More on The Human Toll of clearcuts in Nova Scotia: B-trains on rural roads 7Aug2019

Posted on August 7, 2019 by admin

An issue raised on Social Media elicits an on-the-ground response within 24 hours

It started with a post by Bev Wigney of the Annapolis Royal & Area – Environment & Ecology Public Facebook Group yesterday, commenting on a member [SES] who

… lives in West Dalhousie on land adjacent to Crown Land.

Unfortunately, there is a road right through her property – it is a municipal road but it does cross through her land right beside her house — between her house and other buildings.

The logging trucks are supposed to respect this situation, but they don’t. The forest beyond her property used to be Bowater land, but since the Crown took over, the trucks using the road have been totally disrespectful — driving far too fast on a very narrow road. The road is being destroyed and not maintained.
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Posted in clearcuts, Social Media, Social Values, WestFor | Comments Off on More on The Human Toll of clearcuts in Nova Scotia: B-trains on rural roads 7Aug2019

The human toll of clearcuts in Nova Scotia 6Aug2019

Posted on August 6, 2019 by admin

“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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Posted in clearcuts, Private Woodlots, Social Values | Comments Off on The human toll of clearcuts in Nova Scotia 6Aug2019

Nova Scotia L&F soil scientist Kevin Keys to talk about the elusive Forest Nutrient Budget Model at MTRI Thurs Aug 8, 2019

Posted on August 5, 2019 by admin

Poster. Click on image for larger version

From the MTRI announcement:

The Department of Lands and Forestry started a provincial forest soil sampling program in 2015 to acquire up-to-date chemistry data for nutrient budget modelling and monitoring purposes. In 2017, the Department also worked with Kejimkujik National Park to re-sample soils at two forest sites first sampled more than 20 years ago. This presentation will provide an overview of results from these projects with a focus on western Nova Scotia conditions

This presentation will provide a rare opportunity to learn about L&F’s progress towards incorporating nutrient budgeting into its Crown land harvest decisions, once promised for mid-2010. Continue reading →

Posted in Watersheds | Comments Off on Nova Scotia L&F soil scientist Kevin Keys to talk about the elusive Forest Nutrient Budget Model at MTRI Thurs Aug 8, 2019

Scott Leslie on Protection of the Little Brown Bat habitat at the Corbett Lake Old Hardwood Forest, federal and provincial officials say SAR regulations do not apply 31July2019

Posted on July 31, 2019 by admin

So it (still) goes in in Nova Scotia in 2019

Little Brown Bat. Photo by SMBishop on Wikipedia

Bear River author/naturalist Scott Leslie was interviewed on CBC’s Information Morning NS today about his discovery of the Little Brown Bat at the Corbett Lake Old Hardwood Forest (view NSFN Post July 17, 2019). An ‘abbreviated transcript’ of the interview is appended below.

Scott explained how he detected Little Brown Bat and  how the Corbett Lake forest provides critical habitat for the bat.

While L&F Minister Iain Rankin put a temporary hold on logging following Scott’s earlier discovery that endangered Chimney Swifts nest in the forest, Scott is concerned that ‘after those birds raise their young and leave the forest… it will be heavily logged despite the fact that it is also home to the Little Brown Bat’.

The Little Brown Bat is a SAR (Species at Risk) federally and in NS, and you would think that would be enough to protect its habitat. However Scott was  told that ‘the [federal] Species at Risk Act can only protect animals, in this case the bats, if they are on federal land, and of course this is not federal land.’
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Posted in Conservation, Corbett-Dalhousie Lakes, Old Growth | Comments Off on Scott Leslie on Protection of the Little Brown Bat habitat at the Corbett Lake Old Hardwood Forest, federal and provincial officials say SAR regulations do not apply 31July2019

Don Wilson on Biodiversity in and for Nova Scotia 27July2019

Posted on July 27, 2019 by admin

Two approaches to forest management in Nova Scotia: LEFT: even aged management/short rotations. RIGHT: Selective harvesting only, high standing volume maintained. The latter but not the former would be eligible for carbon offset credits, and conserves old forest biodiversity

Monday, July 29, 2019 is the final date for submitting comments on the proposed Biodiversity Act. Don Wilson shares his perspectives on how forestry can be practiced to protect biodiversity in Nova Scotia.

L&F conducted a Biodiversity Act Consultation over the period July 17 to July 25 with five sessions- July 17, Halifax; July 19, Caledonia; July 23 Bible Hill evening; July 24 Bible Hill morning; July 25 Membourtou. The process by which people were informed or invited was obscure but most or all who asked for an invite once they learned about it, received one, or just attended.

Monday, July 29, 2019 is the final date for submitting comments via StratPolPlanning@novascotia.ca. View the presentation deck from the consultation sessions, and the information package that went to invitees here.

Don Wilson, a “Member of the Healthy Forest Coalition and an owner of an Acadian forest acreage”, was one of approximately 25 in the July 23 Bible Hill evening session which I attended and had prepared a formal submission.   I asked if I could post it on NSFN, to which he agreed. I have added some bolding and images.
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Posted in clearcuts, Climate Change, Conservation, L&F | Comments Off on Don Wilson on Biodiversity in and for Nova Scotia 27July2019

Bev Wigney on proposed changes to the Canada Migratory Bird Regulations that would allow exceptions to the prohibition against disturbance of nests 24July2019

Posted on July 24, 2019 by admin

“If anything, it’s time to toughen up the rules and establish a [Forestry] SILENT SEASON to allow migratory birds, as well as mammals raising their young in spring and summer, to have some peace and lack of disturbance and destruction.”

Northern Parula and Nova Scotia nest built from old-man’s-beard lichen. These are birds of mature forests.

UPDATE, July 26, 2019: View 15 answers to 15 questions posed to CWS by BW & Co. about enforcement of regulations related to destruction of nests.
Also view Government of Canada: Avoiding harm to migratory birds
———–

The Migratory Bird Regulations are in the final stages of the “first comprehensive review since they were implemented in 1917”. A set of amendments has been proposed; it was opened to comments on June 1, 2019 and will close to new input on July 31, 2019.

Bev Wigney of the “Annapolis Ecology Group” (my term for the Annapolis Royal & Area – Environment & Ecology Public Facebook group) is particularly concerned about the proposed inclusion of an exception to the prohibition against damaging, destroying, disturbing or removing a nest.
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Posted in Conservation, Social Media | Comments Off on Bev Wigney on proposed changes to the Canada Migratory Bird Regulations that would allow exceptions to the prohibition against disturbance of nests 24July2019

“Re: Imminent violations of the Migratory Birds Convention Act in Shelburne County, NS” 23July2019

Posted on July 23, 2019 by admin

UPDATE July 24, 2019: An article in http://www.southcoasttoday.ca provides a little more context, e.g. “Letters ignored
“I wrote to Minister Rankin in May highlighting the section of the Migratory Birds Convention Act relating to disturbance and harm of breeding birds, their eggs, and nests and asked that harvesting plans be halted. I also alerted him to the guidance provided by the Canadian Wildlife Service with regard to protecting breeding birds,“ says Chris Curry, local resident and birdwatcher. “So far there has been no response, so we had to gather the information ourselves.” View Shelburne County clear-cuts would violate Migratory Bird Act by Timothy Gillespie July 23, 2019 in South Coast Today.
Also: Media release: Shelburne County, Nova Scotia clearcut would violate Migratory Bird Convention Act
NS Advocate, July 23, 2019
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Parula warbler, one of the 31 bird species observed on the Walls Brook site during a survey on July 7, 2019

“We, the undersigned, are a group of experienced birders and other residents of Nova Scotia who are gravely concerned about the impacts of clearcutting on many of the Province’s bird species. On July 7, 2019, we visited the site of the approved clearcut known as “Walls Brook” (provincial harvest plan number SH068270) in Shelburne County to document the bird species present on that site. The latest information available to us from the provincial Department of Lands and Forestry suggests that this site will be harvested imminently (although we have been unable to obtain updates from DLF in recent weeks).
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Posted in Acadian Forest, Citizen Science, clearcuts, Conservation, Social Values | Comments Off on “Re: Imminent violations of the Migratory Birds Convention Act in Shelburne County, NS” 23July2019

L&F issues a report on What we Heard at the Ecological Forestry Forum 20July2019

Posted on July 20, 2019 by admin

A new item has been provided on the webpage for the Independent Review (now retitled as “Ecological Forestry Implementation”): What We Heard – Ecological Forestry Forum (PDF, 35 pages). The Update for the webpage is dated July 8, 2019.

The document provides an Overview of the Event, referring to a link to a YouTube Video of Minister Rankin’s and Deputy Minister Tower’s remarks, and summaries of Project-Focused Small Group Discussions that took place under headings corresponding to the Project Teams previously announced as in place (Forest Management Guide, High production Forestry etc).
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Posted in Ind Rev Post-Report | Comments Off on L&F issues a report on What we Heard at the Ecological Forestry Forum 20July2019

Logging one-tree-at-a-time in Nova Scotia 18July2019

Posted on July 18, 2019 by admin

“I’ve got grandchildren. I have come from five generations of guides, hunting and guiding in East Camp and we rely on the forest and we always will in one shape or form and if nothing else, then to create the oxygen we breathe and to sequester the carbon that we are polluting the earth with and if we knock it all down, cut it all down, it’s not going to be there”

It’s not rocket science, says Ken Gray, interviewed in the field by Phlis McGregor for CBC’s Information Morning – Halifax, and aired today.

It’s “A call to ban clear cuts. Ken Gray is dedicated to selective harvesting [and] says clear cut forests are not growing back fast enough and we’re going to run out of wood in 25 years.”

Listen to the full interview on CBC audio

An “abbreviated transcript” of the words from this man of basic good sense who has “worked in forestry and selection harvesting in SW Nova for the last 35, 40 years”  is provided below. Continue reading →

Posted in Acadian Forest, clearcuts, Conservation, Private Woodlots, Selection Harvest | Comments Off on Logging one-tree-at-a-time in Nova Scotia 18July2019

Scott Leslie’s “backgrounder” video on the Corbett-Lake Old Growth Forest, Little Brown Bat added to SAR residents 17July 2019

Posted on July 17, 2019 by admin

After viewing Scott Leslie’s Video, I had one big question: What DOES it take for a site to be protected as Old Growth in Nova Scotia?

CONTENTS
– THE VIDEO
– THE LITTLE BROWN BAT
– WHAT IT’S ABOUT
– VIDEO TEXT
– The LOCATION & a BRIEF HISTORY
– ON THE LITTLE BROWN BAT (LINKS)
– A FEW COMMENTS
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Posted in Acadian Forest, Conservation, Corbett-Dalhousie Lakes, Old Growth | Comments Off on Scott Leslie’s “backgrounder” video on the Corbett-Lake Old Growth Forest, Little Brown Bat added to SAR residents 17July 2019