Signs of a healthy, old forest at Corbett-Dalhousie Lake
Now the Council has written to government requesting that it follow through on several key recommendations of that review by putting a “an immediate hold on all harvest operations, underway or anticipated, in the Corbett-Dalhousie parcels” and requests the province
…to dedicate the Corbett-Dalhousie Lakes property to the Municipality of the County of Annapolis to develop and manage a climate forest and demonstrate a new economy based on ecological forestry management that will increase local jobs, community recreation and tourism.
View the full letter posted on the Facebook site for Annapolis Royal & Area – Environment & Ecology, or view the text reproduced below.
View Climate forest proposed – Annapolis County wants chance to develop new ecologically managed economic model
Lawrence Powell in www.annapoliscountyspectator.ca, May 23, 2019
Thanks, Annapolis County Council and Annapolis County residents, for speaking up for all species of Nova Scotia
SOME LINKS
The Bowater Land Purchase: the biggest chunk lies in Annapolis Co.
Click on map for larger version (on L&F website)
On Corbett-Dalhousie Lake Forest
– Annapolis Co. group finds fresh stump of 138 yr old tree in Corbett-Dalhousie Lakes Forest, but it’s not Old Growth says L&F 6May2019
Post on NSFN May 6, 2019 with Updates, and list of prior NSFN Posts, social media posts and news stories related to Corbett-Dalhousie Lakes forest
On Climate Forests
– Dale Prest on “Climate Forests”
Post on NSFN May 4, 2018
On Annapolis Co. Council & Forests and Forestry
- Annapolis County concerned about impending WestFor agreement
Post on NSFN, March 8, 2017 - Communities raise concerns about 10-year licence with WestFor
Brittany Wentzell on www.lighthousenow.ca on Mar 22, 2017 with letter from Annapolis Co to Premier McNeil - Annapolis Co. Crown lands getting hit hard in latest round of proposed cuts
Post on NSFN June 2, 2017 - Annapolis Co. warden says municipalities should have a say in forestry practices in Nova Scotia
Post on NSFN June 23, 2017 - Annapolis Co. continues efforts to realize more control over forestry practices
Post on NSFN April 12, 2018
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Text of The Letter May 22, 2019 . Annapolis Co. Council to Hon. Iain Rankin, Minister Department of Lands and Forestry
Dear Minister Rankin,
Re: Corbett-Dalhousie Lakes Area, Annapolis County
On May 21, 2019, the Municipality of the County of Annapolis made the decision to directly and immediately respond to serious public concerns regarding the forestry harvest operations in the Corbett-Dalhousie Lakes area. Council passed the following motion:
“It is hereby recommended that the Municipality of the County of Annapolis respectfully request the Province of Nova Scotia to dedicate the Corbett-Dalhousie Lakes property to the Municipality of the County of Annapolis to develop and manage a climate forest and demonstrate a new economy based on ecological forestry management that will increase local jobs, community recreation and tourism.”
Because of the time sensitive nature of this matter, we would like to request that your office place an immediate hold on all harvest operations, underway or anticipated, in the following areas until we have an opportunity to discuss with your office the following:
This land area in question is identified on Department of Lands and Forestry Map Viewer as:
Northwest quadrant (Parcel # AP-068637-B) 21.46 hectares- actual
Southwest quadrant (Parcel # AP-068637-D) 18.88 hectares – actual
Northeast quadrant (Parcel # AP157007) (**not including the piece on the North side of Neaves
Road) 25 hectares – estimated
Southeast quadrant (No parcel ##) 20 hectares – estimated
TOTAL AREA 85.34 – estimated
This area has been of special recreational and tourism interest to the municipality since the 1996 creation of Canoe Annapolis County. In furtherance of that interest, in March, 2013, at the time of the Bowater/Resolute land purchase, council expressed its concern in “protecting the wilderness integrity” of this area to Hon. Charlie Parker, Minister of Nova Scotia Department of Natural
Resources. As a way of protecting the ecological integrity of the county’s system of canoe routes through much of the Bowater/Resolute land, the municipality notified the minister that “We would like to be assured that these areas will be protected and set aside for such use in the future.”
In 2018 the municipality adopted its Forestry Advisory Report 2018. That report specifically outlined a Climate Forest pilot project meant to enhance carbon sequestration opportunities, reduce GHG’s, provide a wood supply and demand strategy for small-scale bio-gasification heating in municipal buildings, and local job creation in forest products.
In embracing and adopting The Municipality of the County of Annapolis Forestry Report 2018 this council aligns itself with many of the findings expressed in Professor Lahey’s An Independent Review of Forest Practices in Nova Scotia.
The municipality fully endorses the mandate outlined by Lahey:
“… to make recommendations on forest practices that would, if implemented, balance environmental, social, and economic objectives, which I haven’t interpreted to include values.My conclusion is that environmental, social, and economic values should be balance by using forest practices that give priority to protecting and enhancing ecosystems and biodiversity.”
And more specifically, the motion passed by council is meant to address, at the municipal level, several of Lahey’s final recommendations including, but not limited to:
#16
DNR, with Crown licensees, must take immediate and sustained action – including by conducting or commissioning appropriate scientific research, engaging interested parties in collaborative problem‐solving forums, and adopting precautionary measures – to be responsive to concerns about the potential adverse impact of forestry on Crown lands on the following
interests:
a. Sensitive soils, particularly on Crown lands in the western region
b. Bird populations
c. Tourism operations and developmental plans
d. Outdoor recreation activities, including established trails
e. Protected Areas
#32
DNR should commission an independent study on opportunities and options for enabling owners of forested land to earn and trade in carbon credits for storing and sequestering carbon, particularly when they manage their lands in accordance with ecological forestry (or ecosystem‐ based forestry management). And
#35
DNR and other relevant agencies of the provincial government, along with municipal governments and regional development agencies, should work together with project developers to support and enable small‐scale wood‐energy projects that will allow low quality wood to be used in heating hospitals, schools, government office buildings, correctional facilities, and other public buildings.
To this end, the municipality would like to immediately engage the province in arriving at a strategic solution that would [1] meet the goals set out in its municipal climate forest pilot project; [2] stimulate local job creation through a measure approach leading to a municipal ecological forestry strategy; [3] preserve and enhance the recreational and tourism opportunity in the Corbett Dalhousie Lake area; and [4] meet or exceed the overall mandate and specific recommendations put forth in the Lahey Report.
In summary, the municipality is requesting that Department of Lands and Forestry place an immediate hold on all harvest operations, underway or anticipated, in the Corbett-Dalhousie parcels identified above, and to meet with the municipality as soon as possible to develop a strategy to meet the goals detailed above.
Yours truly,
Timothy Habinski,
Warden
TH/cay
cc: Premier McNeil (via email)