“This happened to me this winter. 24/7 and the main traverse up my hill by the cutting machine and the skidder, was a few meters from my bedroom window.
“A truck was loaded a short distance away and drove away and labored up my hill around 5 AM. Some nights required meds to get me to sleep. Neighbors a few kilometers away also heard the action.
“A few days after spring load came in effect and the carting of wood to wherever stopped, a drink of my well water at about 3 AM, was unbearable to drink. It tasted like spruce. My shower ran sticky. A friend indicate he lost his well water the summer this happened to him. My adjacent trees have gone down.
“I am now fully surrounded by clearcuts, the “foresters” have their mess hidden by the thick white spruce. Those clearcut soils will be emitting carbon for at least 15 years even if they appear to be covered.
“I imagine the value of my property went down $20,000 to $30,000, but I am
not an assessor.”
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The clearcut was on private property.
It’s hardly the first such comment to surface in NS whether for Crown or Private land.
The right to log on private lands is fiercely defended in NS, witness the turnout of woodlot owners large and small to the recent Biodiversity Consultations; we do not need to be regulated, we are responsible landowners was their message.
OK, but how about offering some critique of the landowners that are not so responsible?
How about Forest NS – “the respected voice of all sectors of a modern, renewable, socially responsible industry that is the globally competitive economic backbone of our province” – highlighting examples of good and poor forestry practices in NS and setting up a complaints hot-line and investigating complaints like these ones?
Some may be totally legitimate, some not. Help us all find out. Why wait for lawyers, or for government under public pressure, to do it?
How about showing us all how good you are at self regulation, so we can all respect those traditional rights – and all can live in peace with the neighbours.
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And a comment on Social media this a.m.:
I was just listening to CBC Information Morning. Around 7:15, there was an interview with Adam Harris – farmer and woodlot owner in Annapolis County – with his thoughts about clear-cutting on privately owned land in response to a clear-cut done on adjacent land. He spoke about the noise and the impact. It was good to hear what he had to say about how the municipalities should have more control over forestry and describing how that system was initiated in Ontario in the 1940s. That many municipalities have regulations based on tree diameters, etc..
Listen to InfoAM Podcast
The most noticeable thing was wildlife displacement, so things like owls out in broad daylight..there’s also runoff issues…the other direct impact, just the sound, grinding drone that you hear across the land day and night waking up at 2-3 in the morning…it’s the sound of a forest dying.
Some related posts
– When the neighbours decide to clearcut in Nova Scotia 25Apr2019
Posted on April 25, 2019
– Neighbours get no notice about clearcut on Crown land
Posted on February 3, 2017
– Wentworth Valley on the front lines of tourism versus clearcutting in Nova Scotia
Posted on June 23, 2017
– Annapolis Co. continues efforts to realize more control over forestry practices
Posted on April 12, 2018