chaotic scene after two days hike through the woods:

"Before we had ascertained the actual results of the labours of this improvised community, there was something extremely exciting in the contemplation of the zeal and energy displayed. When the results were known, there was something half sad and half ludicrous in the scene - the buoyant step and flashing eye of newcomers just rushing out of the dense foliage in hot haste to be rich contrasted strangely with the subdued and doubting expressions of those who had been digging and washing all day without sight of the glittering ore."

The rich cultural history of the Otter Ponds Forest will provide the Division with additional opportunities to attract diverse interest groups to the Project. Hopefully, we will help people rediscover the very real connections that forests and landscapes have always had with communities, connections which all too often are forgotten by modern human societies.

The OPDF Division Board encourages any members with an interest in the Otter Ponds Project to let us know. The Projects accomplishments will be limited only by the energies and efforts we can muster from members towards our goals.

The NSWOOA at the URAB Hearings

The NSWOOA applied for and received “official intervener” status for the Utility and Review Board’s hearings of Nova Scotia Power Inc.'s application to the N.S. Utility & Review Board for a 60 mw bio- mass project for Port Hawkesbury.
The President formed a committee of 5 to act, Wade Prest was accepted by the UARB as " lead presenter and expert witness ".
The thrust of your Associations submission was to encourage the UARB to consider both the economic and ecological aspects.
Following are some excerpts taken from our submission:

" It is important to establish that the NSWOOA recognizes a place for pulp and paper industry in this Province. Many of our members and non - members, not only in the seven eastern counties, but from central and western Nova Scotia as well, are or have been suppliers to the Port Hawkesbury mills over the past fifty years. The mill provides an important market for pulpwood grade material generated in woodlot improvement cutting. The NSWOOA wants to see the pulpwood market, as presently specified, to continue to be available to small woodlot owners. "

" The NSWOOA does not regard bio-mass to be a by-product of traditional harvest operations, any more than pulpwood is a by-product of harvesting operations that sort out sawlogs. Bio-mass as a feed stock for gas, oil, energy, fibre, chemicals, and so on represents a new primary forest product destined for new and independent markets.
These new uses for wood fibre will expand in the coming years , and bring severe supply and economic forces to bear on traditional roundwood supply, especially pulpwood. "

" The purpose of this intervention is to highlight the weaknesses of the proposal put forward. From the final issues list, the NSWOOA has concerns with fuel related issues of bio-mass supply ( and sustainability of same ) and fuel acquisition ( the terms, costs and control of fuel price ) Other issues are the ownership of carbon credits and the consequences of large scale harvesting over the life of the project. "

The hearings were held in Halifax , July 26th to July 29th/10 adjourning to allow more time for the RFP (request for proposal ) process .
Our entire submission and others is available to the public at www.nsuarb.ca

George Johnson, Chair
Bio-mass committee

Thinking of Trees
Sometimes in our readings we are drawn to a particular passage, sentence or phrase that puts a new perspective on an old issue, or says what we think in words we wish we had used. “Ecoforestry-Doing the Right Things,” from Drengson’s and Taylor’s Wild Foresting, revisits the claim that clearcutting mimics natural disturbances.
After noting that foresters had previously thought that new forests, after fire, storms or clear cuts, were established from the nearest seed sources left standing, author Topy Travers says: “We now know that natural disturbances leave behind a wide array of biological legacies which provide strong linkages between old and new forest ecosystems.”

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, newsletters and mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and the website: http://www.nswooa.ca

NSWOOA UPDATE 34

2010-06-01T12:03:00.001-03:00

NSWOOA Update 34
May 29, 2010
WWW.nswooa.ca
nswooa@gmail.com
902 633-2108

Hello Woodlot Owners!

In this Issue:
A Discussion Article
The Minister Was Listening
September 18 NSWOOA Field Day
The New Executive and the Board
What We’re Working On
Can You Tell the Difference?
How to contact us

A Discussion Article
Did you read Peter Duinker’s article in the May 13 Chronicle Herald? It is titled Biomass Debate Must Branch Out, and it is available as well at the Herald’s web site.
In his article Mr.r Duinker raises many forestry practices that do need to be discussed as they relate to an increased pressure on the forests to supply a new energy driven market for forest products. His stated purpose is to initiate a broader discussion of the impact that biomass harvesting for energy, and he appears to be deliberately provocative in some statements and some omissions. Probably central to his article is the linking of biomass to clearcutting, and to whether coarse (and fine) woody debris is left on site. If not careful the reader might suspect the author is defending clearcutting and dismissing selective cutting as poor practice:
In my opinion, we’ve done more damage to the province’s forests from successive selective harvests over the past few centuries than we have done through clearcutting in the past few decades.
If selective logging is equated with high grading, then the above statement is at least partly true; it does however ignore the fact that much of the best forest land in the Province is in private hands and under sustainable harvesting practices for many generations.
Perhaps the success of the DNR initiated Outreach Program (delivered by the Association of Sustainable Forestry through contract with the NSWOOA and Picea Forestry) for uneven aged management and quality improvement is a comment upon this. Recently three recent workshops have all reported a great deal of enthusiasm for a type of forestry that moves away from the clearcutting of the “past few decades” to a more ecological and holistic approach.
Mr. Duinker may also be poking us with a stick when he suggests “Many forest stands in Nova Scotia are in such poor condition silviculturally that partial harvests would not work well” and “We should remember also that timberland clearcuts are temporary.” Those of us old enough to remember the federally funded forest management plans of the 80’s will recognize that simplistic approach: the only way to improve the quality of the forest is to cut it all down and start over with a plantation. Since that time, it seems from year to year, more and more options are available and more and different ways of improving forests are beginning to be practiced.
Certainly there are many points of discussion in this article, and about what has been left out (like carbon sequestration, water management, etc).
Let’s hear your opinion.

The Minister Was Listening
(The following is the President Austin Parsons’ introduction of the Hon. John MacDonell, keynote speaker at the 41st NSWOOA Annual General Meeting).

John MacDonell has been a friend of NSWOOA for quite a while. I believe he understands our association’s interests in forest certification, uneven age management, Acadian Forest restoration, and biomass. (I would like to say that we applaud his intention of banning whole tree harvesting on both private and public land as a biomass extraction silviculture practice.) And it should be noted that he has been instrumental in establishing the Otter Pond Demonstration Woodlot mentioned above.

Like many of us, he has a definition of sustainable forestry as it applies to the small woodlot owner.

I would like to elaborate on this last point. Here in Nova Scotia, we have a long history of private woodlot ownership. Historically, and recognizing that generalities are always dangerous, the small woodlot owners had a sustainable relationship with their woodlot. They took what wood he needed for building, firewood and barter. Their intention never was to take all, but leave enough for a future supply. They valued the forest as a forest as such as they valued what he could take from it. In short, the woodlot had a symbiotic relationship with the woodlot owners and their families.

More recently, with the establishment of industrial scale pulp and paper mills in the province, the small woodlot owner’s relationship with his/her woodlot changed. In some case, the woodlot became a bank account. Something the woodlot owner would draw upon in one act. A disconnect developed between woodlot owners and their land.

The trees would be taken, the forest removed, and then the ground would be left alone for a few generations where the process would start over again. This relationship is not sustainable. There is no symbiotic relationship between the land and woodlot owner. As a result, one can also question whether the small woodlot owner has lost his/her economic sustainability.

NSWOOA recognizes this problem with present practice and over our lifetime, has tried to change the course. We will continue to act as advocates of our vision. Our members, whether they actively work their lands, or not, believe in the value of the forest, not just the trees. We recognize that the forest has products we all want and use, but we also recognize that we must rediscover the symbiotic relationship.

In this spirit, Minister MacDonell is here today. He is a leader, and makes a difference. We are fortunate to have him with us today and look forward to hearing his words. Minister MacDonell.

NSWOOA Field Day Sept 18
It’s official. The much anticipated field day at Lloyd and Marlene Langille’s Hopewell woodlot is set for September 18. Get up from you chair and mark it on your calendar!
The event, originally planned for last September had to be cancelled due to an emergency in the hosts’ family. This year things are going well and the organizing committee is already at work confirming presenters and attending to details. Check our next newsletter for more specific details.

The New Executive and the Board
The By-Laws of the NSWOOA require that at the first Board meeting after each AGM a new executive has to be elected .
This Year’s Board
President: Mr. Austin Parsons
Vice President: Mr. George Johnson
Treasurer Mr. Tony Phillips
Recording Secretary: Mr. Paul Brison
Corresponding Secretary Mr. Ken MacRury
CWSD Chair Mr. Lorne Burrows

The rest of the Board
Mr. Charlie Baird
Mr. Jack McLellan
Mr. Marc Chisholm
Ms. Barbara Gallagher
Mr. Jamie Simpson
Mr. Wade Prest
Mr. Matt Miller

What We’re Working On
The Directors of the NSWOOA are currently preparing two important presentations .
First:
PROPOSED NSPI/NEW PAGE PORT HAWKESBURY BIOMASS PROJECT

NSWOOA - APPLIES FOR INTERVENOR STATUS

The original proposal by Nova Scotia Power was rejected by the Nova Scotia Utility Review Board July 2009. New Page estimated that it would have - to increase by 50% the amount of wood it cuts from Crown and private lands. In testimony presented by the Ecology Action Centre to the UARB hearing in 2009, our Association stated, "the NSWOOA does not recommend woodlot owners to allow biomass harvesting on their lands."

APRIL 5, 2010 - NSPI ANNOUNCED IT WOULD SEEK URAB APPROVAL FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED PROJECT, NPPH TO BE THE OPERATOR, MANAGER AND FUEL SUPPLIER FOR THE PROPOSED PROJECT.

We have applied to be an intervener at the UARB hearing. Our committee has to date attended a conference in Halifax hosted by NSPI on their proposal, requested and met with NPPH for an explanation of their "wood supply model" and attended a Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture Information Session on Biomass. George Johnson, Chair of our Biomass Committee, states, "It is imperative that woodlot owners and all Nova Scotians understand the long term adverse effect should the UARB approve a project which is not ecologically or economically appropriate for all stake holders."

Second:
The NSWOOA has been invited to make a study on what sustainability means to the small woodlot owner, to the All Party Forestry Committee of the Legislature. This presentations is slated for the early /Fall.

Can You Tell the Difference?
The Category 7 Outreach workshops led by Picea and sponsored by the Association of Sustainable forestry there is a section led by Minga O’Brien on tree marking. The concept is developed and explained in the morning session and followed up in the afternoon by an actual exercise in which participants are invited to form teams to mark those (future) crop trees to leave and those trees that should for one reason or another be removed in the next harvest.
At the local workshop there were quite a few questions on procedure and just what the marking meant. Because there had already been a session on marking crop trees for crop tree release and crop tree improvement, it seemed there was a great deal of marking for different reasons. Fortunately the ASF handout provided to participants, titled Choosing Which Trees to Keep and Which to Take provides an answer:
How is tree marking different from Crop Tree Release?
In crop tree selection, trees are marked for their potential economic value. Tree marking included crop tree selection, but also takes many other factors into account. You might say that tree marking takes a more holistic view of the forest.

In tree marking, trees are always marked prior to harvest. Although this practice is recommended for crop tree selection, it is not required unless you intend to apply for Crop Tree Release under the Category 7 program.
(Used with permission. The complete item is available on line at asforestry.com/Category7program. )

There you have it. If you purpose is to apply for Category 7 assistance you will need to mark crop trees to be released or pruned. In a wider setting, considering all values of the forest, like wildlife habitat, species and age class variety, economics, and everything else, marking which trees to harvest (or marking both which to leave and which to take) is a practice which allows woodlot owners to simplify harvests for themselves or for whoever they hire to do the harvest. It keeps the decision in the hands of the owner and frees the contractor to go ahead and harvest chosen trees without worry of running afoul of the owners plans and values.

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, newsletters and mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and the website: http://www.nswooa.ca

NSWOOA UPDATE 33

2010-05-05T08:13:00.000-03:00

NSWOOA Update 33
April 27, 2010
WWW.nswooa.ca
nswooa@gmail.com
902 633-2108

In this Issue:
Were You There? A Review of the AGM
A Departure
A New Director
Update on the Uneven-Aged Forest Management Outreach Project.
The Otter Ponds Demonstration Woodlot
Summary of Jamie Simpson’s Presentation on Biomass
How to reach us.

Were You There?
Well, it’s over. Done for another year. But it was by all feedback we have so far received, it was a very good meeting and well worth attending. Attendance reached the 70 mark, and the meeting room was full indeed. We all had a chance to catch up on the news with other woodlot owners and to share our experiences. The minister of Natural Resources proved to be well informed and open to suggestions. He fielded a number of questions and even made some suggestions for changes in forest practices.
We noted the attendance of DNR’s Peter MacQuarrie for most of the meeting as well.
President Austin Parsons’ address covered the major projects for last year, the actions taken on issues raised at the last AGM, and the progress made by Picea Forestry delivering the second phase of the Outreach Project on Uneven Aged Management . Sandy Hyde of Picea was in attendance and reminded woodlot owners to sign up for any of the workshops available this spring, and for site visitations. He also noted that the planned Fall Field day on the Langille woodlot in Hopewell is going forward.
Mark Winfield of Raymond Yuill Chartered Accountants, Bridgewater, spoke on Inter-Generational Transfer. He spoke particularly about the qualifications now faced by woodlot owners before their management plans are considered valid for the transfer.

A Departure
Austin Parsons informed the meeting that Steve Harder is stepping down as director after only one year, due to business commitments. Steve has been a very effective director, specializing in publicity and communications. He did ask to complete two jobs he has been involved in: The fall field day and a communications project. We wish him well with his new enterprise.

A New Director
The NSWOOA welcomes Matt Miller as its newest Director . Matt, from Green Hill Pictou County, and recently graduated as a forester/technician. He is working as a contractor in Pictou County. In his own words: “ I'd like the members know I'm excited to be a part of the board. My goal as a board member is to help bring about positive change to the practice of forest management in Nova Scotia. “
We are looking forward to the new ideas and energy Matt will bring to the Board.

Update on the Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project
The first Uneven-Aged Management workshop, held last Saturday in Lunenburg County, was a big hit with everyone who attended. The audience was extremely attentive, we received many good questions and comments, and there many interesting discussions about various aspects of applying uneven aged management. Basically everyone left with great big smiles on their faces!
We are thoroughly looking forward to doing 5 more of these workshops in the spring and another 6 in the fall. If you haven’t already registered for one of these FREE workshops, we encourage you to do so. Because participation is limited, it is important to pre-register as soon as possible. Call us at 902-673-2278 or email us at outreach@asforestry.com to pre-register.
We still have some openings in the spring workshops
Though our first workshop is over and the June 19 workshop in Cape Breton is already full,* we do have some openings left in our other spring workshops:
Saturday, May 8, 2010: Cheverie, Hants County
Saturday, May 15, 2010: Maitland, Annapolis County.
Saturday, May 29, 2010: Mooseland area, Halifax East County.
Saturday, June 12, 2010: near Springhill, Cumberland County.
In addition, we have started to plan our fall workshops and are taking tentative registrations for workshops in Carleton, Yarmouth County; Wentworth area, Colchester County; Inverness, Inverness County; Antigonish County; Pictou County; and Kings County. We are holding off choosing precise dates for these workshops until NSDNR announces the dates of the Woodlot Owner of the Year events (so as to try to avoid conflicts), but will keep you updated as soon as details are available.
What happens during a workshop
Each woodlot owner workshop consists of an indoor session in the morning following by a visit to a woodlot in the afternoon. In the morning we cover a variety of topics that will help woodlot owners to grow trees that have the potential to grow into high-value wood products. In the afternoon, we emphasize hands-on experience, including a chance for everyone in the group to select and mark crop trees. Everyone who attended the first workshop really seemed to enjoy this exercise.
We are also planning workshops for silviculture contractors
In addition to the full-day woodlot owner sessions we’re offering, we will also be offering 3 half-day fall workshops for silviculture contractors in the fall. If you are a silviculture contractor and might be interested in attending, please let us know.
If you or anyone you know might be interested in attending any of these workshops, please get in touch with us.
Patricia Amero and Flora Johnson
For the Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project
902-673-2278
outreach@asforestry.com
* Although the workshop near Baddeck in Cape Breton is full, we do have a waiting list for this workshop. If you would like to attend, please call us or email us and we’ll put you on the list. We will get in touch with you right away if a space becomes available.

The NSWOOA - Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest Division
On July 9, 2009, representatives of four groups , led by the NSWOOA’s Wade Prest, met in Halifax with senior DNR people, including the Minister, the Hon. John MacDonell. Along with the NSWOOA were the Eastern Shore Forest Watch Association, the Mooseland and Area Community Association, and the Ecology Action Centre. The four groups presented a proposal to set up a demonstration woodlot on a 700-acre Crown land site in the Mooseland area, along the Tangier River. The site included two drumlins covered in older hardwoods, and some well-established softwood stands. There were also stands of poles, some thickets, and new regen. None of the property had been harvested in 60 years, and much had not been harvested for 100 years. It is a rich and varied site, full of animal life and micro-environments.

The four groups envisioned “a working demonstration forest that adheres to the principle that gradual restoration of ecosystem structure and function of the natural Acadian Forest is a path to sustainable forest use in the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia" (Mission Statement). Multi–aged management, selection cutting, low impact forestry, and FSC certification were stated goals. They foresaw hosting school trips, woodlot owner workshops, scientific studies, being a model of this style of forestry, and much more. Stumpage would be paid to the Crown for fibre harvested and product sold through the Northern Pulp system would count towards the Crown commitment to NPNS.

The delegation received a positive reception, and negotiations began on a memorandum of Understanding and an operating agreement. As the lands in question were partially leased to Northern Pulp Nova Scotia, representatives of the company became involved at subsequent meetings. The size of the project increased to about 1300 acres, including some recently clearcut lands. A Memorandum of Understanding is now signed, and the Operational Agreement is ready to be signed off once the new entity that will run the project is in place and is functioning.
As we heard at the AGM, the NSWOOA By-laws contain a section which allows it to set up operational units called divisions. Representatives of the four groups decided that they would each nominate three directors for a new NSWOOA - Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest Division. These directors and any members at large of the Division would have to be NSWOOA members, affiliate members or associate members , but the new organization is fully in control of the project. (Incidentally, Northern Pulp and DNR will have two non-voting directorships on the 14 person Board). The AGM on April 10 made the necessary changes in the by-laws and each of the three groups is now considering its nominees for directorships of the new organization.
Current discussion involves finding people with needed talents (like bookkeeping, scientific connections, an interest in education, event planning, being able to run a project, enthusiasm for the project and availability). Developing a management plan and woods operations plan for each year would be the job of a forestry operations committee of people with the necessary skills and experience. Any actual wood harvesting or road building would be carried out by a contractor.
So, there we are, looking for volunteers to serve on the board of the new Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest project, and to be regular members, to serve on committees, and even to do some work on the ground. Got any good ideas? Give us a shout.

Summary of Jamie's Forest Biomass Energy Presentation, April 10, 2010, NSWOOA AGM:

Harvesting forests to burn for electricity is questionable given the potential impacts on forest biodiversity, productivity and carbon storage.

What is Forest Biomass?
Biomass is anything that is living or was once living. Generally, forest biomass in Nova Scotia is described as living or dead wood that is not usable as pulpwood or timber. This could include under-sized trees, unmerchantable species of trees, dead trees and crooked trees. It could also include stumps, limbs and tops of trees, but these are not being including in the definition of forest biomass that qualifies as "renewable energy" under the Government's renewable electricity strategy.

Wood can be used to generate energy in numerous ways. Presently, it's used as firewood in homes, as pellets in home and institutional heating, as hog-fuel in heat and power generation, as well as in electricity generation alone, and in mixing with coal in co-firing to produce electricity. Heating homes with firewood in efficient stoves is the most efficient use of wood for energy, while co-firing is the least efficient.

Forest Biomass Energy in NS
The Wheeler Report (a proposal for renewable energy in NS) recommended 70 MegaWatts of biomass energy capacity by 2015, which would require some 700,000 green tonnes of wood, and another 70 MW by 2020. 70 MW would require a minimum of 100 square kilometres of forest land to be harvested per year.

On April 23, the province released a Renewable Electricity Plan for NS, which allows for up to 1 million green tonnes of new harvesting for 'renewable' biomass energy (stems only, no whole-tree harvesting). This could result in roughly a 20% increase in forest harvesting, and some 110 square km of new clearcutting per year.

Consequences of Forest Biomass Harvesting:
When whole-tree harvesting is used, long-term studies of forest productivity show a decline of 8-12%. Modeling shows a decline of 59% after second whole-tree harvest.

Forest biodiversity is highly dependent on deadwood. In Sweden, deadwood levels have dropped from 13 m3/ha to 0.1 m3/ha. This is correlated with a decline in forest biodiversity: Sweden has some 800 deadwood-dependent species on its Red List of threatened and endangered species.

Nova Scotia's forest soils are highly susceptible to nutrient loss. See the report "Mapping Forest Sensitivity to Atmospheric Acid Deposition" at http://www.ecosystems-research.com/fmi/2007-Forest-Mapping-Report.pdf. See particularly the map on page 4.

Forest Carbon:
For late-successional forest stands, recent research shows that light harvesting practices results in 57% more carbon sequestered than clearcutting. No harvesting at all results in 39% - 118% more carbon stored in the forest than harvested forests. (Nunery and Keeton, 2010, Journal of Forest Ecology and Management)

How much biomass is there?
In his submission to the Wheeler Report (a strategy to meet NS's renewable energy targets), Jim Verboom says there is 800,000 green tonnes per year of excess stemwood growth available for harvest. However, Mr. Verboom used the entire forested area of the province in his calculations, 4.2 million hectares. The actually area available for forest harvesting is much lower, approximately 2.6 million hectares. If the 2.6 million figure is used, there is no extra growth available (on a province-wide basis) for biomass harvesting, if we harvest traditional products at the 10-year average of 6 million m2 / yr.

NSPI and NewPage
NS Power Inc and NewPage Port Hawkesbury are proposing a $206 million, 60MW biomass energy project. The project will go before the Utility and Review Board, starting July 26th.

Jamie Simpson, M.Sc.F., Professional Forester, registered in New Brunswick
Forestry Program Coordinator
Ecology Action Centre
2705 Fern Ln.
Halifax, NS B3K 4L3
902 429 1335

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, newsletters and mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and the website: http://www.nswooa.ca

Annual General Meeting

2010-04-04T13:26:00.001-03:00

OLD BARNS – Natural Resources Minister John MacDonell will be the guest speaker at the 41st annual general meeting of the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators’ Association.

The event will be held Saturday, April 10, at the United Church hall in Old Barns, Colchester County.

“John MacDonell has been a friend of NSWOOA for quite a while,” says Austin Parsons, president of the woodlot owners’ group.

“I believe he understands our association’s interests in forest certification, uneven age management, Acadian Forest restoration, biomass and our position on whole tree harvesting,” said Mr. Parsons.

Other topics for the day include updates on the Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest project, biomass, intergenerational transfer and NSWOOA business.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. Mr. MacDonell is scheduled to speak around 9.
Activities will conclude at 3:30 p.m.

Cost for the event, which includes lunch, is $10 for NSWOOA members and $20 for guests.

The church hall is about seven kilometres south of Truro on Route 236.

For further information, please contact Austin Parsons at austin.parsons@dal.ca.

NSWOOA Update 30

2010-01-19T21:21:00.001-04:00

January 20, 2010

WWW.nswooa.ca

nswooa@gmail.com

902 633-2108

In this edition:
New Year’s Wishes
Plantation Woes?
Causes of stunted tree growth
Annual General Meeting news
Membership Renewal forms
Yurt Workshop Report
How to Reach Us.

Hello Woodlot Owners:

From the Board of Directors to all Woodlot Owners, their families and their friends: every good wish for joy, health and prosperity in the New Year!

Have You Seen...?

Wade Prest recently presented the Board of Directors with a short item titled “Growth check in high-elevation forests tied to nutrients,” which appeared in the August 2009 Information Forestry publication of the Canadian Forest Service. The short un-credited item reviews work done by foresters and mentions that plantations of conifers in B.C. have exhibited a particular growth pattern. They grow quickly and well for a short period, then seem to suspend growth: “The removal of forest cover may create such stressful environments that young trees cannot survive, or that they grow so slowly that expectations for the future may be compromised,” one forester reflects. It is noted that the number of trees suffering this problem tends to increase over time.

A second factor in the suspension of growth is identified a lack of nutrients. Once the initial leaves, branches and stumps have been broken down, competition for nutrients between the planted trees and ericaceous growth of nitrogen fixing plants (blueberries, for example) seems to cause the plantation’s suspension of growth. As the younger generation would say,“Duh!”

So, what does this item about high altitude plantations in B.C. have to do with us? Have you noticed the many plantations in Nova Scotia? Some of us have plantations on our own woodlots, and of course there are the large scale industrial plantations we see along the highways, signs proudly posted by the various forest companies. Supposedly a plantation of 30 years would have a good percentage of the trees at the 6” diameter size. Ideally in another 30 years, with thinning, and intensive care, a diameter of 30” is possible at age 60. 12” is common. Have any of these plantations mentioned above had this kind of growth? Or do they shown a suspension of growth? Or a slowing of growth? It did not take long for the directors at the meeting to identify several suspect sites. How about you?

OK then, we may all admit that some plantations have not done as well as expected. In the 1980’s when Federal Government monies were available, many woodlot management plans called for plantations, and we were all advised that there would be another crop to harvest in 30 or 40 years. How are we doing? Are these trees ready yet? If not, maybe those who calculate the sustainable harvesting rates and practices for our province may need to sharpen their pencils and do a serious re-think.

Stunted Growth
By Patricia Amero, Picea Forestry Consulting
Stunted growth in any plant is usually due to nutrient deficiencies, especially nitrogen but also calcium. The important nutrients besides nitrogen & calcium would be similar to common garden fertilizer- phospherous & potassium amongst others that are in the soil such as magnesium.

One of the most important nutrients, maybe even more so than nitrogen, would have to be calcium because calcium (like in humans) allows for more efficient uptake of all nutrients available in the soil. When the balance of calcium in the soil is altered & reduced basically trees are no longer able to get as much nutrients from the soil. These deficiencies causes trees to become stressed thus stunted.

Rapid water flow, associated leaching, disappearance of fungi, particularly Mycorrhizae, all as a result of intensive, large scale harvests and acid rain are all major contributing factors to the stunted growth we are observing. It is not one particular thing but rather a man made "perfect storm" of factors that are contributing to stunted growth of a range of species & not just in plantations. We as well as an array of woodlot owners have observed and we continue to observe dieback in mature Sugar maple as well as White ash, species which along with Red spruce tend to be more sensitive to lack of nutrients. With extreme biomass extraction (meaning the forest floor is basically swept clean, as in the picture of the latest AFR magazine) will certainly compound the problem making it much worse than it already is. Add rutting and soil compaction to the equation and we are basically killing all life in the soil, as acid rain is doing to our lakes & rivers. Definitely not a pretty picture for future generations.

Advanced Notice: Annual General Meeting

Make your plans to attend the April 10 NSWOOA AGM in Old Barns. Registration will begin at 8:30 and the meeting at 9:00. Circle that date on your calendar now.

Members who are on line will receive notice of the meeting, the proposed agenda and speakers by email, and all others will receive details by Canada Post. These notices will also include a notice of motion to amend the by-laws.

And of course we will provide details here in the Update.

Time to Renew Memberships

Our Update readers fall into two categories: those who are members of the NSWOOA, and those who have been added to our circulation lists for a year by invitation from the Category 7 Outreach Project as conducted by Picea Forestry. Our membership categories include regular members (those who own and/or operate woodlots, and associate members who do not own forest land but support our efforts and initiatives. It is that time of year for members of both categories to renew, and for others who wish to receive our newsletter and support our cause to sign up. Your yearly dues cover membership from Jan 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010.

Yurt Workshop Report

We had a fantastic workshop, a very diverse group from all over (Virgina, ON, and NS) We had mild weather and lots of fun building a 12 ft yurt wall. At the end of the workshop many of the participants were surprised how easy and accessible yurt building is. Our next workshop Jan 22-24 is fully booked. Our next series of workshops will be in January 2011.

Alex and Selene Cole

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, newsletters and mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and the website: http://www.nswooa.ca

NSWOOA Update 29

2009-12-15T21:55:00.003-04:00

December 15, 2009

www.nswooa.ca
nswooa@gmail.com
902 633-2108

Christmas Greetings
The Board of Directors of the NSWOOA extends to you wishes for a blessed and peaceful holiday season. May you spend the holidays with friends and loved ones, and may everyone keep safe and well.

Hello Woodlot Owners!

Biomass … from the other side of the street
By Tony Phillips, Director, NSWOOA

CBC radio’s “Mainstreet” aired host Bob Murphy’s interview with Jim Verboom on November 19. The interview had been taped two days previously at the Renewable Energy Stakeholders’ Meeting. Bob Murphy had first interviewed a woman who opposed the Caribou clearcut and then Jim, a bystander to the first interview, apparently volunteered to speak “pro” biomass to give balance. My wife heard the interview and said that Jim spoke well. I didn’t hear the interview which, unfortunately, was not archived by the CBC. When asked to write a piece for the Update, I decided to interview Jim to see what I had missed.
Jim told me he had spent about 18 years of his forestry career doing silviculture, for one short stint as a horse-logger. Six years of that time was spent selection cutting in the Pockwock watershed. He opined that he didn’t get into biomass to “undo” his previous efforts. He said that harvesting for biomass does not have to be a clear cut, that patch cuts would work, too, and that biomass material would often be what was formerly #2 pulp. He acknowledged that large forest openings favoured the regeneration of lower value species –fir, red maple, white spruce.
The present returns to biomass production are poor. The landed price of $30 -$40 /tonne for chipped product must defray harvesting, trucking and stumpage costs. For Jim, so far, biomass has been a by-product of projects such as blueberry land clearing, highway and wind farm developments, site preparation for the Truro hospital – what Jim calls “opportunistic supplies”. Going forward, he feels that old farms with dead and dying white spruce, of which he says there are 400,000 hectares in the province, could yield up to 100 tonnes/hectare of stemwood for biomass. He sees biomass harvesting of such sites as a way to deal with blowdowns, diseased trees and fire hazards and thinks biomass harvesting might be the socially acceptable way to deal with such problems. He also thought that in some forest fire sites biomass harvest and re-plant might be the way to go.
Reflecting on current and projected uses, Jim said that what was needed were more NSAC heating plants and Stokdijks’s Greenhouses- small.local users of biomass. He thought that heating was a best use, and pointed to Brooklyn Power’s 26 megawatt facility as a larger model. It uses 350,000 tonnes of fuel a year and produces electrical power and uses waste heat for paper drying. He said it draws wood from a 1 ½ hour trucking radius. A proposed co-generation site at Port Hawkesbury could produce 60 megawatts and would have a correspondingly longer and larger reach for fuel supplies. Currently coal produced electricity is cheaper than biomass and will probably remain so until a price is attached to greenhouse gas emissions. NSP is currently studying the feasibility and acceptability of replacing up to 10% of the coal used at Lingan and Trenton with biomas. If the numbers crunched out better, Jim feels there would be more “Verboom Grinders” out there competing for material.
The cost-price differential is a more significant measure of a product’s economic worth than just price, Jim believes. He thinks that with log stumpage of $10.00/tonne and lumber prices so low that saw mills are losing money, right now biomass beats lumber. What’s more, he says, biomass keeps money in the province in contrast to most energy sources which involve money leaving the province.
Overall, Jim feels that opinions are so polarized on the biomass issue that it is hard to have a rational discussion of the topic. He believes that “industrial forestry”, including biomass harvesting, is not about to go away and that such forestry can make a space to both protect and permit stewardship forestry. Pragmatism? Or a pact with the devil?

Build a Yurt on Your Woodlot?
Yurt Building Workshops January 2010 - Get into the Round!
Involved in any exciting projects this winter? Thinking of a unique gift for someone that is interested in natural building? Join Little Foot Yurts; makers of traditional style yurts and learn how to build your own yurt – a low impact, affordable, shelter originating from Central Asia.

When: January 15th-17th OR January 22th-24th
Where: 1459 White Rock Rd, Wolfville, Nova Scotia
Cost: $290 plus tax, Includes workshop fee, yurt camping, gourmet local & organic vegetarian food, and a yurt zine.
Accommodation: Sleep, eat, learn and share with others in cozy felted yurts equipped with wood stoves.
Registration: Please register online at http://www.lfy.ca/yurt_building_workshop/registration.html Full agenda is posted on our website.
Deposit: A non-refundable deposit of $150 is required to reserve your spot. Deposit deadline is December 15th.Plus a few days extra for folks who are learning of the event by this newsletter

For more information please contact Selene Cole at 902 670-4556 selene@lfy.ca or visit www.lfy.ca
This two and a half day workshop will provide a thorough introduction to yurts, and the basics of yurt construction including: coppice as a timber crop, Acadian forest species, making a greenwood working station, using a drawknife, froe and other hand tools, planning and designing your walls, roof, and wheel, and erecting a yurt. Leave with the practical skills and resources to start building your own yurt. Open to all skill levels. Families welcome. (Children 6 and under are free, children between 7-13 are half price, and 14 and up are normal price)
Selene, Alex & Yara Cole
Little Foot Yurts
1459 White Rock Rd, RR#1
Wolfville, NS, B4P 2R1
902 670-4556
info@lfy.ca, www.lfy.ca

Some Yurt History
Yurts are the traditional nomadic home from Central Asia. The yurt is
a collapsible framework of wooden poles covered with felt and or
canvass.

The design of these ancient shelters have been kept unchanged for over
one thousand years, making them one of the oldest indigenous forms of
shelter still in use today. They are now used all over the world as
people are interested in alternatives to conventional building and
want to live more intimately with nature.

The yurt creates a space that is both comfortable and well equipped to
withstand high winds, snow loads, and minus degree temperature.
Individual yurt owners find many uses for yurts, such as a workshop
venue, gazebo, cottage, family camping, a permanent dwelling, or for a
temporary home whilst building a permanent home.

Holiday Retreat?

Members of the NSWOOA Board of Directors spent part of their holiday season working for you. George Johnson hosted the December 11 and 12 event as directors participated in a strategic planning and visioning program, facilitated by Paula Knowles.

Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association Application for Membership 2010
( ) Renewal
( ) New
Name: _______________________________________________________________
Business Name: ________________________________________________________
Mailing address:________________________________________________________
Postal Code: _____________________________Email address ______________________________
Home telephone number:_________________
Work telephone number: _________________
May we send you monthly email updates and occasional other information related to the Association? Yes / No
We will not share your personal information with anyone outside of this organization without permission.
Are you a woodlot owner? Yes ____ No _____ County: ______________________
Please circle the categories that apply to you:
• Owner/Operator
• Contractor
• Group Venture
• Sawmiller
• Other
We offer our members an informative monthly update, sent by email. Please indicate whether we may send you this update: ____ yes _____ no
_____ I have enclosed $30 for my 2010 membership dues in NSWOOA. I understand that these funds go toward the lobbying, communications, and educational functions of the Association.
Until April 18, 2011, one-year subscriptions to the Atlantic Forestry Review, the Maritimes’ premier forestry-sector magazine, are available to NSWOOA members at a special price of $15. Subscriptions at this special rate are available only through April 18, 2010, the date of the Annual General Meeting, and will begin with the May 2010 issue. If you would like to subscribe, please check the box below and include an additional $15.
_____ I have enclosed $15 for my subscription to the Atlantic Forestry Review.
We try to ensure that each of our members has a copy of our statutes and bylaws. Copies will be available at the Annual General meeting. We could also send them to you via email in PDF format. Please indicate whether you would like us to send you a copy.
_____ Please send me a copy of the NSWOOA statutes and bylaws: via email / via post
Signature: _____________________________________ Date: ___________________________
Mail to: NSWOOA, Box 823, Truro, NS B2N 5G6
Questions about your membership? Call Marc Chisholm at 902-476-0565 or email him at nswooa@gmail.com

Points to Ponder

Tony Kryzanowski’s recent article in the October/November issue of Logging and Sawmilling Journal appears under the title question “Is the Canadian forest industry ready for the recovery?” He indicates that the Canadian forest industry has gone about as low as it can, but circumstances are changing and there is a growing list of new opportunities. However, “I’m left wondering if industry is primed to make the changes and capital investments needed to prepare itself for the upcoming recovery.” This may surprise us. Why would the industry not be ready to take advantages of the new opportunities?
Kryzanowski observes that industry leaders may have been too busy trying to survive the crises to be well informed about opportunities, and indeed may have cut necessary marketing staff, and travel budgets. He opines that perhaps some of the industry leaders may not have learned the lesson of diversification from the recession.
All is not negative, however, as he sees great variety of new products presenting new markets.

A Passing of Note
The passing of Jeremy Frith on December 8 came as a major shock to the Board and members of the NSWOOA who knew and respected him. Jeremy was a member of the NSWOOA, and participated in several of our woodlot field days as a presenter. Past president Wade Prest puts it this way: “Jeremy taught us all a great deal about adding value to our standing forests, especially through pruning. He also made major contributions to the drafting of the Maritime Standards of the Forest Stewardship Council. Many ofr us have lost a friend and a role model.

The following is contributed by Jamie Simpson:

Jeremy Frith: Born June 3, 1945, in Bermuda, and died December 8th, 2009 unexpectedly at his home on Moutain Meadow Farm, St. Anne's, Cape Breton.

Jeremy described himself as a farmer, self taught forester, logger, saw miller, woodworker, ecologist, community economic development activist, public speaker, direct marketer of organic farm produce and proponent of a responsible approach to economic/ecological integrated land management for rural communities. On his Mountain Meadow Farm in the Highlands of Cape Breton, he grew certified organic vegetables sold at the Cape Breton Farmers Market in Sydney and to local hotels and restaurants. He worked tirelessly to restore his 400-acre woodlot to historic Acadia forest cover types, and in 2005 was named the Department of Natural Resources' Woodlot Owner of the Year for the eastern region. Jeremy was also a poet and musician, and published a book of poetry in 1996.

He has held numerous volunteer leadership positions at the local and provincial level. At the time of his death, Jeremy was the President of the Farmer's Market of N.S. Co-operative, and is past president and board member of the St. Ann's Bay Development Association. On August 24th, Jeremy and his wife, Sue Browne, were honoured with the first annual Spirit of Nova Scotia Award in the Local Food Producers category for 2008.

Jeremy was buried on his farm by his friends and family on December 12th, amidst a raging snow storm, voices rising in song as they filled the grave -- a sight I'm sure Jeremy would have given his complete approval.

He is survived by his wife, Sue; his two sons, Josiah and Alec; a stepdaughter, Laura Russell; and siblings, John, Michael and Wendy and their families.

Jeremy's wife, Sue Browne, requested donations in Jeremy's memory be made to the Forestry Program of the Ecology Action Centre.

Another Passing
We are also saddened to hear of the passing of long time member Lewis Edward Chisholm. We thank him for his support for our organization and its goals, and offer our sympathies to his family and friends.

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, newsletters and mail outs, our column in Atlantic Forestry Review, the Annual General Meeting, and the website: http://www.nswooa.ca

NSWOOA Update 28

2009-11-22T17:01:00.000-04:00

November 20, 2009

WWW.nswooa.ca

nswooa@gmail.com

902 633-2108

Hello Woodlot Owners!

Flora to the Rescue
Sometimes we need a bit of help from our friends. This time the help came in an email from Flora Johnson, suggesting that an item titled Forests count in our fight against climate change, by David Suziki and Faisal Moola in the October 23 issue of “Science Matters,” might be appropriate for discussion in our Update.
The article notes that the way we destroy the forests leads to the extinction of species and also affects climate change. It suggests “we need to adopt a carbon stewardship approach to how we use our forest:”
In Canada and throughout the world, forests are being rapidly cleared for agriculture and oil and gas development and are being destructively mined and logged. When forest soils are disturbed and trees are burned or cut down for wood and paper products, much of the carbon stored in their biomass is released back into the atmosphere as heat-trapping carbon dioxide, although some carbon can remain stored in longer-lived forest products, like wood used to make furniture or homes. (Quoted portions used by permission).

It is noted that some scientists would like to set aside one half of all intact forests and seriously modify how we use the remainder.

That doesn't mean that the logging companies should be allowed to trash the other 50 per cent. Forests that we do manage for wood and paper production should be logged according to the highest standards of ecosystem-based management, without clear-cutting, and with adequate protection for wildlife habitat like caribou, as well as sensitive areas like wetlands. *

We might be tempted to look at the words “Boreal Forest” and discount this article as not applicable to our Acadian Forest. It is interesting therefore, to note that the Chronicle Herald’ on Monday November 26 carried an item titled “What? Burning the forest creates ‘green’ energy?” The author is Dan Leger, the paper’s manager of news content, and he also discusses biomass harvest and what it does to the forests. The incredulity expressed by his choice of title gives us cause to ponder this big rush to biomass energy.

While the Suziki/Moola article goes on to discuss the role of governments, the Kyoto Protocol and the upcoming Copenhagen Summit, we as woodlot owners in the Acadian Forest are left to contemplate our practices in the forest. Also, it is becoming clearer that the promotion of carbon storage in our forests is going to be a part of our approach to climate control in the future. What sort of plan or program would work here, and how does it impact on what uses of forest fibre are going to be acceptable in the future?

About that Book
The NSWOOA Update has been a huge promoter of Jamie Simpson’s Restoring the Acadian Forest, and has in the past featured a number of excerpts. Lately we have been receiving questions about how the book is doing, if it is still available and if so, where.
According to Jamie, the first printing of 500 books in February 2009 sold out in four months, and the second printing of 1000 books has sold 400 copies already. And the book has received praise from a number of quarters. For example:

"Simpson is clearly a conscientious and concerned woodlot owner, and has provided a thorough resource for others that are like-minded. Woodlot owners who are interested in rehabilitating their woodlot to a more diverse and resistant Acadian forest will find this book indispensable."
David Coon, Conservation Council of NB
EcoAlert, Spring 2009
"The book is clearly written and does not become bogged down in highly technical discussions. When it introduces new concepts, it explains them in ways most woodlot owners should be able to understand."

Mitch Lansky
Atlantic Forestry Review, May 2009

The book can be purchased over the internet at www.restelluris.ca (credit card), or by phone at 902 429 1335, or by mail at 2705 Fern Ln, Halifax NS, B3K 4L3. Also can be purchased at the following locations:

EAC office in Halifax (2705 Fern Ln)
Outside the Lines Bookstore, Halifax
Bookmark, Halifax
Biscuit Eater, Mahone Bay
Box of Delights, Wolfville
Whirligig Book Shop, Shelburne
Helping Nature Heal, Bridgewater
Word by Word, Antigonish
Readers' Haven Book Store, Windsor
Mersey Tobiatic Research Institute, Kempt
The Green Barn, Annapolis Royal
Infor, Fredericton, NB (www.infor.ca)
Westminster Books, Fredericton, NB
Tidewater Books, Sackville, NB
Conservation Council of NB, Fredericton, NB
Boutique la Baliene, St. Andrews, NB
Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project, PEI

Price is $25, including shipping, or $20 if picked up in person.

A Timely Reminder from Patricia Amero
Perhaps you can remind people to be careful in and around the woods during deer hunting season, and to wear lots of orange. If you are a woodlot owner and do not wish to have people hunt on your land or as a woodlot owner you don't mind hunting as long permission is granted so you know whose on your land, place signs around the property's perimter stating "No hunting" or "No hunting without permission" and provide a phone #. Let's face it it can be quite difficult to control who travels and hunts on your land but you can be proactive and practice diligence by placing signs and contact information.

The Second Round

The NSWOOA has been asked by the Panel of Experts to make a submission on forest management, the second part of the process initiated by the Voluntary Planning led public sessions. Many thanks to Wade Prest for taking on this task. Here is our submission:

NSWOOA Letter to NS Forest Panel

2009-11-09T13:42:00.000-04:00

Forests Panel Of Expertise

Hello Ms Crossland, Mr Porter, and Mr Bancroft:

It is our pleasure to submit to your panel the following comments for consideration in Phase Two of the Natural Resources Strategy Review. We will introduce our organization, the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association (NSWOOA), give you a general overview of our philosophy and orientation towards use of our forests, and conclude with some specific recommendations for improvements in forestry policy and practice in this province.

Our Association

The Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association is the oldest independent organized group of woodlot owners and operators (small contractors) in the province. Our mission is to support woodlot owners and operators in sustainable forestry through education, demonstration, marketing, and cooperation. Truly sustainable forestry means that all values of our woodlands - ecological, social, cultural, and economic - must be preserved for future generations.

In our opinion, the NSWOOA can be differentiated from other forestry organizations in Nova Scotia by our firm belief that truly sustainable forest use can be realised only through maintenance of ecological health and integrity. Ecological integrity (completeness) is the foundation which will yield social, cultural, and economic benefits for human communities. To compromise ecological integrity for short term considerations will impact forest use by future generations in, most likely, a negative manner. In consequence, the NSWOOA vigorously promotes ecological education and awareness amongst its members and all woodlot owners and operators in Nova Scotia.

The rationale for an ecological foundation for sustainable forest use

The unique and geographically limited Acadian Forest evolved over twelve thousand years under a set of climatic, biological, and geological conditions. Adaptation and natural selection operated to produce a forest type that is very productive (ecologically), adapted to the natural disturbance regime, and extremely resilient and stable over long periods of time. (This is a useful concept of "forest health", and contrasts, for example, to a layman's definition of health as a forest with tall trees and no dead wood standing or on the ground, and everything is pretty as a park.) The overlapping and interconnected definitions of the terms "stability", "integrity", "health", and "productivity" is perhaps underestimated by forest practioners in Nova Scotia.

Forest policy and practice must accept the premise that a forest must reinvest a portion of the annual (or periodic) net primary productivity of the ecosystem (from the parent material of the soil to the tallest tree tops) in order to maintain the natural level of health, stability, and production of that forest ecosystem. Yes, we can, and do, intervene silviculturally to influence forest production in a manner that increases the benefits to our society. However, if the intensity or method of those interventions act negatively on the web of life that underpins ecosystem productivity, we begin to lose the integrity of our forest. It may or may not be a long time before impaired forest production is obvious. A particularly difficult problem for us is the relatively short timeframe of human lifespans relative to the natural cycles of the Acadian Forest.

Exploitation of the forests of Nova Scotia over the past 500 years has dramatically changed our forest landscapes. Forest stability, health, and therefore, productivity have declined. Forest practice is moving ever faster to higher levels of fibre utilization, expansive operations, and shorter rotations. Expensive (in terms of capital and energy) silvicultural interventions are being used to mitigate natural productivity rates which are falling fast. Ecosystem alteration and simplification compound the issue through ever-greater disruption of the webs of lifeforms which give the forest its vitality. The evidence to support this can be found throughout our forests - we simply have difficulty (or a lack of desire) to interpret the evidence which is available. As for modern science, there is a notable lack of peer-reviewed, reputable research that supports the concept that short-rotation, high-utilization, evenaged forestry is ecologically or economically appropriate to maintain health and productivity in the Acadian Forest.

What is appropriate forest practice for Nova Scotia?

Forest practice should emulate the natural disturbance regime under which the Acadian Forest evolved. This will ensure that we affordably maintain, for ourselves and future generations, forest stability, health, and the consequent yield of forest values, ecosystem services, and timber. Unevenaged management over long rotations, with emphasis on growing high quality stems of our long-lived, most valuable species, offers the best opportunity to realize timber value while restoring forest health to a more natural (and desired) level. Unevenaged management should be mandated on the Crown lands of the province (because they should be held forth as models), and should be vigorously promoted on small private woodlots (because they are usually most accessible and of better than average site quality). Industrial landholdings subjected to economic constraints due to size and accessibility, should be managed, if not truly as unevenaged, on long rotations with allowance for adequate reinvestment of biomass into the ecosystem (coarse wood debris, abundant legacy trees and appropriate clumps, corridors, and wide riparian strips).

The prescription given above is very general, and is so intended to be. Within the concept of maintaining ecological integrity, a wide range of activity is possible, and indeed is necessary, given the vast array of forest conditions found throughout the province. The NSWOOA supports the right of landowners to make decisions pertaining to use of their land. However, we also emphasize the social responsibilities that accompany private ownership of land resources. It is incumbent on makers of public policy that appropriate forest philosophy and practice is well-communicated to landowners and the public alike. A sincere, concerted effort by government to increase the ecological awareness and understanding of woodlot owners and the general public would pay large social dividends as we begin to deal with expensive energy and excessive carbon in our atmosphere.

What is the role of biomass in our forest sector?

There is currently a poor definition of biomass commonly held throughout the forest sector. Biomass, of course, is all organic material found within the forest ecosystem. Each potential user has a unique definition of what is intended to constitute biomass. This can lead to confusion and misunderstanding, and an attempt should be made to better describe forest plant material.

The NSWOOA takes the position that the level of fibre utilization has increased to the point where insufficient biomass remains on harvested sites to maintain site health and productivity. It makes sense to take a precautionary approach and reduce utilization standards. As a starting point, green stemwood only should be harvested, with a minimum top diameter limit of 10 cm. This leaves ecologically important but economically-low value material on the site to maintain forest health. In the absence of solid scientific evidence supporting the practice, no removal of harvest residues should be allowed on Crown Lands, or encouraged through industrial development programs on other land tenures.

Public support of renewable energy initiatives and industrial development must proceed cautiously. Our forests have a limited capacity to yield fibre on a sustainable basis. We have probably already exceeded that limit. New users of woody material will ultimately compete with current users for the same volume of available resource. The market will determine how the fibre is put to its highest value use. New biomass-fuelled facilities will displace current users. The only way to delay that is to overharvest our forest resource, and that is economically, socially, and ecologically unacceptable.

What role shall our forests play in atmospheric carbon reduction?

There is much talk of late of the potential of "Carbon Capture and Storage" as a partial solution to climate changes brought on by excessive carbon emissions of industrial societies. On investigation, however, CCS is unproven technology, exceedingly expensive, and futuristic at best. Nevertheless, billions of public dollars will be spent in related research. On the other hand, forests capture and store carbon every minute of every day, year after year, at no cost to society whatsoever. If ever (and it will happen) Canada institutes caps on carbon emissions, the function of forests as carbon sinks will radically change the economic parameters of all industries which use forest-based resources.

Small private woodlot owners in Nova Scotia will be well placed to take advantage of this development. The Acadian Forest will be managed on an unevenaged basis, producing low volumes of high value wood, while low value wood enters the carbon sink, now an economic forest product, and at the same time improving forest health, stability, and productivity. A great positive feedback loop, at a time when we most need such a thing.

Forest policy in Nova Scotia should facilitate an effort to dispel the myths which surround the subject of forest carbon sinks, and prepare the way for the owners of fifty percent of provincial woodland to finally benefit financially from the production of an ecosystem service so badly needed by society.

How can public policy help small woodlot owners?

The NSWOOA recommends the formation of a Woodlot Investment Fund which would provide support for woodlot owner education initiatives and investment support for woodlot infrastructure. An example would be the purchase of future timber cutting rights so that owners needing to access the financial value of a woodlot today need not harvest immature timber. Modification of the Forest Sustainability Regulations to give woodlot owners some measure of control of the program would be helpful, and would help restore the devastated NS silviculture industry.

The small private woodlot sector can be best promoted by public policy which recognizes the real contribution of the woodlots to our communities' social and cultural fabric and to local and provincial economies.

On behalf of the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association, I thank you for affording us the opportunity for input into the Strategy Review process.

Sincerely,

Wade Prest
Mooseland, NS
902-772-2211

NSWOOA field day in Pictou County cancelled

2009-09-07T10:28:00.000-03:00

Due to an illness in the family, a Sept. 19 woodlot field day in Pictou County to have been hosted by Lloyd and Marlene Langille, has been cancelled.

Current plans call for the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators-sponsored event to be held next fall at the Langille’s woodlot.

George Johnson, chair of the NSWOOA field day committee, said members had been excited about the opportunity to showcase the Langille woodlot, located in Marshdale, near New Glasgow. The 130-acre mixed woodlot has been profitably managed for over 40 years without the need of government assistance.

Mr. Johnson thanked the Langilles for their hard work in making preparations, those who had agreed to be presenters and others who had planned to participate.

NSWOOA Update 26

2009-08-13T12:44:00.005-03:00

August 12, 2009
www.nswooa.ca
nswooa@gmail.com
902 633-2108
In this issue:
NSWOOA Field Day
Marc Chisholm takes over as member services coordinator
An idea for biomass
What one man would say to the Minister
How to reach us

Hello Woodlot Owners!
NSWOOA September 19 Field Day News
It looks like it will be a six-stop tour at this year’s Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association’s field day on Saturday, Sept. 19, in Pictou County.
Lloyd and Marlene Langille of the Hopewell area, near New Glasgow, will host the event at their 130-acre mixed woodlot.
The day will include practical examples of woodland stewardship, conservation, biodiversity and log sawing.
The event will feature local food for lunch and horse and wagon rides to different parts of the woodlot.
The working agenda for the day includes the following sites and likely presenters:
1. At an oldfield White spruce site, which is a common stand type on Nova Scotia woodlots, forestry consultants Patricia Amero or Sandy Hyde will show how these sites revert back to a natural forest.
2. Harvest selection: An area of trees will be marked by forestry consultants Tom Miller or Matthew Miller to help illustrate which trees should be cut and which should be left to grow, and how this can vary depending on the landowner’s values and objectives.
3. A blown-down tree with its roots and soil exposed will be used by soil specialist Kevin Keyes to illustrate the importance of soil biology, particularly in terms of site productivity and ecosystem health.
4. John Brazner, wetland and water specialist for Nova Scotia Environment, will talk about the value of wetlands and listen to comments or concerns and answer questions about a draft provincial wetland policy.
5. At an old forest site, wildlife biologist Bob Bancroft and Billy MacDonald of the Friends of the Redtail Society will discuss the importance of conservation and biodiversity. Bob is involved in a dispute with provincial government officials over their failure to enforce existing land and water regulations. Billy 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.
6. A working portable sawmill will be run by Rodney Spencer, who has set up his Woodmizer sawmill in barnyards, fields, building lots and woodlot landing areas, ready to turn logs into lumber for his customers. He’ll show people how lumber is sawn and explain what’s involved in the process.
All in all, should be an excellent field day. The board of the NSWOOA invites anyone interested to make plans to attend and enjoy a day in the woods.
Precise directions to the woodlot will be sent out to readers via emails in early September.
For further information, please contact NSWOOA board members or send an email to nswooa@gmail.com.

A Thank You Card
On behalf of the Board and members of the NSWOOA, the NSWOOA Update wishes to thank Flora Johnson for her many efforts on our behalf. Over the past several years Flora has industriously prepared and sent our newsletters, written promotional materials, managed our database and our website, edited the Update, and been the contact person on many issues, to many a few of her duties. Flora leaves her position with some high standards to aim for and some very big shoes to learn to fill. Talk about multi-tasking!
At the April Annual General meeting, Flora was presented with a plaque in appreciation of her work on our behalf, well-earned recognition for a tremendous contribution.

New Member Services Coordinator
NSWOOA Board Member Marc Chisholm has taken over as NSWOOA Member Services Coordinator. We thank Marc for taking on this important job. If you have questions about your membership, call Marc at 902-476-0565.

Big Ideas
Chronicle Herald readers will recall an article on hybrid trees in the Sunday Herald early in July. The article read like an advertisement for the new tree, which is described as growing 10-20 feet per year in Zone 6 or higher. If you click on empresssplendorcanada.com, the website will tell you that it will grow from the stump up to seven times, and show you some pictures. There certainly is an argument that we should not be introducing even sterile exotic trees into the Acadian Forest, but there is just the germ of an idea here too. Why not ask some of those big companies that want to burn biomass to look at some fast-growing trees species, and set up a program where they can grow their own biomass on some of the thousands of acres of abandoned farmland in Nova Scotia? There can’t be too much wrong with requiring biomass users to grow their product before they harvest it.

One Man’s Say
(In response to our invitation for readers to tell us what they would tell the new Minister of Natural Resources, Dennis Kean has submitted this item. Here he impresses the reader with the length of time it takes to develop a functioning forest.)
I believe when thinking about the forests of Nova Scotia it is necessary to begin at the beginning. The beginning of the forest of Nova Scotia is the end of the last Ice Age, the retreat of the glaciers. Under all that ice there was no vegetation; I doubt if there was a single dormant seed. This ice covered the land to a great depth right to the water's edge. When the ice started to recede the ground was bare and subject to tremendous erosion. Any seed that happened to come to land would have been washed into the ocean. Coupled with this there would have been a constantly rising water level drowning any new vegetation.
Before any vegetation could be established we first had to have seeds. Where did they come from? Where did they first come ashore? It is possible that all our vegetation started somewhere south of Virginia and floated here, landing in Yarmouth and working its way north from there.
Therefore how old is our forest? How long did it take to grow the first real tree? There must have been a long period of transition from the bare ground to the stable land, protecting vegetation of the true forest, a forest of thick mosses and clean waters. These mosses play such a wonderful role in the forest it is impossible to imagine a forest without them, yet they are fragile, they disappear very quickly.
How close this clearcutting seems to me to the land after the glaciers. How hard a struggle, it seems to me, for the forest to return to its natural state after the destruction of these mosses.
How long must it be before a squirrel can bury an acorn to produce an oak tree? How long before the waters are properly filtered by those mosses so the brooks run clear? How long?

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, 902-476-0565). 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 the website: http://www.nswooa.ca
l: outreach@asforestry.com

NSWOOA Update 25: July 2009

2009-06-30T22:48:00.005-03:00

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 24: May 2009

2009-05-29T21:32:00.007-03:00

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:

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.
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).
Show the importance of riparian areas using small brooks as examples.
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.
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.
Describe the province’s forest ecosystem classification system by showing soil and vegetation types and explain some hazards and advantages of different types.
Show the importance of soil biology, particularly in terms of long-term site productivity and ecosystem health.
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.
Demonstrate how woodland owners can get value from non-timber forest products.
Provide information on outreach and silviculture funding programs offered by the Association for Sustainable Forestry.
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

2009-04-30T12:42:00.038-03:00

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.

Request for comments: Proposal from a member

2009-04-19T22:45:00.008-03:00

Note: At the Annual General Meeting on April 19, NSWOOA Past President Tom Miller asked the Association to consider allocating funds to several projects. The membership voted to have the Board of Directors consider Tom's proposals and decide whether to allocate the requested funds. However, the board would like to receive comments from the membership before making its decision. Subsequently, Mr. Miller withdrew 2 of his proposals. The following is Tom Miller's summary of the proposal he wishes the board to consider. The board invites all NSWOOA members to comment on whether the NSWOOA should allocate funds to this purposes. Comments should be made by email to nswooa@gmail.com

There are many good fights being fought throughout the Province and we can't be trying to help with all of them. However as the "Good Book" says we reap what we sow and perhaps we can see fit to help financially with the following:

Bob Bancroft and Alice Reed, NSWOOA members from Pomquet, Antigonish County are involved in a legal action against the Nova Scotia Dept. of Natural Resources(DNR) and the NS Dept. of the Environment (DOE) as well as the Federal Department of Fisheries(DFO). This comes from the inability or desire of these Departments to enforce their own laws.

Bob and Alice are fighting these Government departments because of a clear cut that took place upstream from their property in 2007 and from which they have documented many infractions of the laws pretaining to these government departments. They have taken hundreds of dated pictures as the mess unfolded and kept a chronology of what transpired. Most notably, 9 metre Riparian zone buffer instead of the required 20 metres, each rain storm fills the brook, their pond and the brooks outlet into Pomquet Harbour with silt, and the contractor cut down an active goshawk nest, a species of concern in Nova Scotia. Perhaps the most incredible of all, is that, two years later, today as you read this, a Timbco forestry harvester that broke down in the mud is abandoned on the site and leaking hydraulic fluid up hill and not too far from the brook!

DFO will lay no charges regarding the clearcut saying fish habitat does not exist. Bob, a retired wildlife biologist and fisheries officer has identified 6 fish species in their unstocked ponds. DNR has issued two warnings, ignored additional violations and laid no charges under the Wildlife Habitat and Watercourses Protection Regulations.

This action that Bob and Alice are funding out of their own pockets (with some help from others) is of concern to all Nova Scotians. WHEN they win this battle we will all benefit from the increased protection to our environment. This legal battle is too large for only a few to fight. Not with so much at stake.

Therefore, I would like to request the Board of the NSWOOA to consider financial aid in the form of $1000.00 to help these fellow members in this very important endeavour.

Please comment directly to the board of the NSWOOA by emailing nswooa@gmail.com

NSWOOA Update 22: March 2009

2009-03-19T19:47:00.005-03:00

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

2009-02-19T17:13:00.004-04:00

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

2009-01-23T18:52:00.005-04:00

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.

NWOOA Update 19: December 2008

2008-12-14T06:51:00.005-04:00

In this issue:

Greetings to new readers
Membership drive and chance to win a prize
Notes on uneven-aged management
Certification news!!!
Nagaya? Yes, Nagaya
Excerpt from Restoring the Acadian Forest
Honor in the Woods
How to reach us

Hello Woodlot Owners!

What Can You Do?

At a public meeting several years ago, Will Martin was asked how big a woodlot one had to own before one had to make some of the hard management decisions that Will had outlined to the audience. As a forester, management plan writer and NSWOOA spokesman, he was considered the expert, and 50 or so listeners expected to hear something profound, something new and exciting. Will, who is of considerable height, seemed to make himself stand even more erect. He paused just a few seconds, then answered, "One tree." When the laughter died down, he explained that basically forest management consists of making a choice about each and every tree. After a while one got better at it, and did not make so many wrong decisions. At any rate he reminded the audience, "There are only four things you can decide to do with a tree: cut it, leave it, girdle it, and prune it."

One can of course make only one decision about the whole woodlot, such as to clearcut or the other extreme, to never touch it. Most of us fall somewhere in the continuum, somewhere on the scale between the two extremes. And as we go along in the forest, we learn that one can cut to harvest, cut to release, cut to convert, cut to encourage regen. Likewise one can leave a tree for future harvest, for standing deadwood or for habitat. Perhaps for biodiversity. The point is, we should take a look at these decisions we make. What kind of a balance are we striking? Are we harvesting enough to make some profit? Are we leaving enough for the soil and the ecosystem? Yes, Will, the concept is simple: Four things we can do to a tree. But as you also added in that presentation, not so simple that one can avoid looking at the larger picture.

Christmas Greetings

The Board of Directors of the NSWOOA extends to you wishes for a blessed and peaceful holiday season. May you spend the holidays with friends and loved ones, and may everyone keep safe and well.

Membership drive and chance to win a prize!

NSWOOA memberships begin and end on January 1 each year, so this is a good time to renew if you are already a member or join if you're not. To encourage you to send in your memberships early this year, we are making a special offer to the first 6 people who send us a cheque for their 2009 memberships. The first person to send us a cheque will receive a copy of Jamie Simpson's new book, Restoring the Acadian Forest: A Guide for Woodlot Owners in the Maritimes (for an excerpt, see below). The next four people from whom we receive a cheque will receive one of our fine NSWOOA baseball caps, pictured above. Several other caps will be drawn for at the Annual General Meeting in April, from among those who renewed early. Memberships are $30/year. Our address is Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association, Box 823, Truro, NS B2N 5G6. If you contact our member services coordinator, Flora Johnson, at 902-673-2278 or nswooa@gmail.com, she will be happy to send you a form

Please note that our member subscriptions to Atlantic Forestry Review begin and end on May 1. Subscriptions must be paid for no later than the middle of April. Subscriptions are available to NSWOOA members only at the special rate of $15/year.

UAM Notes

Forester Patricia Amero of Picea Forest Consulting was the coordinator of the Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project that concluded at the end of October 2008. In order to continue the educational effort that began with the Outreach Project, Patricia has very kindly offered to write notes on UAM for our updates. We are very grateful to her for this contribution and for her commitment to good stewardship of the Acadian Forest.

By Patricia Amero, RFP

There are two main approaches to forest management—even-aged management and uneven-aged management (UAM)—although sometimes people practice a mixture of the two. Ultimately the choice of which approach to use will depend on forest condition and management objectives, and can change over time because of circumstances (for instance, devastation caused by hurricane) and/or as management objectives change.

One important difference between UAM and even-aged management is that whereas even-aged management tends to focus on "stands" (conglomerations of similar-aged trees of similar species), UAM tends to focus on individual trees within a particular area, with a goal of growing high-quality trees that will have high value when harvested. This allows the woodlot owner to practice selection management, earning a continual modest income over time while maintaining other forest values such as wildlife habitat and recreation. In contrast, with even-aged management, entire stands are likely to be cut at one time. This may produce a high financial return in the year the harvesting is done, but other values may be sacrificed and the stand may not produce income again for decades.

In UAM, areas within a woodlot are separated into management units based on ecological factors such as site and soil conditions, ecotype, and previous disturbance/harvest practices. A key consideration is the presence of potentially high-value trees (often referred to as crop trees) and potential for growing such trees. Intermediate and mature crop trees are assessed based on considerations such as straightness/form, vigor, lack of limbs, lack of scars or other defects, and ultimately species marketability now and into the future. But it is also important to recognize potential crop trees that may be regenerating under canopy, particularly where openings have occurred allowing sunlight to penetrate to the forest floor. This requires knowledge of tree silvics (what our various native tree species need to grow and flourish), natural succession patterns (or stages of forest development from early to late stages), and the disturbance regime that is natural to the ecotype and ecodistrict where the woodlot is found within the Acadian Forest Region.

Here are some good resources on tree silvics and Acadian Forest ecosystems. The following can be purchased from the Nova Forest Alliance (for more information email Terry Stanislow,terry@novaforestalliance.com):
• Forest Ecosystem Classification of Nova Scotia's Model Forest. An edition for the central region and interim versions for the eastern and western regions are available. A final version is expected in 2009.
• A Guide to Identifying and Managing Nova Scotia Hardwoods.

The following are available free:

• Field Manual for Forest Ecosystem Classification. Although this is available for download here, it is a very big file. Single copies of are available free of charge by writing to: Library, Dept. of Natural Resources , P.O. Box 698, Halifax, N.S. B3J 2T9; e-mailing nsdnrlib@gov.ns.ca; or from local offices of the Department of Natural Resources.

• Forest Soil Types of Nova Scotia: Identification, Description, and Interpretation. Available online here. Single copies are available free from the same source as the field manual listed above.

• Tolerant Hardwood Management Guide. Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources Report FOR 2007-8 No. 84. Available online here.

• Silvics of North America. Vol. 1: Conifers, Vol. 2: Hardwoods. Agriculture Handbook 654. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Available online here.

• Interactive Guide to Common Trees of Nova Scotia. Available online here.

For more resources on uneven-aged management, see the right side of this page.

Certification News!!!

NSWOOA President Lorne Burrows confirms that the NSWOOA, working with Nagaya Forest Restoration Ltd., has signed a contract with DNR to bring five new NSWOOA member woodlots into certification by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The project will cover most of the costs to the landowners and is funded from the Community Development Trust. Interested members and potential members should contact the NSWOOA quickly. There is the possible opportunity of expanding this initiative in the near future, so we need to demonstrate demand for the funds. Therefore we would like to build up a list of those interested in having their lands FSC certified. Call the number listed at the end of this Update, or contact us by email.

Nagaya? Yes, Nagaya

Update readers will recognize the name Nagaya from past editions of this newsletter. Some may be wondering just what this entity is. The following is a snapshot of what Nagaya is and does.

Incorporated in 1999, Nagaya Forest Restoration Ltd. helps qualifying woodlot owners in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island become certified by the FSC. This is achieved through membership in a pool of lands that is administered by Nagaya. Because Nagaya has Group Forest Management and other recognitions offered by the FSC through its certifying body, SmartWood, all participants in the Nagaya-managed pool have FSC certification. Both wood and non-timber products from these woodlots are FSC certified, and customers can buy these products with the assurance that they come from healthy forest communities.

William McKay is the President and Owner of Nagaya. He graduated from the University of New Brunswick in 1977 as a forester with specialization in wildlife management. Through continuing course work, Bill has added appraisal, law, engineering, biochemistry, and land management to his knowledge base. He recognizes the interconnectivity of the natural world, the need for healthy and resilient systems, the relationship people have with forest communities, the importance of the long view, and the positive impact that healthy forests can have on the governance and socioeconomic circumstances of peoples' lives.

More than 8,000 acres are now certified through the Nagaya pool, and 30 families, businesses and social organizations now participate. Thanks to Nagaya, consumers can now buy a bottle of maple syrup, a nested set of Shaker boxes, hardwood and softwood flooring, firewood, tone wood, turnings, dimensional lumber, household goods and quality cabinet stock from Nagaya Pool Members who collectively refer to themselves as the Acadian Forest Families.

Branches and Tops

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

"Whole tree harvesting, or taking everything from the stump up, removes 100 to 215% more nutrients from the forest than removing only the stem of the trees and leaving the tops and the branches. The branches also provide shelter for wildlife and protect the forest floor from compaction, erosion and excessive heat."

Honour in the Woods

Eastern Shore Forest Watch has released an excellent DVD on forest values and practices. This video features interviews with quite a few NSWOOA members and others who are making a difference in the forests. It is a high-quality production, and an excellent gift for the woodlot owner on your Christmas list, for your children or grandchildren that will need to know these things in the future, and of course for yourself. Cost is only $10. Contact person is Keith Kerr at 902-845-2458.

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

Update 18: November 2008

2008-11-22T17:39:00.004-04:00

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

2008-11-04T07:28:00.006-04:00

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

2008-08-28T08:47:00.004-03:00

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

2008-06-29T17:51:00.015-03:00

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.

NSWOOA Update 14: May 2008

2008-05-19T15:57:00.006-03:00

Above: Members of NWOOA and Nagaya Forest Restoration Ltd. learn how to take high-value sawlogs out of the firewood pile on an FSC-certified woodlot belonging to NSWOOA director George Johnson in Cumberland County. Photo courtesy George Johnson.

Hello Woodlot Owners!

Should Have Been

For those of you who are of a certain age, one of the textbooks you might have studied in school is the American novel The Great Gatsby. The narrator of that novel is Nick Carroway, and the subject of his writing is the tragic life of Jay Gatsby. Gatsby, as he was called, was not a woodlot owner, but he should have been. He had the basic necessary qualities. In Chapter 1, Nick explains his reason for writing the novel. Whereas others may have seen Gatsby as a fake, a failure, a loser or at best a dreamer, Nick sees in him the capacity of infinite hope. This hope is almost a faith-like experience, and the narrator's choice of The Great Gatsby as a title refers to the magnificence of this infinite hope.

That of course makes both characters, Nick and Gatsby, prime candidates to be woodlot owners. What quality do we have if not that same capacity for infinite hope? Woodlot owners plant trees, thin stands, prune crop trees, and make investments for the benefit of future generations. They wait for nature to respond. They wait for the public and industry to respond. They have faith in what they do. Somewhere, someday down the track all this work, worry and patience will pay off. What quality is this then, if not that of infinite hope?

Big Event: May 31 Mill Tour

Please let us know your intentions.

NSWOOA members are invited on May 31 to attend a tour of the Elmsdale Lumber Mill. The morning will involve a tour of the yard and the mill, and information sessions by mill personnel.

The afternoon will involve presentations. Dinner will be provided. Please phone or email your response now.

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.

In order to know how many to prepare for, we are requesting that interested members contact us by email or by phone (902-633-2108). Memberships will be available on site.

A Minute of Silence

We have received word that John B. Dechman of Upper Musquodoboit has passed away. John served as President of the NSWOOA and as President of the Scott Suppliers Division of the NSWOOA.

John will be remembered by NS woodlot owners and operators as having generously given his time and energy to improve the financial lot of members of our Division and the woodlot owners of Nova Scotia in general.

Throughout our 38 years the work of the NSWOOA has been conducted by selfless investment of time and talent by many people, and John Dechman is one of those who carried his share of the load. We are greatly in his debt for his many contributions.

Our deepest sympathies are extended to his family. We count ourselves among his friends who grieve his loss.

Outreach Project

Patricia Amero and company report excellent success with their educational events to promote and explain uneven-aged forest management and Category Seven Quality Improvement Silviculture techniques. Participants seem pleased with the information package, the presentations and the woodlot sessions. The Uneven-Aged Management Project can be reached by phone (902-673-2278) or email.

Voluntary Planning Presentation: Urgent

The first Voluntary Planning sessions have been held and the news in not good. Reports indicate that attendance at the meetings has been dominated by industry spokespeople, their contractors and organizations. Comments from participants so far assure the Committee that present policies are sustainable and even a bit too restrictive. Public participation and the voice of woodlot owners has not been heard as yet.

Make sure you and your neighbors get out to the meetings. Numbers count, and so do your comments .

Members who attended the Annual General Meeting expressed a desire to view the revised Voluntary Planning Submission. It is now posted on our website.

All members are encouraged to attend one of the VP public meetings in their area. If there is an issue, a vision, a recommendation you will have the opportunity to express it. Weight of numbers counts.

You may also pass in written submissions at the meetings, or email them directly to Voluntary Planning.

See the column to your left for a list of community meetings being sponsored by Voluntary Planning.

Legacy Trees

An excerpt from Restoring the Acadian Forest by Jamie Simpson, p. 51, used with permission.

[When selective harvesting] identify and leave legacy trees. Legacy or 'full cycle' trees are large healthy dominant trees that are allowed to grow old and die. Alive they provide structural diversity and a rain of genetically fit seed; once dead, they provide cavity nest sites while standing and a source of large deadwood when they fall.

Lines of Communication

Members are encouraged to contact the Board of Directors, the Executive and other members through our email address (http://mail.google.com/mail/h/s5hc6vl43p5o/?v=b&cs=wh&to=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: http://www.nswooa.ca/

NSWOOA Presentation to Voluntary Planning

2008-04-25T09:54:00.014-03:00

Sawmill photo by Susan Danko

The following is the text of the PowerPoint presentation made by the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association on April 22, 2008, as part of the review of Nova Scotia natural resources policy being conducted by Voluntary Planning. Voluntary Planning will use this and other public comment to develop recommendations for the government to consider. The NSWOOA's presentation represents the values, policies and regulations that we feel should be in the final recommendations.

For an account of our April 12 2008 Annual General Meeting, please click here.

Slide 1
Focus

Economics: Recognizing we are dealing with an ecological asset.

Why would anyone listen to us?

We are small, private woodlot owners and operators. We have an emotional and financial interest in the land.
Our knowledge--the issues important to the small, private woodlot owner (forestry, ecology, biodiversity, processing, business)

We are small private woodlot owners who, by and large, have their boots on the ground and hearts in the trees.

Slide 2
We will present 3 themes (each with principle, premise, argument, recommendations):

Single species = single product, multiple species = multiple products
Beyond the woodlot gate

The woodlot is a business

Synthesizing our ideas into one story: Public interest

Slide 3
1. Single species = single product, multiple species = multiple product

Slide 4
Principles:

Maximize ecological health
Ecological health leads to economic choice

The premise:

A single product market has its flaws--not robust, difficult to adapt.

A single species managed forest has its flaws--not robust, difficult to adapt.

A multiple product market has its strengths--diversified, resilient

A multiple species managed forest has its strengths--diversified, resilient

Slide 5
The single species = single product model, aka the industrial model, is geared to provide cheap fibre (pulp) to the pulp and paper mills and dimensional sawmills.

Under such a regime, biodiversity is reduced.

There is a widespread public perception that forest complexity has been compromised over the past 50 years making it less able to deal with environmental stressors.

There is also widespread public sentiment that the magnitude of clearcutting is excessive.

Slide 6
When biodiversity is reduced because of fibre focus, the small private woodlot owner cannot make a continual income ("one game in town").

This fibre focus has lead to both excessive pressure on the forest and less economic choice for the woodlot owner.

In point of fact, this fibre focus has resulted in an economic environment where the small private woodlot owner is not in charge and very seldom consulted.

The mills rule. They dictate:

Supply chain: Crown blocs--industrial holdings--small proviate woodlot owners

Prices and

Silviculture funds.

This is an artifact of the existing provincial forest tenure system.

Slide 7
How does one take pressure off the idea that a forest is just a fibre factory and at the same time, provide the small, private woodlot owner with a continual income?

Change the management focus away from a single group of trees to one where the forest is considered as a system.

Under such a focus, its ecological diversity, structure and the forest’s multiple species and uneven age characteristics become important.

Fibre becomes one option along with maple syrup, Christmas trees, mushrooms, carbon, ecotourism.

Slide 8
Regaining ecological health means making a forest not just more trees.

A single species tree farm or a multi-species tree farm is still a tree farm.

An ecological healthy, multiple species forest can better adapt to climate change.

Don’t simplify the forest, focus on increasing the forest’s biodiversity.

Under such a regime, small private woodlot owners can take a continual income from their woodlots because of the potential to create a diverse product base.

With no single focus on fibre, the woodlot owner can manage the interest, not the capital.

Each viable woodlot creates a job.

Slide 9
Provide the woodlot owner with the time needed to increase the biodiversity and ecosystem complexity of the Acadian Forest.

Recognize that time is $.

Recommendations:

Identify the best use for timber: decouple the requirement to operate a mill from being granted a Crown block’s timber rights.

Introduce a Category 8 in the Provincial Forest Sustainabilty Regulations

Slide 10
Category 8 Woodlot Investment Fund Program

Boundary lines and GPS data

Management plans--land capacity assessments

Land migration and deed updates

Biodiversity, ecosystem complexity

Travel for education and conferences

Travel for market development

Loan $ to assist additional land purchases to create economically viable woodlots

Acadian Forest ecosystem projects

Bridge funding--$ to set aside immature stands for later harvest, $ for species conversion, $ for time

Value-added development assistance for capital purchases (equipment) and buildings
$ for market development

Woodlot road access and stream crossings

Environment projects: wildlife, biodiversity, species re-introduction

Slide 11
2. Beyond the woodlot gate: Valuing the environment

Slide 12
Principles:

Streamline the present system.

Emphasize vertical integration via secondary/value-added processing

Premise:

The present silviculture funding system has too much duplication and bias.

Jobs generated from a woodlot include both forestry and processing work.

Maximize the $/biomass ratio.

Slide 13
Fibre specifications:

Buying and selling logs--if it looks like a log and feels like a log, it may not necessarily be a log.

Mills have different grades and counts.

Fibre supply system:

Industrial mill: Crown Land--industrial holdings--small private woodlot

Medium scale mill: holdings--small private woodlot

Fibre transport is biased against small cuts

Industry (trucking)

Silviculture funding

Each registered buyer (a mill) and the Association of Sustainable Forestry (ASF) has its own administrative policies regarding how funds are distributed.

The ASF has insufficient monies to pay for all the Provincial Forest Sustainability Regulations category 7 applications it receives.

The current system operates on credit for many treatments, the rates are kept so low that contractors are leaving the business.

Some work may be best paid for by the hour.

Slide 14

Develop the added value capability of each woodlot:

Not every woodlot owner will want to be their own mill or secondary processor.

Provide the woodlot owner with the option of seeking information that will allow them to identify the best use for their log and an information network that will provide them with access to the appropriate buyer.

Slide 15

Recommendations:

Develop universal log-buying standards (create a task force of industry players and task them with this objective).

Develop a single silviculture application form that can be used to solicit funds from any mill or ASF.

Review the allocation and amounts of silviculture funding as well as how it is allocated.

Create a “one stop shop” where a woodlot owner can access information on the specifications, transport options and market prices for the particular woodlot products they are interested in selling.

Slide 16
3: The woodlot is a business.

Slide 17

Principle:

Recognize that biodiversity = economic choice by incorporating full-cost accounting in the present system.

Recognize that the traditional skill set of the woodlot owner needs to be fostered.

Slide 18

It is the woodlot owner’s decision whether their forest can help provide

carbon sequestration

clean water

tranquility

They can either keep their forest in place, or clearcut it.

This is not a threat, but a reality given that we place no economic value on these services.

Place a $ value on these services so that the woodlot owner can have a choice.

2 avenues: free market or legislation

Free market: carbon sequestration

Legislation: Ecosystem Attributes Act

Slide 19
Recommendations:

Create a provincial carbon credit system.

Conduct a study as to the feasibility of an Ecosystem Attributes Protection Act.

Provide training in financial planning, accounting, marketing, silviculture practices and product awareness (specifications, market likes and dislikes) as these subjects apply to a multiple product generating woodlot.

Hope for a predictable political environment (consistent, long term silvicultural programs).

Slide 20
The Public Interest

A strategy to create a diverse, healthy forest within which a small private woodlot owner can make a living.

Slide 21
Within the woodlot:

multiple species = mulitiple products strategy

increase biodiversity

Beyond the woodlot gate:

Review the present system

Maximize the $/biomass ratio

The woodlot is a business:

Take into account the ecological attributes of the forest

Promote knowledge building within the woodlot owner community

A healthy forest = a healthy woodlot owner = a healthy community

Slide 22
One of the best ways to ensure the establishment of biodiversity, sound ecology and sustainable forestry in Nova Scotia will be to make systemic changes that support and facilitate those taking a leadership role in those efforts: the province's small private woodlot owners.

Decouple the relationship between operating an industrial scale mill and timber rights.

Introduce a Category 8.

Introduce a provincial carbon credit system.

Consider a legislative option: the Ecosystem Attributes Act.

Create a more streamlined marketplace:
–universal log buying standards
–universal silviculture application forms
–introduce a “one stop shop” forest products information center

Provide business and technical support to the private woodlot owner to maintain their skill set, and in turn the cultural values of the forest community.

NSWOOA Update 13

2008-04-19T20:55:00.011-03:00

NSWOOA members gathered for our Annual General Meeting in Great Village on April 12. Above, President Lorne Burrows welcomes the group. For additional photos, see below.

Hello Woodlot Owners!

Ssssshhhhhh! Quiet. Just listen.

There's something to be said for increasing your ability to learn by closing your mouth and being still, as all good teachers have pointed out to unruly classes throughout the ages. In that context, more or less, Nagaya Forestry requires each management plan in its group to declare a quiet time when the woodlot owner is still and listens. Many of these plans, it turns out, list the spring as the chosen time of year for this learning experience. Seems reasonable, doesn't it? Spring is a time of rebirth, a time of awe and inspiration. Those who find a spiritual element in the forests are more likely to find it under these conditions.

It is the practice of some to take a few quiet moments throughout any day in the woods. Sometimes there is something to listen to: the animals. insects, or even the wind. Occasionally there is complete silence. And occasionally, speaking from experience, even the voices inside one's own head are still. These are precious moments. Sometimes they lead to a moment of insight, or a gradual understanding. Occasionally too they lead to a moment of contented drowsiness. Either way, you, the woodlot owner, are the richer for the experience.

Early Notice: Mill Tour

Here's early warning, in time for you to circle your calendar in red so you will not miss a very interesting event. NSWOOA members are invited on May 31 to tour the Elmsdale Lumber Mill. The morning will involve a tour of the yard and the mill, and information sessions by mill personnel. The afternoon will involve a tour of a company operated woodlot. Lunch will be provided. Details to follow.

The Elmsdale Lumber Company specializes in high quality lumber produces, and it 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.

In order to know haw many to prepare for, we are requesting that interested members contact us by email (nswooa@gmail.com) or by phone (902-633-2108).

Were You There?

It was quite an annual general meeting this year! There was much enthusiasm in the room and many, many ideas shared.

Above, Registered Professional Forester Patricia Amero of Picea Forestry Consulting reports to the group on the success of the Outreach Project that the NSWOOA is conducting under a contract with the Association for Sustainable Forestry. Funding for this project is provided by the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resource. Below, the Outreach Project has taken this display, hand-made by newly elected NSWOOA board member Sandy Hyde, to Woodlot Owner Conferences and other woodlot-owner meetings all over the province.

Patricia Amero of Picea Forestry Consulting presented a report on the Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project that Picea is doing together with the NSWOOA. She summarized the features of the program, and outlined accomplishments to date. The project seems to be going very well and is on schedule. There are already about 250 woodlot owners in the database and more taking the survey every day. Read about the educational sessions below. Space is limited and pre-registration is required, so get in touch with the Outreach Project soon if you want to attend.

Above, NSWOOA Director Austin Parsons takes notes during his presentation on the Board's proposed submission to Voluntary Planning.

Director Austin Parsons presented the Board's proposed Voluntary Planning submission. It was in four parts. The first discussed forest diversity and healthy ecosystems as the basis of a diversified forest product industry. Diversity means sustainability and flexibility, whereas one product means rigidity and lack of sustainability. The second part dealt with the need for simplification and standardization in the industry. It would be much easier if all mills described their specifications in the same terms, and used the same criteria and paperwork for their Registered Buyer funds. The third section dealt with viewing woodlot owners as entrepreneurs who manage legitimate businesses. How can the business owners gain control of the resource? The final section was the recommendations and actions needed to bring about desired change.
Comments were vigorous and extremely helpful to the Board for their final revision. The presentation drew many compliments from those attending.

Lunch was followed by a lively panel discussion of "Hot Topics" such as Acadian Forest Restoration, biomass production, and global climate change. Below, NSWOOA President Lorne Burrows and Past President Tom Miller were among those who spoke during this discussion.

Lorne Burrows

Tom Miller

Cause to Celebrate

Three new directors were chosen for the NSWOOA board at the AGM: Tony Phillips, Sandy Hyde, and Kermit DeGooyer. Congratulations and welcome aboard.

Category 7 Outreach Project

Our Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project will be conducting workshops and field trips throughout the province in May and June.

Focused on selection management, crop tree release, and crop tree pruning (silviculture methods that help woodlot owners to grow high-value trees), these free workshops are scheduled as follows:
• May 3, Digby County, Richfield area
• May 10, Colchester County, Earltown area
• May 24, Queens County, North Brookfield area
• June 7, Victoria County, Middle River area
• June 14, Antigonish County, St. Joseph area

Space for the Uneven-Aged Management Project workshops is limited, and pre-registration is required. To register, please call 902-673-2278 or email outreach@asforestry.com

Old Fields

An excerpt from Jamie Simpson's new book Restoring the Acadian Forest, p. 93. Used with permission.
Years of agricultural use typically have changed the soil composition and structure of [old fields]…. Some sites have a soil condition known as hardpan, caused by decades of ploughing to the same depth and which limits proper drainage and rooting. Course woody debris and, in some cases, nutrients and organic soil matter are even lower than in recent clearcuts. Plants common in abandoned fields—known as pioneer species—are able to withstand poor conditions, so they play an important role in rejuvenating such sites. With time, fields that are not mowed will eventually fill with pioneer species. The early successional plants protect the soil from erosion, add nutrients, and build organic matter. They also add shade and increase moisture levels, creating suitable microclimates for later-successional species and providing food and nesting sites for wildlife. Many of the pioneer trees grow fast and haverelatively short lives, so they provide a relatively quick source of standing and fallen deadwood. White spruce is a common component in this succession, along with species such as tamarack, white birch, poplar, cherry, alder and willow.
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 12: March 2008

2008-03-18T09:42:00.006-03:00

Above, the NSWOOA Board of Directors gathered recently to plan our April 12 Annual General Meeting. From left to right: NSWOOA Secretary Paul Brison, Vice President Ken MacRury, Barbara Gallagher, Jack McLellan (not visible), Treasurer Greg Amon, Charlie Baird, President Lorne Burrows, and Minga O’Brien. Board members not shown: Dave Parker, Austin Parsons, and Gerald Romsa.

Hello Woodlot Owners!

Here's a question for you: Why do you belong to an association, club or organization? What makes you join up and renew your membership? To put it another way, suppose you were selling a membership in the NSWOOA to your neighbor: What would he or she get in return for joining?

Probably you would point out that the NSWOOA represents woodlot owners on boards and committees at the local and provincial levels, that the NSWOOA has ties and possibly sway with other organizations that can work for you. Of course the NSWOOA has a long history of accomplishments and quite a bit of expertise on woodlot policy and management. Of course you could trot out the maxim that as a group, you have much more influence than as an individual. And then there are the field days and demonstration sites.

But have you included the opportunity to go to meetings? No, this is not sarcasm or even irony. As a member of the NSWOOA, you have the opportunity to attend meetings, especially the Annual General Meeting, to be updated on our work, learn from fellow woodlot owners, and have your input on topics of interest. At this year's AGM on April 12, we will have an update on the Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project, a chance to fill out surveys that will be the basis of a report that will influence forest policy for years to come, and time to discuss thermal biomass harvesting/market, FSC regulation changes, and a proposed submission to the Voluntary Planning Forest Policy Review Panel.

There you have it: Join up and go to the event!

Tentative Agenda 2008 AGM

8:30 Registration
9:00 Housekeeping, welcome, President's address and welcome
9:10 Business Meeting

Minutes from 2007 AGM
Business arising
Financial reports
New business
Resolutions from the floor
Other
Election of Directors

9:45 Outreach Project report
10:15 Coffee Break
10:45 Voluntary Planning Discussion
12:00 (12:15) Dinner
1:00 Discussion of "Hot Topics": Biomass, FSC, Other

Annual General Meeting Information

Where: Masonic Hall, Great Village
When: April 12, 8:30 AM
Cost: $20 Registration includes meal
Other: Memberships and membership renewals available at the meeting

Time to renew

NSWOOA memberships are by the calendar year, so if you have not renewed recently your membership may well have expired. Membership coordinator Flora Johnson will shortly be sending out renewal notices to former members who have not renewed for 2008. In the meantime, click here to find the information we need from you if you would like to join or renew by mail. Mail it with your cheque to the address provided. But better yet, bring it with you to the AGM!

Borealization
By Jamie Simpson, from the book Restoring the Acadian Forest.

Borealization is a term given by some to describe the increasing abundance in the Acadian Forest of tree species common to the Boreal Forest. These species are exposure-resistant trees such as poplar species, white birch, black spruce, jack pine and balsam fir, all of which are well adapted to frequent, large scale disturbances that are common in the Boreal Forest. Borealization of the Acadian Forest reduces the ecological resilience of the forest by making it more susceptible to large scale disturbances such as diseases, windstorms and insect infestation, a risky trend in the face of climate change. (p. 18)

Question: What are the driving factors of borealization?

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

Looking for information on uneven-aged management or the Category 7 Quality Improvement Silviculture Program? Just look at the left side of this page. There you'll find links to our information package and reference list. Below that, you'll find links to articles and sources of information on uneven-aged management.

Interested in attending one of our free workshops? As a visitor to the NSWOOA website, you have an opportunity to pre-register for one of these programs before they are officially announced to the public.

Each program will begin with a morning workshop that will include both presentations and group discussion. This will be followed by an opportunity to visit a woodlot that has qualified for funding under the provincial funding program. There you will be able to see these treatments "on the ground" and have a chance to talk with the woodlot owner and/or contractor about the work and challenges involved in this approach.

Space in these programs is limited, so we encourage you to pre-register as soon as possible. Call 902-673-2278 or email nswooa@gmail.com

The programs are planned as follows:

May 3 : Digby County, Richfield area
May 10: Colchester County, Earltown area
May 24: Queens County, North and South Brookfield area
June 7: Victoria County, Middle River area.
June 14: Antigonish County, St. Joseph area.

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, 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 11: February 2008

2008-02-19T21:35:00.009-04:00

Hello Woodlot Owners!

There's No End to It! Responsibility , that is. There is no end to responsibility for woodlot owners. There you have it; it's been said, straight out. Besides all our usual responsibilities, woodlot owners now have an additional one.

The new responsibility is to voice our vision of what forest policy and practices should be in Nova Scotia in the future to the review of natural resources policy being conducted by Voluntary Planning. Previously reviews were conducted by DNR itself, and while there were opportunities for woodlot owners and citizens at large to make presentations and submissions, the knock is that these inputs were then almost completely ignored when DNR consulted industry and made its final policies and regulations.

Under pressure from the NSWOOA and many other groups and individuals, the Government of Nova Scotia has opened up its review by asking a third party, the Voluntary Planning organization, to conduct the review and to be involved in distilling the input from the public, woodlot owners and industry into recommendations for the government to consider.

This is where our responsibility as woodlot owners comes in. Individually and through our organizations, we have the responsibility to make presentations and submissions to this Voluntary Planning panel.

Hearing a vision or recommendation once is not enough for such a panel to think it important, no matter how valid, utile or insightful it is. Hearing a chorus of similar views and concerns does influence the end results. A veritable groundswell of voices repeating and stressing these views and recommendations will demand inclusion in the final product.

The NSWOOA is preparing its vision of the new forestry with the values, policies and regulations that we feel should be in the final recommendations. As individual woodlot owners you have not only the opportunity but—some would say—the duty to make your individual ideas known. They reinforce each other. Hopefully every woodlot owner can have an impact by making a presentation directly or having input to a woodlot owners' group that is making a presentation.

Here is a partial list of topics on which woodlot owners might give advice for policy development:

Property rights
The need for contractors who will harvest wood by methods other than clearcutting·
Herbicide spraying
Using wood to generate electricity or bio fuels
Hardwood management
Whole-tree harvesting
The need for value-added industries
Niche markets
Biodiversity
Wildlife protection
Changing the structure of the forest industry
Riparian zones
Rural development
Marketing systems
Silviculture assistance
Availability of seedlings
Acadian Forest restoration
Management plans
Technical standards for silviculture
Subsidies to large corporations
Clearcutting restrictions
Enforcement of environmental protection regulations
Carbon credits
Dedicating more funds for Category 7 Uneven Age Management
Species utilization
Exporting raw material

You are encouraged to make every effort to put forward your ideas to the review process.

Annual General Meeting News: Some Changes

The NSWOOA's Annual General Meeting, to be held on April 12 in Great Village, will have the title "Hot Topics of 2008-2009." Among topics to be addressed is the presentation the NSWOOA will be making to Voluntary Plannin, as described above. We are now preparing recommendations that will be presented to our Annual General Meeting for discussion and possible adoption.

In addition, we expect to have presentations and discussion on issues such as biomass and the recent FSC certification of the former StoraEnso mill in Port Hawkesbury, which now belongs to NewPage Corporation. Members will also hear an update on the Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project, which is described below.

This is an important meeting, and we hope all members will want to attend in order to learn about these topics, join the discussion, and participate in the business meeting as well.

Registration will begin at 8:30 am with the business meeting to start at 9 am. The program will last until 2:30 pm with breaks for coffee and lunch. Registration is $20 per person, which includes lunch. The program will be held in the Masonic Hall, 30 Station Road, Great Village.

Take our survey and have a chance to win a prize

The NSWOOA has begun work on an exciting new campaign to promote uneven-aged management techniques among woodlot owners and contractors. The Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project now has a telephone number (902-673-2278) and email address (outreach@asforestry.com). We hope all woodlot owners and contractors who are interested in uneven-aged management or the Category 7 Quality Improvement Silviculture Program, which provides funding for treatments associated with uneven-aged management, will call or email us so that you can receive our packet of information materials and be notified of upcoming educational sessions.I

f you call the outreach number, you'll be asked if you want to take a survey. Please help us make sure we collect information from as many woodlot owners and contractors as possible, particularly ones with an interest in uneven-aged management. Everyone who takes the survey will be entered in a prize drawing to be held in September, and we have some great prizes lined up.

Also in the planning stages are workshops and field days to be held all over the province. Be sure to get on our mailing list in order to get an invitation to one of these meetings.

The Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project is being conducted by NSWOOA under a contract with the Association for Sustainable Forestry and is funded by the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources. Our partner in delivering services under the contract is Picea Forestry Consulting and Woodlot Management of Bridgewater, NS. Information about the project will be posted both at the NSWOOA website and at the ASF website, http://www.asforestry.com/Category7program.htm

A Membership Benefit

Any NSWOOA member attending the April 12 meeting is encouraged to set up a display booth for any timber or nontimber product or service provided. Of course you can provide business cards and fliers for those in attendance, whether you have a display or not.

Some Thoughts on Forest Biodiversity

The following is an excerpt from Jamie Simpson's new Restoring the Acadian Forest: A Guide for Woodlot Owners in the Maritimes (p.55). Keep your eyes open for this excellent book when it comes out for sale.

Genetic diversity is not a common topic of discussion of woodlot
management. Nonetheless, its importance to forest health is immense. Sufficient
genetic diversity means there are enough individual differences within a species
that it has a chance to adapt to a constantly changing world, where failure to
adapt means failure to survive. … In making decisions about tree cutting and
planting, woodlot owners collectively help to shape the genetic diversity of the
Acadian Forest system. …

These little differences within each individual are important. Combined
they are a storehouse of 'possibilities' that can allow a population to respond
over many generations, to changes in the environment. So long as there is
sufficient genetic diversity, some individuals will have the traits necessary to
survive environmental changes and will pass these traits onto the next
generation. (Used with permission).

So, what provisions have you made for genetic diversity on your woodlot? Let us know if you have had any interesting and successful projects to encourage genetic diversity.

Changes in Forestry Ownership and Their Possible Impact on Forestry and the Environment

By Director Gerald Romsa

There are some data appearing in the literature that ownership of large blocks of Forest Land (five thousand acres plus) in the NE United States (Northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine) has shifted from forestry oriented owners to non forestry owners. In Maine by 2005 around 40 % of the forest land was owned by enterprises which have short term (10 year) business horizons. Land is treated by a new breed of landowners as a commodity to be sold for the highest price in the real estate or other markets. Forestry and environment groups are becoming quite concerned. Such changes are leading to less predictability in the future of the forest and in biodiversity practices. Many present forestry and related conservation practices are not fully applicable to this shift in ownership patterns. The new owners can argue they are not involved in the forestry sector. The question is, how does one mitigate potential downsides and maintain the forestry and environmental sectors in the face of changing interests of new forestry owners. In the North Eastern forests mentioned above some approaches have been to purchase large tracts of environmentally sensitive and genetically desirable tracts by having the new owners sell the desired parcels at the average selling price to conservation groups.

We need to examine the question of form of land ownership and its impact on Forest Policy.

Is there a pattern of forestry areas being bought up (1000 acres or larger) by owners whose interests are not primarily forestry related? If so are these owners from the Maritimes or elsewhere?

What is their commitment to an environmentally sustainable forestry?
Will present or proposed forestry policies work if forest areas are owned by non forestry interested owners whose desire for income arises from non forestry practices?
What could such changing land ownership practices do to an environmentally sustainable forestry and to environmentally and biologically sensitive, threatened and unique areas?
What could such changes in forest ownership do to the evolution of a carbon neutral society?
How does Nova Scotia protect the Forest, the environment and threatened and unique habitats from changes in forest ownership or land owners philosophy?

Are the following feasible?

Require new owners of larger blocks of forest land to sell to the Province or Conservation groups a portion of the land for the average price they paid?
Is it feasible to use an urban planning approach that requires owners proposing a new land use/management policy to donate a portion of their land to the public (Province/County/Municipality/Conservation-Environment Group)?

Your input and reaction is invited to the email address below.

Invitation to a CAPE Meeting

CAPE (Citizen Action to Protect the Environment) invites the public to a presentation, "Forests for Life", on Thursday, February 28, 7:00 pm, at the Dr. Arthur Hines School in Summerville, Hants County. Concerned about clear-cuts? Worried about more herbicide spraying near your land? Wondering what forest management has to do with climate change and what you can do to help? Come and hear from the Ecology Action Centre's Standing Tall: Forests for Life Campaign. This hardhitting presentation gives you the facts about forestry in Nova Scotia --and suggests how we can achieve real changes that will preserve and protect our woodlands, water, and wildlife. Between April and June of this year, consultations will be held around Nova Scotia through a process called Voluntary Planning to find out what we think should be part of a new 10-year Natural Resources Strategy. Come and learn the different ways that you can have your say at these consultations and help determine what is done about forestry, mining, parks, and biodiversity in N.S. You can have your say about what happens in our forests, and help address the issue of climate change. Refreshments. Storm date is Tues., March 4. For more info, call Barbara at 633-2513, Merton at 633-2086, or Marilyn at 633-2051.

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, 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.