Even in Protected Areas: Clearcut in lands designated for the Raven Head Protected Area, 2011 (“To negotiate a price within the province’s budget, Wagner Forestry [was] allowed to harvest about one quarter of the Apple Head area”). As shocking as that was, the case documented by One Not So Bored Housewife involving land clearcut and then sold to NSDNR by a NSDNR employee is even more shocking
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This well documented, disturbing allegation is made in a May 31, 2018 post How much wood does a clear cutter cut, when a clear cutter cuts the wood? on the blog One Not So Bored Housewife.
There is a lot in the post which was apparently stimulated by the recent story about Port Hawkesbury Paper/NSDNR deals.
Says One Not So Bored Housewife:
The Waverley Game Sanctuary edges our community, and is very much a part of our lifestyle and consideration every day. We experience the wildlife in our yards, we walk the trails and fish the lakes, and have been blessed and compelled to stand up for the Sanctuary as its neighbors. At the end of our road there are several land plots that belong to DNR, that wrap around the edges of the Sanctuary and are tied into the Long Lake Salmon River Wilderness Area.
Last year, we noticed quite a large volume of young trees were cut on the DNR lands, and upon further investigation we found there was quite a fair bit of this cutting done throughout these lands near our community all the way through to the Sanctuary…
and she goes on to elaborate on related issues. Then, “There is another issue that has me extremely troubled. Members of the public have talked for a long time about DNR employees allowing their lands to be clear cut for a mill, then it seems, sometimes they sell their lands to DNR.”. She goes on to document a particular case based on public records in which a current DNR employee apparently clearcut 291 acres of his land, and then sold it to NSDNR in 2013 for $116,400.00, while the land was valued at $46,600.
Please read the whole post for the whole story. Like so much else, it calls for a response from NSDNR, if not an independent investigation.
Reading it reminded me of my feelings when in 2011 I walked lands that had recently cut by Wagner Forestry before they were handed over to the NS government for protection (view photo at top), only the case documented by the One Not So Bored Housewife is even more shocking because of what be would seen by many as an unacceptable Conflict of Interest.
It’s good that we have Not So Bored Housewives in Nova Scotia!
Also view the comments about the story on posts about it on Wood and Waters Nova Scotia on June 2 and 3, 2018, e.g.
CH: As a resident and taxpayer strongly opposed to this type of narrow minded forestry I ask “what is your explanation Minister Miller?” We deserve better than this, especially considering we’re paying for it. While the Timmons purchase doesn’t appear to have been Liberal watch, please provide your rationale, including benefit to Nova Scotians, of continuing this simply bad business practice. Who has authorized this Government to spend more for anything than it is worth? I don’t care who owns and is selling the asset and I don’t care if its a pencil. As representatives of the people you are in a position of trust, to do the best for your citizens with the resources they have provided you. Does this pass the “smell test” when buying from those within your department. Paying top dollar for stripped land??? Unfreaking believable! While you’re in explanation mode, may we have your detailed response on the issue of clearcutting and spraying on those properties considered Crown lands. Is it being done and, if so, why and for whose benefit?
AF: i could show you a 50 acre block dnr bought just to give westfor a way into crown land would realy like to know if the stumpage payed by westfor comes any where near the cost of the land bought. How can any contractors compete when westfor has the taxpayers money to play with? I bust my ass in the woods every day just to have my paycheck robbed in a province with some of the highest taxes in the country and the province wastes those hard earned dollars on corporate hand outs
RR: Harry Freeman’s and Sons Mill owed the government money for a loan and traded 9000 acres for clear cut land. Hows the government getting value for our money when they are wasting it on clear cuts. Leave the lumber and pulp mills holding the own mess of clear cuts, tying up their own cash. Maybe the forest industry would be more careful and conservative when they are not being spoon feed by the Government.
PM: I fought a legal battle over land that I believed I owned with Harry Freeman and sons for three years and reached a settlement with them. A bridge was involved and when the logging was completed the bridge was to be removed.I retained 180 acres and Harry Freeman and sons the remainder The bridge was not and then it became active by contractors for Northern Pulp. Northern Pulp trespassed on my land and used the bridge without my agreement so I contacted my Lawyer and started legal action. My lawyer phoned and informed me the clearcut that was done previous by Freeman and sons had been purchased by the Crown and the cutting by NP was complete and the deck was removed from the bridge. This explains to me why the Crown purchased the cut over land. The price I heard was way above market value!
RR: PM: go to the web site viewpoint.ca Go to the map and click on the property Freeman’s owned and it will tell when and how much the purchase was.