This page lists news items related to forests and forestry in NS beginning Jan 1, 2022.
Sometime during the past year, I started putting all news items on this page – instead of putting some items on other pages (e.g. on GHGs in the News) – so there will be many posts on this page.
View In the News for more recent Items
View these subpages for older items:
View All Posts for a list of all posts on
NSFN since its inception (June 21, 2016).
News Items
(most recent at the top)
May 31, 2022:
– Canada Fighting a Rising Tide of Support for NY Forest Bill
Jennifer Skene for nrdc.org “For years, Canada’s forest policy has been torn between two competing priorities: one, a desire for climate leadership, the other, an unflinching fidelity to an unsustainable logging industry. The Government of Canada’s vehement opposition to proposed forest protection legislation in New York has made alarmingly clear which impulse currently has the upper hand.”
– A Major Milestone for Nature: Seven newly secured properties protected forever
NS Nature Trust “We have much to celebrate as the Nova Scotia Nature Trust announces seven newly secured properties across the province, the most conservation land we’ve ever secured within the same month! All together, these properties add a combined 970 acres of forever-protected wild land to our growing natural legacy.”
– Fines Protect Wildlife Habitat, Watercourses
Natural Resources and Renewables News Release “A new set of fines will help protect the province’s wildlife habitat and watercourses. Summary offence tickets with fines ranging from $812.50 to $1,157.50 can now be issued for offences under the Wildlife Habitat and Watercourses Protection Regulations.”
May 30, 2022:
New EFI study launched – Maintaining and enhancing forest biodiversity in Europe
On efi.int Link to Forest Biodiversity in Europe. From Science to Policy 13. European Forest Institute. “In a comprehensive new European Forest Institute study, a multidisciplinary team of 13 authors from 10 countries have analysed how to effectively maintain and enhance forest biodiversity in Europe…On a landscape scale, a variation of forest management approaches and intensity, e.g. Triad management is a promising strategy to conserve a broad range of biodiversity while also achieving other important forest management objectives”
May 29, 2022:
– Operation Hemlock: How an ER physician ended up treating trees
CBC News “A new Atlantic Voice documentary details the big fight against a tiny bug”
May 26, 2022:
– New Brunswick’s forgotten forests, global treasures that need our help
by Amy Floyd in nbmediacoop.com
– WALK IN THE WOODS: Teachers invited to participate in priceless opportunity
Contributed , in saltwire.com
– How possible changes to European energy policy would affect Georgia business — and trees
By Molly Samuel WABE News
May 25, 2022:
– Public importance of private woodlots
ETHAN LYCAN-LANG in the Halifax Examiner
– Teacher’s fight against glysophate pitted him against N.B.’s most powerful interests. Did it cost him his job?
By Cloe Logan in the National Observer
May 23,2022:
–
Early research suggests winter ticks are killing young moose in New Brunswick
Steven Webb · CBC News
May 24, 2022:
– A 60 kilometer canoe trip that could put Nova Scotia on the eco-tourism map
CBC Info AM “Hear from four paddlers about their recent canoe trip following what was probably an ancient Mi’kmaw route across the mainland from St. Croix to St. Margaret’s Bay”
– Unique forest in Canadian Maritimes is thinning as temperatures warm (Video, text)
Nathan Coleman Reporter, Atlantic Canada for The Weather Network. “Extending across the entire Maritimes and into the New England states of America, the Wabanaki forest’s unique tree composition blends two different forest types in one small geographic area. Megan De Graff works to protect the Wabanaki-Acadian forest and sat down with The Weather Network (TWN) to explain why it’s so important to do so.”
– ‘There’s over 100,000 fish there, there’s no doubt in my mind’: Yarmouth County fish die-off raises concerns
Tina Comeau for SaltWire. “Dead gaspereau found in waters near Nova Scotia Power powerhouse station in Yarmouth County; concerns raised over ineffective fish ladders”
May 20, 2022:
– New Brunswick forest companies using publicly owned trees to face higher charges
By Robert Jones CBC News “”When lumber goes from 200 bucks per thousand board feet to 1600 bucks … we need to create some sort of a mechanism that reflects that, as far as it relates to the benefit to the province.”
– BC bioenergy: The case, controversy and considerations from a sustainability expert
By Shauna Matkovich for Canadian Biomass “Italy-based forester and sustainability expert Shauna Matkovich shares observations from her recent trip to B.C. to explore the opportunities and challenges for bioenergy in the province.”
May 19, 2022
– Citizen scientists comb Annapolis Valley woods for rare lichens
Michael Gorman · CBC News “Recent discoveries of species at risk prompt calls for more scrutiny of proposed logging sites…The provincial government continues to roll out steps to shift toward ecological forestry, four years after a report calling for dramatic change to the way the woods are managed. Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton has said a “fundamental shift” will be in place by June. Newington and others would like to see that fundamental shift include more landscape-level planning, something she believes is more likely to happen if people who already have an interest in being in the woods know what to look for when they’re out for a walk.”
– Production and Utilization of SRC Willow Biomass in Nova Scotia
Allan Thomson, PhD thesis, Dalhousie University. May 2022.. SRC stands for short rotation coppice.
– Stop clear-cutting, says forestry professor after research in West Kootenay
Bill Metcalfe in Nelson Star. There is 20 times more carbon in a mature Kootenay forest than in a five-year-old clear-cut in the same area…Simard said the results are consistent with many studies across the globe that have found that the world’s major forests, including Canada’s, have shifted since the mid-2000s from storing carbon to emitting it.”
May 18, 2022:
– Developer wants to clear trees early at fast-tracked Dartmouth development sites
Zane Woodford in the Halifax Examiner
May 16, 2022:
– New research shows logging in Maritime forests is causing huge bird population declines
Interview with Matt Betts on CBC Info-AM
May 13, 2022:
– Massive forest fire in Yarmouth County now 60% under control
By Anam Khan for CBC News
May 12, 2022:
– Crews battling wildfire in Musquodoboit area; burn ban in effect across Nova Scotia
Alex MacIsaac on atlantic.ctvnews.ca
– Browntail moths are expected to terrorize Maine again if we don’t get more rain
By Lauren Abbate for Bangor Daily News
May 11, 2022:
– Out-of-control Nova Scotia forest fire now believed to cover 3,100 hectares
By Alex Cooke Global News “As of 3 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, the fire in the area of South Horseshoe Lake in Yarmouth County was estimated to be about 3,100 hectares in size, equal to about 31 square kilometres. Wednesday morning, it was estimated to be 1,000 hectares. When crews first responded to the fire late Monday afternoon, the fire was estimated to be just 50 hectares…It’s the largest fire in Nova Scotia in recent memory. McCurdy said the last one of this scale she recalls was in Porters Lake in 2008, which was around 1,900 hectares — though that fire was significantly closer to homes and businesses.”
– One small step for the Lahey Report
Ethan Lycan-Lang in the Halifax Examiner
May 10, 2022:
– Mass Timber can be a great option for construction – if it’s sourced sustainably
Forest Stewardship Council
– Martens are a sign of a healthy forest in Maine
By David Guildford for News Center Maine
– Last habitat of endangered Atlantic whitefish saved from logging
By Cloe Logan for National Observer
– EverWind Fuels eyes Nova Scotia for regional green hydrogen hub
By EverWind Fuels in Canadian Biomass “EverWind Fuels LLC , a private developer of green hydrogen and ammonia production, storage facilities and transportation assets, has announced that it has acquired the NuStar storage terminal in Point Tupper, N.S. EverWind intends to expand and develop the Point Tupper site to be the location of a regional green hydrogen hub for Eastern Canada, including new green hydrogen and ammonia production facilities.”
– Crews respond to fast-moving forest fire in southwestern Nova Scotia
By Alex Cooke Global News
May 9, 2022:
Atlantic Whitefish Photo by Ian Manning, posted on Wikipedia
– Reprieve for critically endangered Atlantic whitefish as logging plans halted by Paul Withers for CBC News “N.S. government cites concerns road construction needed to access area near Bridgewater could harm lakes.” View also NSFN post, May 9, 2022.
– Forest degradation drives losses of bird habitat and population
Bob Bancroft in N.B. Media Coop. “Habitat demise can be traced back to governments with ecologically-unfriendly silos of departmental responsibility. Species like Atlantic salmon are jurisdictionally insulated from forestry activities that turn watersheds into overheated wastelands. Employees can only operate within their department’s jurisdiction. The collective will and means to deal effectively with serious ecological issues are rarely mustered…If citizens want healthy forests and robust wildlife populations, the time has come for drastic change. We’d better start now. With eastern forest landscapes and wildlife populations deteriorating rapidly, the path to recovery will be long and costly.”
– Lowly mushrooms may be key to ecosystem survival in a warming world
BYELIZABETH PENNISI in Science. Cites this scientific paper: Phylotype diversity within soil fungal functional groups drives ecosystem stability by Shengen Liu et al., 2022 in Nature, Ecology & Evolution.
May 8, 2022:
– What if the trees didn’t fall in the forest?
BY KATE COUGHin The Maine Monitor “Why Maine’s large landowners aren’t participating in carbon offset programs, and what might happen if they did.”
May 7, 2022:
– Forestry destroying bird habitat
Bev Wigney in the Chronicle Herald. Image on WWNS “Those of us who express our concerns about forest and habitat loss to the government have been repeatedly dismissed. We are basically told, “Go away! Everything is fine! We know what we’re doing!” Now we’re being told that the “new way” of doing forestry on public Crown lands will soon be starting, so all will be wonderful.” Also view Letter to Steven Guilbeault, Minister ECCC (Environment and Climate Change Canada)
May 5, 2022:
– N.S. Supreme Court judge overturns acquittal of protesters who occupied Natural Resources office
Ian Fairclough on SaltWire
– DALE SMITH: Tackle Nova Scotia Resources Department’s conflict of interest head-on
on saltier.com “It is long past time for the Nova Scotia government to take the proverbial bull by the horns and deal decisively with the deeply-embedded conflict of interest within the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNRR).” Dale Smith is a retired public servant with Nova Scotia’s environment and natural resources departments.
May 4, 2022:
– Forestry practices have killed up to 104 million birds in the Maritimes since 1985, study finds
By Cloe Logan in the National Observer
May 3, 2022:
– Radio: Defending the forest in southwest Nova Scotia
Scott Neigh on Talking Radical Radio talks to Nina Newington
– May 2, 2022
Tasmania slowed logging and became one of first carbon negative places in the world
Nick O’Malley, May 2, 2022 In the Sydney Morning Herald. Cites this paper: Net carbon accounting and reporting are a barrier to understanding the mitigation value of forest protection in developed countries by Brendan Mackey et al., 2022, 2022 Environ. Res. Lett. 17 054028.
Apr 30, 2022:
A wave of companies say they’ll use Maine wood to make eco-friendly fuel and fertilizer
By Lia Russell for Bangor Daily News
Apr 29, 2022:
– Legal machinations of province, Northern Pulp revealed in documents
By Aaron Beswick, The Saltwire Network
– New forestry practices in Nova Scotia to mostly be in place by June
Jean Laroche · CBC News “The Nova Scotia government has advised foresters who have been pre-approved to cut on Crown land they have until June 1 to start cutting or they will have to use more eco-friendly cutting practices as the province shifts to an ecological forestry model recommended four years ago…Those who have blocks that are 10 hectares or less will be exempt from the new rule. Rushton said the number of parcels that could be exempt amounted to “a very small percentage of Crown lands.”
– Province Making Progress on Implementing New Forest Practices Guide
News Release NRR. Provides dates for various phases in implementation of the SGEM
– Replanting one type of tree is not enough to stop clearcutting harm, study finds
Hadeel Ibrahim · CBC News. Also View related post on NSFN
– Unifor: Northern Pulp workers abandoned by government, company
By Unifor in – Wood Business
Apr 28, 2022:
– The war in Ukraine will tighten lumber markets both short and long term
By Wood Resources International for Cision Newswire
– Bird populations in eastern Canada declining due to forest ‘degradation,’ research shows
Article by Steve Lundeberg for Oregon State University Apr 28, 2022. View related post on NSFN
– Bird populations declining in the Maritimes (Audio)
CBC Shift-NB “Forest degradation is driving declines in bird habitat and populations in the maritimes. That’s according to a new study released today in Nature Ecology and Evolution. Matt Betts led the research. He’s a Professor of Forest Ecology at Oregon State University and a New Brunswicker.”
Apr 26, 2022:
– The Atlantic Whitefish Whitewash Part 2: The case of the missing water quality science gets even murkier
Linda Pannozzo in The Quaking Swamp Journal
– Wood pellets can help Nova Scotia public buildings achieve 75% of climate targets: study
By Gordon Murray in Canadian Biomass Cites a recent Wood Pellet Feasibility Study
Apr 22, 2022:
Canada’s climate goals are built on flawed forest carbon accounting, enviro groups say
By Natasha Bulowski in the National Observer “Last week, the federal government announced Canada’s 2020 greenhouse gas emissions dropped, in part thanks to trees removing carbon from the atmosphere. However, environmentalists are quick to point out this calculation excludes a huge chunk of emissions from the logging industry. Nearly seven megatonnes of CO2 were removed by the land use and forest sector, an amount that reduced the country’s total emissions by one per cent, according to the federal government. Environmental groups, however, say the sector’s true GHG emissions are underreported by a staggering amount — approximately 80 million tonnes of CO2 each year.”
Apr 21, 2022:
– Bridgewater opposes logging in home of critically endangered fish
Paul Withers · CBC News “Watershed holds only surviving wild population of Atlantic whitefish”
– Draft bylaw draws concerns from Miramichi’s private woodlot owners
By Lauren Bird CBC News “Private woodlot owners are raising concerns about a proposed new bylaw by the City of Miramichi which would require city approval before property owners could clear cut their land.”
Apr 20, 2022:
– The Atlantic Whitefish Whitewash
Linda Pannozzo in The Quaking Swamp Journal
Apr 18, 2022:
– Invasive earthworms pose risk to Albertan forest’s bug population, feeding Canada’s biodiversity crisis
By Pascale Malenfant in Globe and Mail “… A recent study conducted in an aspen forest near Barrier Lake, Alta., found that insect populations had dropped significantly as a result of an overabundance of earthworms — an invasive species in North America. The researchers found that in areas with the highest mass of earthworms, there were 61 per cent fewer individual insects, 18 per cent fewer insect species and a 27 per cent reduction in the total mass of insects on average. …Findings showed that earthworms are a formidable foe for many insects when it comes to food and habitat resources in the studied forest, said Dr. Jochum, particularly those that must compete with them to eat the dead plant and animal material found on forest floors. …policymakers also need to consider earthworms when managing natural ecosystems, which includes taking care to ensure developers are mandated to implement checks-and-balances that consider potential earthworm spread.” (Cited on https://treefrogcreative.ca/)
– Logging proposed next to the last habitat for the endangered Atlantic whitefish
By Cloe Logan for the National observer “The Petite Rivière watershed in southwestern Nova Scotia is home to the world’s only remaining population of Atlantic whitefish. It’s also where a new forestry cutblock on Crown land is proposed, much to the concern of environmentalists and scientists who say any activity could threaten the fish. Among them is Paul Bentzen, who runs a lab at Dalhousie University in Halifax dedicated to researching and protecting the fish.”
Apr 17, 2022:
– How did the salamander cross the road? Thanks to a team of volunteers
Nicola Seguin, Brooklyn Currie · CBC New
– April 16, 2022:
Stop flushing forests down the toilet
Letter by Rachel Burger, Portland Press Herald
Apr 13, 2022:
– Port Wallace Gamble: the real estate boom meets Nova Scotia’s toxic mine legacy
Jaon baxter in the Halifax Examiner. Subscription required for full access “In March 2020, the Halifax Examiner published the award-winning series, “Port Wallace Gamble: the real estate boom meets Nova Scotia’s toxic mine legacy.” The three articles (available here, here and here) looked at Clayton Developments’ proposed new and massive subdivision for Port Wallace in Dartmouth, and serious concerns about the mercury and arsenic contamination from…”
– New study shows Northern Pulp mill emissions exceeded federal threshold by 100,000%
By Paul Withers CBC News
Apr 12, 2022:
– Northern Pulp appeals environmental assessment terms of reference, seeks judicial review
By Michael Gorman CBC News
Apr 11, 2022:
– Some progress on ecological forestry, while Lahey still delayed
– Wetlands and woodlands: how the province is helping and harming
ETHAN LYCAN-LANG in Morning File (Halifax Examiner)
– Study: Northern Pulp in a league of its own when it comes to polluting
Joan Baxter in the Halifax Examiner (Subscription required)
– ‘Anti-democratic’ bill cutting Halifax planning committees moves ahead
Zane Woodford in the Halifax Examiner “Lovelace asked the government to delay the passing of the amendments to consult with African Nova Scotian and First Nations communities, and regional councillors. “I’m here today to tell this committee that Bill 137 is anti-democratic, it reduces transparency. And takes power away from community,” Lovelace said… Kortney Dunsby, sustainable cities coordinator at the Ecology Action Centre, echoed Lovelace’s concerns about awareness. She mentioned the government’s recent decision, also stemming from the task force, to designate nine special planning areas in HRM — despite environmental concerns at some of those, including Sandy Lake and Southdale.”
Apr 7, 2022:
– Houston government clarifying law at centre of Northern Pulp’s $450M lawsuit
Jean Laroche · CBC News “Premier says he won’t ‘leave this one to the lawyers and the judges to ascribe what the intention was'”
Apr 6, 2022:
US and Europe behind majority of global ecological damage, says study
Arthur Neslen in The Guardian. Cites this paper: National responsibility for ecological breakdown: a fair-shares assessment of resource use, 1970–2017. Hickel et al., 2022. In The Lancet: Planetary Health Published:April, 2022DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00044-4 From the paper: High-income nations are responsible for 74% of global excess material use, driven primarily by the USA (27%) and the EU-28 high-income countries (25%). China is responsible for 15% of global excess material use, and the rest of the Global South (ie, the low-income and middle-income countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia) is responsible for only 8%. Overshoot in higher-income nations is driven disproportionately by the use of abiotic materials, whereas in lower-income nations it is driven disproportionately by the use of biomass.” Comment cited in The Guardian article” ““We were all shocked by the sheer scale of the high-income nations’ contribution to excess resource use,” he told the Guardian. “We didn’t expect it to be so high. If they are now to achieve sustainable levels, they need to reduce their resource use by about 70% on average from existing levels.””
Apr 5, 2022:
– NASA Releases Breakthrough Forest Biomass-Carbon Product
On www.nasa.gov/. “NASA’s GEDI mission has reached a major milestone with the release of its newest data product, which provides the first near-global estimate of aboveground forest biomass and the carbon it stores – filling a key gap in climate research.”
Apr 4, 2022:
The evidence is clear: the time for action is now. We can halve emissions by 2030
IPCc Press Release “Accelerated and equitable climate action in mitigating and adapting to climate change impacts is critical to sustainable development. Some response options can absorb and store carbon and, at the same time, help communities limit the impacts associated with climate change.” Cites Working Group III Report\
– Northern Pulp and its wealthy owners seem intent on taking Nova Scotians to the cleanersNorthern Pulp and its wealthy owners seem intent on taking Nova Scotians to the cleaners
Joan Baxter the Haliax Examiner “But the Pictou pulp mill has had plenty of Nova Scotian accomplices helping them fleece the province” Subscription required.
Apr 3, 2022:
– Documents show concerns about instructor’s views on glyphosate ahead of firing
Jacques Poitras – CBC News “Cumberland’s internal criticism of how glyphosate would be discussed at a 2019 scientific conference triggered the emails between the federal department, the college and J.D. Irving Ltd….Gerald Redmond, the former executive director of the Maritime College of Forest Technology, was told by the school his services were no longer needed the day after he criticized the firing of Cumberland”
April 1, 2022:
– Forestry industry must take scientific concerns seriously
Michael Polanyi, Nature Canada, letter in the Toronto Star re: Managing forests is critical in the face of a changing climate Kate Lindsay, Forest Products Association of Canada, Mar 29, 2022 in Toronto Star; and 90 scientists ask feds to protect carbon-rich old forests in upcoming climate plan By Bob Weber The Canadian Press Mar 23, 2022 in Toronto Star.
Mar 30, 2022:
– Planting trees can help the climate, but only if we also stop burning fossil fuels
By H. Damon Matthews et al. in www.theconversation.com/. Cites this paper: Temporary nature-based carbon removal can lower peak warming in a well-below 2 °C scenario,, by H. Damon Matthews et al., in Nature 17Mar2022. “Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels have climate effects that persist for centuries. In contrast, nature-based carbon removal will only have a climate effect for as long as the carbon remains stored.” Very important paper/perspective “Rather than assuming permanent storage via NbCS, we should in fact assume that some or all of this carbon storage will be temporary and then ask: to what extent will temporary carbon sequestration via NbCS contribute to meeting our climate mitigation goals?…”
– Enerkem wins The Sky’s The Limit Challenge for sustainable aviation fuel from biomass
Enerkem and Natural Resources Canada. NSFN comment: The “sustainability” of such fuel is dependent on the use of only genuine forest product processing residues, like other forms of bioenergy. Rigorous LCAs required! View also Contribution of Sustainable Aviation Fuels Towards Net Zero 2050 – Using Life Cycle Analysis by Karlijn de Vries, University of Groningen, re land use for different fuels etc.
Mar 27, 2022:
– Canadians want forest protections but are concerned about jobs: survey
By Bob WeberThe Canadian Press in the Toronto Star “…While the national greenhouse gas inventory says forestry released 140 megatonnes of carbon dioxide a year, Polanyi said that’s too low. In October, Nature Canada released research suggesting that’s an 80-megatonne underestimate. Replanting harvested trees doesn’t make the industry carbon-neutral, Polanyi said. It takes a decade for a seedling to even start sequestering carbon, while the carbon stored in a mature tree all eventually goes into the atmosphere no matter how it’s used. For that reason, Polanyi said, companies burning wood pellets for energy should have to pay the same carbon tax as those burning coal or gas. The poll suggests three-quarters of Canadians agree.”
Mar 25, 2022:
– 1,000-year-old oaks used to create ‘super forest’
By Helen Briggs on bbc.com “Planting more trees is one of a combination of solutions to combating climate change, but some trees are far better than others. Which ones though? Scientists have designed an experimental forest in England to work out the best formula for achieving ambitious tree planting targets.”
Mar 24, 2022:
– John Kearney: Protecting migratory birds and their habitats
NSNT
Mar 23, 2022:
–Saul, Swift and Simard: How Canada tackles logging emissions could make or break its climate plan
Graham Saul, Anthony Swift, Alice-Anne Simard in the Ottawa Citizen
– Canada urged to protect forests as part of plan to reduce carbon emissions
Justine Hunter in the Globe and Mail
Mar 22, 2022:
– Nova Scotia opposes mediation with Northern Pulp
By Aaron Beswick on saltier.com
Mar 21, 2022:
–Land ‘buy back’ at Whaelghinbran Farm is protecting the Acadian forest
by Amy Floyd of media coop.
– The big idea: can forests teach us to live better?
Suzanne Simard in The Guardian “Community, family, connection … how trees could be the model for a new way of being….Our forests are at a tipping point. In BC only 3% of the valley-bottom old-growth forests remain. At the current rate of harvest, they will be gone in a few years. The plan is to convert all old growth outside of protected areas into industrial plantations, which will be allowed to grow for only about 60 years before being cut down…It doesn’t have to be this way”
– Premier Tim Houston orders ‘Friends of a New Northern Pulp’ sign removed from Minister Pat Dunn’s constituency office window
Joan Baxter in the Halifax Examiner
– Addressing Criticism of Improved Forest Management Carbon Projects
The Climate Trust “Over the last few years, there have been a series of articles criticizing forest carbon offset projects…We have addressed some of the core misconceptions around this in several previous posts (linked below), but I wanted to specifically address some inaccuracies that have surfaced recently.”
Mar 18, 2022:
– Engineering study: three top options to protect Chignecto Isthmus will cost between $189 million and $301 million
BY YVETTE D’ENTREMONT in the Halifax Examiner
– In a world on fire, stop burning things
by Bill MacKibbon in the NY Times “The truth is new and counterintuitive: we have the technology necessary to rapidly ditch fossil fuels.”
Mar 17, 2022:
– Loggers want to move into home of critically endangered Atlantic Whitefish
Paul Withers · CBC News
– Web-based calculators put robust wood design data at users’ fingertips
By Pacific Lumber on www.woodbusiness.ca/ “PLIB’s Design Value Comparison Calculator, the first of its kind, allows users to determine the applicable design values for an unlimited set of species combinations, an invaluable tool in today’s market, where multiple species are often delivered to jobsites…The calculators can be found on both the desktop and mobile versions of the PLIB website at www.plib.org/resources/calculators. They are publicly accessible and there is no charge for their use.
Mar 16, 2022:
– Inside the fight to save New Brunswick’s maple syrup – it’s syrup makers versus loggers
By Peter Keutenbrouwer for Maclean’s Magazine
Mar 15, 2022:
– Melrose Hill: Forest for the Future
By Rebecca Jacobs on Community Forests International “We are excited to announce that Community Forests International has successfully secured nearly 500 acres of forest in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, to protect for long-term community and climate benefits!”
–Dept. of Environment does its job; Northern Pulp objects
Joan Baxter in the Halifax Examiner Morning File. Cites NSEnvironment Terms of Reference for NP Mill. “…“It states that the “ process does not propose or identify specific effluent and emission limits” and that it is up to Northern Pulp to fully identify and evaluate…In a press release, the “Friends of a New Northern Pulp” state that, “Members of Nova Scotia’s forestry industry expressed outrage at the final Northern Pulp Terms of Reference released today”
– Bird feeders can help spread deadly avian flu, cautions N.S. wildlife biologist
Greg MacVicar · CBC
Mar 14, 2022:
– Huge forest fires don’t cause living trees to release much carbon, research shows
By Oregon State University in physics.org. Cites this paper: Combustion of Aboveground Wood from Live Trees in Megafires, CA, USA by Mark E. Harmon et al.,2022 in the Journal Forests “…While satellite- and LiDAR-based research has suggested as much as 85% of living trees’ biomass combusts in California’s big fires, the study led by Harmon, professor emeritus in the OSU College of Forestry, indicates the amount of combusted biomass is less than 2%.”
– Activists vow to take EU to court to fight its forest biomass policies
By Justin Catanoso for Mongabay
– UK Homes, Businesses Face Soaring Costs as Sanctions End Supply of Russian Biomass Wood Pellets
By Rachel Millard The Telegraph in Sputniknews
Mar 12, 2022:
LETTERS — Proclaim songbird season and save nests from industrial foresters
Letters in the Chronicle Herald
Mar 11, 2022:
– Brooklyn Energy repairs might not be complete until next year
Michael Gorman · CBC News
Mar 9, 2022:
– Northern Pulp has a new set of “friends”
Joan Baxter in the Halifax Examiner. The Friends of NP claim they represent every one of Nova Scotia’s 36,000 wood owners…their Facebook page is liked by 728 people.
Mar 8, 2022, International Women’s Day:
– ‘It’s for our survival’ — Indigenous women lead conservation efforts in Canada
By Natasha Bulowski, National Observer
– Day 97 at the Last Hope camp: A good day to celebrate the incredible array of women who have come to our camp in the last 97 days
Post on Extinction Rebellion Mi’kma’ki / Nova Scotia (Public FB Page). Also view the post on NSFN
– RILEY SCANLAN: Lamenting the loss of the Acadian forest that I never got to know
On Saltwire: Riley Scanlan: “As trees are connected and interdependent on each other, this loss of a relationship with forests in my generation is equally intertwined with other issues we face. A mental health crisis affects all those around me, and yet we are destroying an incredibly effective treatment: nature.”
Mar 4, 2022:
– How B.C.’s forests became a carbon-spewing liability
By Barry Saxifrage in the National Observer “…The climate science and the government’s data make it painfully clear that our forests are already struggling under an increasingly destabilized climate. And so are we. If we want any shot at avoiding a full-blown climate crisis, we need to stop pouring fuel on the crisis with our CO2. That includes dealing with all the new CO2 we’ve started pumping into the atmosphere by logging our forests faster than they are growing back.”
Mar 2, 2022:
Water for the Weary
Zack Metcalfe in Alternatives Journal “Why Physicians Now Insist We Go Outdoor”
Mar 1, 2022:
– Nova Scotian promoted to COO of American Forest Foundation
On wood business.ca “William Martin has been promoted from executive vice president of operations to chief operating officer. As COO, Martin leads all daily operations and organizational strategy implementation for the American Forest Foundation. His experience spans “boots on the ground” forest management for family landowners, landscape-level conservation planning and community engagement, and co-founding a technology startup that was acquired by the American Forest Foundation in 2018. Martin’s personal passion for forests and land stewardship has also extended to volunteer roles as a founding director of the Medway Community Forest Cooperative and as past president of the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association. Martin resides in Nova Scotia and is an alumnus of Dalhousie University.” Congratulations Will Martin!
– Dalhousie University’s decision to source “sustainable biomass” from J.D. Irving and Wagner a “piss-off”
by Joan Baxter in the Halifax Examiner,Mar 1, 2022 “News that Emera’s Brooklyn biomass plant is out of commission is making waves in Nova Scotia, while Dal’s biomass facility in Truro garners little publicity.”
– With Brooklyn Power offline and no other options, sawmills sit on byproducts
Michael Gorman · CBC News. “Power plant near Liverpool, N.S., that’s fuelled by biomass was damaged during wind storm…Although environmentalists have decried the consideration of biomass as a renewable resource, Rushton said the provincial government considers “residuals” from forestry products to be renewable. “I’m certainly not one that wants to entertain what we’ve done in years past of cutting a forest down to be producing chips just for the solid purpose of creating electricity,” he said. “I recognize the fact that it’s not the most efficient way to produce electricity, but I also recognize the fact that it’s a key component [that] that byproduct is going to a market for the mills and the woodlot owners in that area.”
Feb 28, 2022:
– IPCC Sixth Assessment Report
The Working Group II contribution was released on 28 February 2022. “The Working Group II contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report assesses the impacts of climate change, looking at ecosystems, biodiversity, and human communities at global and regional levels. It also reviews vulnerabilities and the capacities and limits of the natural world and human societies to adapt to climate change.”
– New climate change report highlights rising danger, costs for Canadians
The Canadian Press on cbc.ca “Report says costs of climate change impacts have been rising in Canada since 1983. “Atlantic Canada will also suffer, experiencing above-average sea level rise. The report points out that one Mi’kmaq community is already looking into relocation options. Fisheries will also suffer. Climate change has already nearly wiped out kelp beds off the Nova Scotia coast, an important habitat for fish. Ocean acidification caused by carbon dioxide will harm squid, cod and halibut.”
Feb 27, 2022:
– Endangered moose, bird habitat protected on N.S. South Shore
Taryn Grant · CBC News “Nature Conservancy of Canada has acquired 157 hectares of land on Port Joli pensinsula”
–Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest
CBC Video Land and Sea episode “Why a demonstration forest in Nova Scotia will be a place of learning for generations to come.”
Feb 25, 2022:
– When Trees Have Standing
Linda Panozzo in the Quaking Swamp Journal.
Feb 22, 2022:
Ikea’s Race for the Last of Europe’s Old-Growth Forest
Alexander Sammon in newrepublic.com “The furniture giant is hungry for Romania’s famed trees. Little stands in its way.”
Feb 18, 2021:
– Rare lichens to be protected, but planned cut on Crown land to proceed
Michael Gorman · CBC News “…McIntyre said every plan submitted to the department is reviewed by a biologist, forester, surveyor and forest technician. In this case he said the lichens in question didn’t show up in predictive modelling, which means more work needs to be done to bolster data and consider other improvements to the assessment process. “No one is going to stand here and say that we do everything perfectly and it can’t be improved, but we’re trying to do our best,” he said. “We’re trying to look at everything we can and make the best decisions and protect species at risk whenever we know about it.””
– N.S. power plant that uses biomass knocked offline after stack falls in high winds
Michael Gorman · CBC News. “Emera spokesperson says it will be months before the plant is back in use”
Feb 15, 2021:
– Major piece of mature forest protected in southwestern Nova Scotia
CBC News “The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has bought nearly 1,100 hectares of property, including mostly Wabanaki-Acadian forest, over 25 kilometres of lakefront shoreline and 130 hectares of freshwater wetlands in Upper Ohio, N.S. “It’s really significant because it’s very big. It’s the third-largest project that we’ve done in NCC’s 50-year history here in Nova Scotia,” Jaimee Morozoff, the group’s program director for the province, told CBC Radio’s Information Morning on Tuesday.”
– Protester says logging should be cancelled after discovery of species at risk
Michael Gorman · CBC News “24-hectare area in Annapolis County said to contain rare lichens”
– The Last Hope Moose Camp
Linda Panozzo in the Quaking Swamp Journal. A detailed examination of the context of the Last hope Encampment.
Feb 11, 2022:
– Anaconda joins the gold rush on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore
Joan Baxter in Hfx Examiner. Subscription required/ “art 2. Anaconda aims to avoid a federal impact assessment for its proposed open pit gold mine, but some say the whole regulatory process in Canada is “rigged””
– Atlantic Gold sentenced to $250,000 fines and penalties after pleading guilty to federal and provincial environmental charges
Joan Baxter in Hfx Examiner
Feb 8, 2022:
ClientEarth seeks court challenge over bioenergy inclusion in EU taxonomy
Bioenergy Insight Magazine “Environmental law organisation ClientEarth has filed an internal review request to the European Commission for “unlawfully labelling bioenergy, bio-based plastics and chemicals used to make plastics as ‘sustainable’ in the EU taxonomy”.
Feb7, 2022:
– Unnatural disasters plague Canada’s forests, leaving at least half of our tree species at risk of disappearing
By Arno Kopecky National Observer “we’ve got to save forests before they can save us.” HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READ, COVERING A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS & PERSPECTIVES
– Forest industry says expanded maple production could strain hardwood supply
By Alexandre Silberman CBC News “Maple syrup association asking for additional 12,000 hectares of Crown land”
– Northern Pulp wants B.C. court to force mediation in $450-million law suit against Nova Scotia
Aaron Beswick on saltwire.com
– Environmental groups claim court victory in glyphosate battle
By Francis Campbell on saltwire.com
Feb 5, 2022:
– BNS webinar with Alain Belliveau Protecting 20& of Kings Co. (YouTube Video)
Presentation to Blomidon Naturalists Society Only 4% of King’ Co. is inProtected Areas now. The province is committed to 20% by 2030 (currently Approx 13%). Alain Belliveau came up with a plan to increase the PS in Kings Co. to 20%. Soren Bondrup-Nielsen introduces the presentation
Feb 2, 2021:
– Ancient Trees ‘Must be Safeguarded’ to Help Long-Term Survival of Forests
By Rain Jordan for www.natureworldnews.com/. Cites paper in Nature: Old and ancient trees are life history lottery winners and vital evolutionary resources for long-term adaptive capacity by Charles H. Cannon et al., 2022.
– Province sees the light on Nova Scotia Power’s solar proposal
ETHAN LYCAN-LANG in Morning File (Halifax Examiner) Also view NS Government News Release: Government Committed to Solar Power
Feb 1, 2022:
– Dalhousie opens centre for sustainable soil management on agricultural campus
Stephanie Rogers for Dal News
– Camp Last Hope
BY Zack Metcalfe in alternatives journal.ca “Why We Should Expect More Logging Blockades”
Feb 1, 2022
Largest export provinces and import countries in 1,000 metric tons. (Draft) Click on image to enlarge.View Report for source
Investigation: Canada’s growing wood pellet export industry threatens forests, wildlife and our climate
stand.earth report Oct 2020, updated Feb 1, 2022. Also view Beyond Burning, a YouTube video posted Jan 31, 2022
Jan 29, 2022:
– Proposed open-pit mine in Nova Scotia threatens traditional hunting grounds says Mi’kmaw chief
Angel Moore for www.aptnnews.ca. “A Mi’kmaw chief says he is willing to go to court, to stop the development of a new open-pit gold mine.Millbrook First Nations’ satellite reserve is Beaver Lake, located about 100 km northwest of Halifax with a population of 22 people. The proposed dam mine, Beaver Dam, would be located next to it. Gloade says the Beaver Dam area is where the Mi’kmaq traditionally hunt and fish bears, deer, rabbit, beaver, berries, and trout, which provide food security for community members.He says the dam will permanently destroy the area…“Extraction gold from that area is not going to benefit our residents, it’s not going to benefit our community, it’s not going to benefit this province, it will benefit the investors of another country.””
Jan 28, 2022:
– A headsup that I spotted several Mainland Moose tracks at the Mitchell Lake site just south of Sherbrooke now on the chopping block for a complete 10% retention clearcut: GW225195. Posted on The Healthy Forest Coalition Facebook Page, Jan 28, 2022
– Province pauses planned cut at Annapolis site after discovery of rare species of lichen
BY ETHAN LYCAN-LANG in the Halifax Examiner “On January 21, the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNRR) placed a temporary halt on an approved cut near Beals Brook off Highway 10 after being alerted to the presence of three rare species of lichen on the site….Earlier this month, the Examiner had reached out to DNRR to see if the province might amend harvest plans on the site in response to the protests. At the time, DNRR spokesperson Steven Stewart emailed this response:
‘In 2020, this plan was reviewed by the regional biologist responsible for proposed Crown lands forest harvest plans in this area. The biologist did not identify any biodiversity related concerns requiring mitigation for the site and recommended the harvest plan proceed. The plan was then re-reviewed by another regional biologist in Fall 2021 after public concerns were raised. The review also found no biodiversity concerns and recommended the harvest proceed.'”
Jan 27, 2022:
– Wildlife corridors from divide and conquer to connect and restore
David Suzuki in The Coast. “Animals aren’t constrained by human notions of private land or the border lines we draw to separate ourselves from each other.”
– Nova Scotia Power proposing charge that could “kill solar installations in Nova Scotia”
Way Mason on Twitter “Solar Nova Scotia@SolarNS 15h BREAKING NEWS: @nspowerinc is proposing to charge homeowners who have net-metered solar installations $8/kW/month fee. To put this in perspective, a homeowner with a 10kW system generates about $1,760 worth of electricity per year. They will be required to pay NSP $960 per year.” View e-mail received by NSP Customers in NS
– Rare lichen discovery puts Annapolis County forest harvest plan on hold
Francis Campbell on saltwire. Subscription may be required. Also see NSFN post.
Jan 26, 2022:
– Cape Breton forestry co-op ‘tremendously disappointed’ after province denies funding
By Jessica Smith, The Saltwire Network. Subscription may be required.
– LETTERS — Forestry fight & wind turbine turmoil
Letters on forestry from Bed Wigney and Paul Cross on www.saltwire.com Subscription may be required
– 
Forest Practices and Water: Opportunities for Action
BC Forest Practices Board “British Columbia’s proposed Watershed Security Strategy provides an opportunity to improve forest practices and reduce the impacts to water, according to a new report….The report also identifies four opportunities for improvement:
– Making water a core value in forest planning, including the new forest landscape planning process;
– Creating a legal requirement to manage cumulative effects of forestry in all watersheds;
– Improving regulation of forest practices that contribute sediment to streams; and
– Renewing watershed restoration efforts to reduce the impact of historical forest practices.”
Jan 24, 2022:
–Seed production, recruitment affect how trees are migrating due to climate change
By Talia Ogliore, Washington University in St. Louis
Jan 23, 2021:
No cold feet among forestry protesters camped out on South Mountain
By Francis Campbell for The Saltwire Network ““Whether or not we can get any responses and so far we’re getting nothing from Natural Resources or the premier, even if you can’t do that, it activates all the other people who actually care and are concerned about this,” said Newington, who has been part of a group encamped on South Mountain in Annapolis County for more than seven weeks to protest forestry practices.”
Jan 21, 2022:
Bird Season. Forest decline, shifting baselines and the value of noticing
Linda Pannozzo.
Jan 20, 2022:
– Proposed wind farm could become Nova Scotia’s largest
Taryn Grant · CBC News “28 turbines near Windsor would generate enough electricity for 50,000 homes…According to the documents filed with the province, 24 of the turbines would be installed on leased private land and four on leased Crown land — all areas that were previously forested but clear cut by industry…The Wskijnu’k Mtmo’taqnuow Agency, a company owned jointly by Nova Scotia’s 13 Mi’kmaw bands, owns a majority share of the proposed wind farm”
Jan 18, 2022:
– Northern Pulp seeks hard targets, independent panel for environmental assessment
Aaron Beswick on saltier.com. Subscription may be required.
– Crown land at Owls Head finally en route to protected status
Francis Campbell on saltwire.com (Subscription may be required).“I’ve asked my department to prioritize this piece of land to move it forward,” Tory Rushton, Nova Scotia’s minister of natural resources and renewables, said after a cabinet meeting Thursday… Rushton’s mandate letter from the premier upon being chosen to lead the department included a directive to protect at least 20 per cent of the total land and water mass of Nova Scotia for nature conservation by 2030. “I can assure Nova Scotians is that we are working very close with the Department of Environment on this task,” Rushton said Thursday. “Each piece of land would deliver different obstacles and different steps but I’m very excited as to what we are going to be able to propose in this first full year of our mandate and in years to come.
– Survey confirms nature key to pandemic well-being
In SASKTODAY.ca “Eight in 10 people say they are spending time in nature”
Jan 17, 2022:
– Some people in Annapolis County concerned a dumpsite is contaminating their water (audio)
CBC Info AM “People who live near a landfill in Annapolis County are concerned the dumpsite for construction and demolition waste will contaminate their well water and the ecosystem around it. They’ve formed a group called The Annapolis Waterkeepers. Hear from members, and father and daughter, Kip McCurdy and Beth Cranston.”
Jan 16, 2022:
– Plan to use crossbows to kill nuisance deer in Nova Scotia town challenged by critics
On msn.com “Fed up with nuisance deer raiding gardens and colliding with vehicles, a town in central Nova Scotia has hired four crossbow hunters to kill up to 20 of the animals inside town limits.”
Jan 15, 2022:
– JENNIFER SYLLIBOY: When Mi’kmaw rights and values clash
On saltwire.com “Fishing for baby eels imperils the resource and our age-old Indigenous culture”
Jan 14, 2022:
– Human-made climate change is affecting the sound of our ecosystems, says ecologist
CBC radio. “Bernie Krause began recording habitat soundscapes in the 1960s..As a soundscape ecologist and founder of Wild Sanctuary, an organization that archives sounds from the natural world, Krause has been recording the sounds of habitats around the world for decades. His recordings capture the noise of flora and fauna, and of moving water and wind blowing through trees. But in recent years, he says those soundscapes have become increasingly sparse — less varied; quieter. Audio track ilcudes segment from a site before and 6 years after a clearcut in Costa Rica”
Jan 13, 2022:
– New Brunswick maple syrup producers demand access to more Crown land
By Alexandre Silberman CBC News “About 80 people protested beside the large maple leaf sculpture at Le Parc du Centenaire in Saint-Quentin, N.B. on Thursday, waving signs asking the government to accept their proposed expansion plan. The New Brunswick Maple Syrup Association, which organized the demonstration, is asking for an additional 12,000 hectares of Crown lands to be made available for maple syrup production. Producers currently have access to 14,000 hectares, which is less than one per cent of total Crown lands in the province.”
– UNH Researchers Discover Destructive Southern Pine Beetle in Northern Forests
by University of New Hampshire on newswire.caom
– A new biomass mapping tool can pinpoint the carbon of a single 30 metre tree
By Lottie Limb in Euro.Green News
– NS forestry transition team funds rebuild at Lewis Mouldings and Wood Specialties
In www.woodbusiness.ca
Jan 12, 2022:
–Claims regarding NP effluent play questioned
Allan MacCarthy in The Pictou Advocate
Jan 11, 2022:
– To avert a climate catastrophe, we have to save the world’s big trees
BY MEG LOWMAN AND JANE GOODALL in the Miami herald. “It’s as important to save old forests for their benefits to the planet as it is to plant new trees”
– 
Ebroborg in Sheet Harbour
Tim Bousquet in Morning File/Halifax Examiner “Last night, the ship Ebroborg arrived in Sheet Harbour. Ebroborg is operated by the Dutch company Royal Wagonborg, which says that its ships make 800 voyages a year carrying 2.5 million tonnes of forest products annually.The ship is no doubt in Sheet Harbour to pick up a load of woodchips likely to export to Europe under the dubious notion that woodchips and other biofuels are fuel for “green energy…”
– Tree-burning Drax power plants dropped from green energy index
BY ADRIA VASIL on www.corporateknights.com/. “The world’s largest biomass-burning power generator faces doubts over the sustainability of burning of wood pellets as a replacement for coal”
Jan 9, 2022:
– New Study Shows Protecting Ecosystems Takes Priority Over Planting Trees For Carbon Storage
By Johnna Crider in cleantechnica.com/ Cites this paper: Protect, manage and then restore lands for climate mitigation by Susan C. Cook-Patton et al, Nature ClImate Change | VOL 11 | December 2021 | 1027–1034, Fro. Crider “The study noted that usually, scientists and conservation practitioners often see land-based climate mitigation strategies prioritizing restoration over improved management or protection and gave the following example:
“The Canadian government announced a notable CAN$3.8 billion investment in NCS over the next 10 years, allocating 81% to restoration (that is, planting 2 billion trees), but only 3% to improved land management and 16% to protection.”The allocation goes against the recent research that suggested protection and improved management NCS offers the most cost-effective options for nature-based climate mitigation in Canada, the study noted. It also pointed out that countries that included the land sector in their contributions to the Paris Agreement often included protection, afforestation, and forest restoration over improving the management of ecosystems. It’s a tilt that is often seen in forest sector commitments.”
Jan 9, 2022:
| Two-Eyed Seeing: A Quest for Wisdom (audio) CBC Atlantic Voice. “Etuaptmumk: that’s Mi’kmaw for Two Eyed Seeing. It’s a concept that began with a mission to teach science differently, but has become a way of reshaping the practice of science itself. Producers Tracy Marshall and Moira Donovan trace its roots and continued evolution in Mi’kmaki.” Related CBC post: ‘A quest for wisdom’: How two-eyed seeing mixes Indigenous knowledge and Western science‘ by Moira Donovan for CBC News “Two-eyed seeing is being used across Canada to reshape science, but its roots are in Mi’kmaki”  Image from The Institute for Integrative Science & Health |
Jan 6, 2022:
– Government climate advisor talks about the pros and cons of direct air capture and BECCS
Dimitris Mavrokefalidis on energylivenews.com “Dimitris Mavrokefalidis “An alternative approach to carbon capture could undermine plans for the Drax power plant. Climate Change Committee (CCC) head of carbon budgets David Joffe told an Environment Audit Committee hearing yesterday that the UK should rely more on direct air carbon capture (DACCS) instead of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), due to concerns that biomass imports are not sustainable. This potential shift could provide a challenge for Drax, which is hoping the government will provide funding to subsidize a large-scale BECCS plant as part of its biomass strategy in 2022. ”
Jan 5, 2022:
– WENDY ELLIOTT: Søren Bondrup-Nielsen looks at the state the world is in
On saltwire.com. Subscription may be required. A Review of “Voles, not Moles: A Personal Journey Connecting with Nature” by Søren Bondrup-Nielsen, Gaspereau Press
– Iain Rankin to step down as N.S. Liberal Party leader
Michael Gorman · CBC News “Rankin was up for a leadership review in March following last year’s election defeat…[He was]seen as caving in the face of an orchestrated lobby by the forestry industry when Rankin watered down his showpiece Biodiversity Act…The former premier also failed to clearly and effectively settle several controversies that would dog him throughout the campaign, including his involvement in the potential sale of Owls Head provincial park”
Jan 4, 2022:
Fate of Alton Gas Project Undecided
Francis Campbell in the Chronicle Herald print ed. Image on FB
Jan 3, 2022:
– How private woodlot owners can manage their trees to get in on the carbon market (audio)
CBC Info AM “How can Nova Scotians who own forested land, best prepare their forests to take advantage of these markets? Information Morning’s Phlis McGregor dropped by a woodlot in Pictou County to find out.”
Jan 2, 2022:
– New citizen-science project aims to track important avian migratory routes in Nova Scotia
Moira Donovan · CBC News “Listening Together project uses audio and AI software to record and analyze bird calls…”The technology used to be very expensive.. But now, for $50 US, you can have your own complete recording unit….So far, the Listening Together project has identified an area in Digby County that is an important staging ground for Canada Warblers that are preparing to fly across the Bay of Fundy, and is now using support from a fund meant to establish areas for potential protection in the province, and will be conducting surveys on further areas that are habitat for migrating birds.”