Some background:
news!!! letter from Iain Rankin about the Corbett-Dalhousie Lake forest!! Jan 11, 2019
Posted on January 11, 2019
From Forestry Maps Verbatim:
Forestry Maps <ForestryMaps@novascotia.ca> . Jan. 11 at 2:46 p.m.
Update on parcels AP08637B and AP08637D in Annapolis County
We appreciate public feedback, which is the objective of the harvest plan map viewer or direct correspondence. Details on past processes are given below, as well as changes that have occurred, and will occur.
These parcels were provided in error by Westfor and posted by the department on the Harvest Plan Map Viewer on December 10, 2018 and have since been removed from the viewer. The error was the result of a change in the parcel identification number from 2014 to 2018 as explained below.
The department’s initial response to inquiries on December 31 was that the original posting was a clearcut in 2015. However, a detailed review of previous postings shows that this parcel was actually originally posted as an 85-hectare partial harvest in November 2014. At that time pdf maps were being posted on the department website. The system was upgraded with the move to the Harvest Plan Map Viewer (HPMV) in April 2016. The screenshot below from that pdf map shows the parcel number 409 and the legend of the map shows the identification number of M5311521 and a partial harvest prescription. For your information, no public comments were received at the time on that proposed harvest. This parcel was assigned to a sawmill who had a short-term license, but the harvest was not carried out.
Once the individual licenses to mills were replaced with a short-term license to Westfor, 40 hectares of the original parcel was submitted for approval as a partial harvest as block number AP068637 (map below).
The intent of posting proposed Crown land forest harvests is to seek public input and additional information for consideration by the Integrated Resource Management (IRM) teams and as part of the approval by senior management. The department procedure that has been in place for the past few years and has been communicated to licensees is as follows:
If, following the initial posting, it is proposed to extend the boundary of the harvest outside of the original posting or to change the harvest type from a partial harvest to a clearcut method, the revised proposed harvest will be reposted on the HPMV for further public input.
If, following the initial posting, it is proposed to change the boundary of the harvest within the original posting or to change from a clearcut to a partial harvest method, reposting on the HPMV is not required.
Westfor received approval for the partial harvest of block number AP068637 from Minister Miller on June 20, 2018. They also received approval to carry out road maintenance and construction and the road was constructed in July 2018. A 20-hectare cut of the approved 40-hectare partial harvest was completed in August/September 2018. We understand that Westfor plans to complete the remaining portion of the approved partial harvest plan in spring 2019. Despite the unusual planning and consultation process involved in this site, we have listened to the various forms of feedback. Consistent with recommendations from Professor Lahey, any future harvest of these 40 hectares will be designed to continue on a path of multi-aged management and will not involve overstory removal i.e. a clearcut.
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Background: Some of the people on Social Media picked up on the reference to Salvage cuts, and asked what exactlyqualifies as a salvage cut. That was within the last s days on one of Facebook Public Group sites that I follow, but very hard where they are very active to go and find the post. This is why I have copied a lot social media posts on NSFN – also because they have become an important venue of back and forth with government… as in this case and the one above.*
Forestry Maps <ForestryMaps@novascotia.ca> . Jan. 11 at 2:46 p.m.
“Salvage” harvests on the latest update of the HPMV
You may have noticed a number of “Salvage” harvests on the latest update of the HPMV. Through the 1970’s and 1980’s there were numerous red pine plantations created in the province. As you may be aware, many of these plantations are now suffering from the Sirococcus shoot blight and are in a state of severe decline. There is currently an opportunity to market red pine and salvage these monoculture plantations and put them on a path of ecological restoration. The requirement for Pre-treatment Assessments has been waived for these harvest plans as they are declining monoculture plantations which are outside of the scope of the Forest Management Guides.
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NSFN:
Kudos to Forestry Maps for responding to issue raised on Social Media.
I suspect the people who raised the issues will be fully satisified with the explanations, but it is dialogue and it gives me more hope.
*I htink I found the Social Media post where this issue was raised:
Annapolis Royal & Area – Environment & Ecology, Jan 9, 2019:
SS: OMG another 632 hectares None in Annapolis county but holy frig
NEW – Crown Land Harvest Plans 10JAN2019.pdfKB:This was an interesting issue of the viewer:
This is the first time I have seen the Salvage Clearcut used as a treatment.
They are using this system in some of that Lunenburg wood and the Shelburne treatments west of the Jordan River…
I do not remember any fires in those areas recently, it must be an invasion of spruce bark beetle that has killed off large swaths of trees in those marked areas, unless some kind of wind event blew it all down. It is an interesting one.???? For some reason the computer must have spit out Salvage cut??? Anyone know whats going on in this regard?
and a lot of discussion ensued.
Perhaps a question was sent to the Map people.
But then they would have replied to the individual.
So it seems they responded to the Social Media post.
This is the same group in L&F Minister Iain Rankin participated and responded to comments three times over the period Dec 20, 2018 to Jan 9, 2019.
Anyway, that is a good sign in two regards:
(i) L&F IS responding to such questions publicly and promptly
(ii) Pertinent questions about forestry in NS are being raised in Social Media
…A needed, obviously difficult conversation is beginning.