Nova Scotia NRR looking for “Director of Resource Stewardship” 27May2023

Posted on May 27, 2023 by admin

Some  extracts from indeed.com advert:

Screen Capture from advert on ca.indeed.com. Click on image to go to source page

Department: Natural Resources & Renewables
Location: HALIFAX
Type of Employment: Permanent
Union Status: Exclusion – Non Union – NSPG
Closing Date: 6/9/2023 (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)

Read more on www.versicolor.ca/nstraid

Posted in Ind Rev Post-Report, Natural Resources & Renewables, New PC Government | Comments Off on Nova Scotia NRR looking for “Director of Resource Stewardship” 27May2023

Nova Scotia Environment & Climate Change looking for HWA-OGF Coordinator 9May2023

Posted on May 9, 2023 by admin

Graphic on the Protected Areas page for the Margaree River Wilderness Area

Extracts from the Advert on ca.indeed.com

Competition # : 39024
Department: Environment and Climate Change
Location: HALIFAX
Type of Employment: Term
Union Status: NSGEU – NSPG
Closing Date: 5/17/2023
Salary Range: $2,074.62 – $3,215.50 Bi-Weekly

Read more on www.versicolor.ca/nstriad

Posted in Conservation, Parks & Protected Areas, Pests | Comments Off on Nova Scotia Environment & Climate Change looking for HWA-OGF Coordinator 9May2023

More updates from Nova Scotia NRR including Triad info. on Harvest Plan Map Viewer 27Apr2023

Posted on April 27, 2023 by admin

Received from Forestry Maps today:

New Map Legend

The Harvest Plans Map Viewer is receiving an update to its legend that aligns with the Department’s continued work towards the implementation of Ecological Forestry on Crown lands.

The updated legend, shown below, has two (2) new prescriptions categories.  The first prescription category is “Research Trial” and the second is “Final Felling”.

The “Research Trail” prescription (seen as red in the legend) applies to proposed harvest areas that will be established to support continuing forest management research objectives on Crown lands. For more information about research conducted by the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, you are encouraged to read more here: Biodiversity Conservation and Forestry Technical Report Series | novascotia.ca .

Read More on www.versicolor.ca/nstriad
Posted in Triad | Comments Off on More updates from Nova Scotia NRR including Triad info. on Harvest Plan Map Viewer 27Apr2023

Some Ecological Landscape Analysis & Other Updates from Nova Scotia Natural Resources & Renewables 24Apr2023

Posted on April 24, 2023 by admin

A new interactive map  – the Ecological Landscape Analysis Report Finder – conveys a lot of useful information. An updated  Forest Development Stage Layer on the Provincial Landscape Viewer appeared to introduce some significant errors for a site I have been monitoring;  NRR is working to address such errors.

Nina Newington passed on this info she received recently from Peter Bush (Old-Growth Forest Coordinator, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables)…

Read more on www.versicolor.ca/nstriad 

Posted in Natural Resources & Renewables | Comments Off on Some Ecological Landscape Analysis & Other Updates from Nova Scotia Natural Resources & Renewables 24Apr2023

Soils, Restoring Forests on Abandoned Farmland, Invasive Plants, Agroforestry, & the Forest Triad in SW Nova Scotia 15Apr2023

Posted on April 15, 2023 by admin

Soils, Restoring Forests on Abandoned Farmland, Invasive Plants, Agroforestry, & the Forest Triad are amongst  a range of topics covered in the latest issue of the Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve Newsletter.

I think most of us are aware that SW Nova Scotia has a high level of biodiversity and a rich cultural heritage, but the special status of the area as a “Biosphere Reserve” is not so well known. Read more at www.versicolor.ca/nstraid

Posted in Climate Change, Conservation | Comments Off on Soils, Restoring Forests on Abandoned Farmland, Invasive Plants, Agroforestry, & the Forest Triad in SW Nova Scotia 15Apr2023

Nina Newington on Citizen Science and the hold on harvesting at Goldsmith Lake 10Mar2023

Posted on March 10, 2023 by admin

Nina Newington, writing on Extinction Rebellion Mi’kma’ki / Nova Scotia (public FB group), Mar 9, 2023:

“Citizen scientists working to protect the forest around Goldsmith Lake got some good news last week and some excellent media coverage this week: thanks to the 17 (and counting) Species at Risk they have identified in the area, Natural Resources and Renewables has put on hold harvesting in all the cutblocks touched by the SAR. NRR’s Resource Manager for the Western Region noted that, with the discovery of multiple occurrences like this, the response would go beyond just adding individual buffers, saying the department would look for ‘alternative avenues’ to steward the area.Read more on www.versicolor.ca/nstriad

Posted in Citizen Science, Triad, Wabanaki Forest | Comments Off on Nina Newington on Citizen Science and the hold on harvesting at Goldsmith Lake 10Mar2023

Why was the Port Hawkesbury Paper FULA not preceded by a EA or equivalent process?11Feb2023

Posted on February 11, 2023 by admin

Application of EA or EA type of process to FULAs (Forest Utilization License Agreement) was seen by Prof Lahey as a critical “to bring transparency and accountability to the [planning] process and to mitigate the concerns about how DNR internally manages its competing responsibilities”.  Yet, there has been no mention of an EA or equivalent process in NRRs recent announcement that its FULA with Port Hawkesbery Paper has now been extended to 2043. I asked Prof. Peter Duinker, the chief architect of the EA process,  “What happened to the EA?”.  Evidently he has the same question.

Can an EA type process for forestry on Crown lands in NS  as recommended by Lahey ensure that planning for biodiversity conservation takes place on a landscape level scale and put to rest public concern about Crown land forestry practices? Clearly it can’t if it’s not conducted!
Click on images in this post for larger versions

I saw the NRR Press release Port Hawkesbury Paper Agreements Extended, Renewed (NRR Feb 8, 2023) and  wondered immediately what happened to the EA (Environmental Assessment) process that I understood from the Lahey Report was supposed to apply to such agreements in future.

I figured a person who would know and might answer my question would be Dalhousie University Emeritus Professor Peter Duinker.  Prof. Duinker proposed the EA process when he served as an Expert Advisor to Independent Review of Forestry Practices (see  Addendum to Lahey Report, pages 99-100), clear recommendations were made to implement such a process in the Lahey Report, an Environmental Assessment  project team  was formed within L&F to move it all  ahead and finally Prof Duinker  served as a member of the consulting team contracted  to develop the process.

To my surprise,  Prof Duinker has the same question – I received this response shortly after  I wrote to him: READ MORE ON www.versicolor.ca/nstriad

Posted in Conservation, Natural Resources & Renewables, New PC Government | Comments Off on Why was the Port Hawkesbury Paper FULA not preceded by a EA or equivalent process?11Feb2023

“New paper out on life cycle #GHG dynamics for different scenarios of forest-based bioenergy in Nova Scotia” 21Jan 2023

Posted on January 21, 2023 by admin

Curved arrows represent biologically mediated flows of GHGs: the straight arrow, industrial emissions of GHGs; and the symbols at bottom right, long term sequestration of carbon in the oceans. Carbon dioxide is the most important GHG in relation to forestry.

“New paper out on life cycle #GHG dynamics for different scenarios of forest-based bioenergy in Nova Scotia”.

So reads an announcement on Twitter by James Steenberg, first author of the paper on Twitter. The tweet provides a link to : Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Forest Bioenergy Production at Combined Heat and Power Projects in Nova Scotia, Canada, by James W N Steenberg, Jérôme Laganière, Nathan W Ayer, Peter N Duinker, published in Forest Science Jan 2, 2023.

Comment. The full paper is not publicly available on the publisher’s site. I learned about the paper from a Facebook Post on Jan 20, 2023 in which a PDF of the paper was also provided. I was asked to comment. Read more

Posted in Biomass | Comments Off on “New paper out on life cycle #GHG dynamics for different scenarios of forest-based bioenergy in Nova Scotia” 21Jan 2023

Nova Scotia Government: ‘Triad forestry model is complete’ but Landscape-level Biodiversity plan and EA component are still lacking 18Jan2023

Posted on January 18, 2023 by admin

From NS NRR Twitter feed

From Natural Resources and Renewables News Release (italics inserted):

The Province has dedicated a high production forest zone, completing its triad model of ecological forestry.

This will support the economy while ensuring that 90 per cent of Crown land is managed with biodiversity as the top priority.

Read more on versicolor.ca/nstriad

Posted in Ind Rev Post-Report | Comments Off on Nova Scotia Government: ‘Triad forestry model is complete’ but Landscape-level Biodiversity plan and EA component are still lacking 18Jan2023

Tues Jan 10, 2023: “The Chebucto Peninsula and Moose Habitat Connectivity”

Posted on December 29, 2022 by admin

Announcement from Nature Nova Scotia

Join us for our next Nature Talk:
“The Chebucto Peninsula and Moose Habitat Connectivity”
Tues Jan 10th at 7 pm

Nature Nova Scotia is still working to help save the Mainland Moose. Its been over a year since the the Mainland Moose recovery plan with core habitat was released. During this webinar, We will be discussing the Chebucto peninsula and its value to the Mainland Moose population, with special attention to how areas were identified for core habitat. We will also be discussing the health of the moose population, research done in this area, and the potential for better connectivity through wildlife overpasses or underpasses.

Read more on versicolor.ca/nstraid

Posted in Conservation, Wildlife | Comments Off on Tues Jan 10, 2023: “The Chebucto Peninsula and Moose Habitat Connectivity”