A lot of Annapolis Co. looked like this in late May, 2017.
An article by Lawrence Powell in the Yarmouth County Vanguard, Apr 11, 2018 describes the work the Annapolis Co. has been doing since then to make themselves forests and forestry-literate and to develop a vision of the type of forestry they want to see in Annapolis Co., with specific proposals.
The warden [Timothy Habinski] said the first goal of the committee is to produce a plan for a municipally owned forest governed by best practices.
“We think it’s important to put our money where our mouth is,” he said. “It’s not enough to just ask the province to change what they’re doing. We want to show exactly how we think it is in the best interests of our constituents to have our forests managed – for biodiversity, for carbon capture, for the value of the timber itself and the future of the forestry industry.”
…“We’ll be putting forward a proposal that we would respectfully request the province would consider for a best practices approach to forest management for the entirety of Annapolis County, based, again, on evidence and expertise,” he said. “And finally I think we’ll be putting forward a proposal to the province, or a request to the province, to consider adopting a different approach to cap and trade in order to incentivize better forestry practices. Give woodlot owners financial incentive to keep the forest standing and growing in its value and retaining its biodiversity and its function in the ecosystem.”
He said sometimes woodlot owners are forced to sell or clear cut when they are in dire financial straits.
“Your only option sometimes is to sell off a third of your forest or have it clear cut. And once it’s done you’ll never see the value from that land again as long as you own that piece of property,” he said. “The overall value of what you have as a resource declines and diminishes. They would like an alternative.”
He believes many woodlot owners wouldn’t clear cut if there was a way for them to obtain an annual financial dividend for the carbon function of their standing forest.
Read the full article: Forests’ Future – Annapolis County puts shoulder to the wheel on sustainable practices efforts
by Lawrence Powell in Yarmouth County Vanguard, Apr 11, 2018.
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Some background
Annapolis County concerned about impending WestFor agreement
Posted on March 8, 2017
Communities raise concerns about 10-year licence with WestFor
by Brittany Wentzel in LighthouseNow Mar 3, 2017, with letter from Annapolis Co to Premier Mcneil
Annapolis Co. Crown lands getting hit hard in latest round of proposed cuts
Posted on June 2, 2017
Annapolis Co. warden says municipalities should have a say in forestry practices in Nova Scotia
Posted on June 23, 2017