Nova Scotia Forest Notes

Stump of 138 yr old beech (left) and a remaining 32″ dbh Yellow Birch, flagged with wide yellow “CAUTION” tape “so that the foresters would not “accidentally” fell these trees”

UPDATE May 27, 2019: The 35% Question (Facebook Post)
“Last Thursday, I received a reply from Forestry Maps (no human name attached to the email) answering some questions I had posed to them over the previous weeks. One answer in particular bothers me. I asked about the statement made by both Min. Iain Rankin, and Westfor’s Marcus Zwicker – on CBC Information Morning – that only around 35 percent of the trees in the stand would be removed. Okay, since then, I was told that that percentage doesn’t include the trees that have to be cut down to make extraction lanes through the forest to access what are called the “leave strips”. To make an extraction lane, you have to remove all of the trees so that you have a “lane” to drive in with the equipment. Everyone who has been out to Corbett-Dalhousie Lake Forest knows what these look like — they are wide “lanes” running side by side into the forest — going east west up to the 20 meter buffer zone along the lake shoreline.
So, all the trees cut down to make those lanes are not counted in the harvest. Nor are the trees cut down to make the big road down the center of the peninsula – 750 metres in in length and probably about 30 metres or more across (the trees cut down, I mean). The “leave strips” are no wider than the extraction lanes — in fact, I think they would be a little less. I should bring my measuring tape and check that next time I go. We are told the loggers remove “around 35 percent” of the trees that are still standing in these “leave strips” so those are the “around 35 percent” of the trees that Rankin and Zwicker are referring to when they say that it is a “partial” or “individual tree selection” cut. I’ll post Forestry Maps explanation of this below – and below that, I’ve posted my reply to them… (read post for more)

UPDATES May 23, 2019:
–‘Stop the Chop’ – Extinction Rebellion on standby to halt Corbett Lake Crown forest harvest
Lawrence Powell in www.annapoliscountyspectator.ca, May 23, 2019
– XR Forest Protectors on Rick Howe Show on May 23, 2019
YouTube recording, Nina Newington talking about the Corbett-Dalhousie Lake forest
– Climate forest proposed – Annapolis County wants chance to develop new ecologically managed economic model
Lawrence Powell in www.annapoliscountyspectator.ca, May 23, 2019 ” Annapolis County wants the province to hand over a swath of Crown forest south of Bridgetown so the municipality can develop and manage a climate forest and demonstrate that a new economic model based on ecological forestry management can increase local jobs, community recreation, and tourism.
They passed the motion May 21 and have drafted a letter to Department of Lands and Forestry Minister Iain Rankin with the request. Currently WestFor has the option to harvest the forest in question and some of that work began last year.”

UPDATES May 22, 2019:
– Annapolis Co. Council writes Hon. Iain Rankin, Minister Department of Lands and Forestry: ““It is hereby recommended that the Municipality of the County of Annapolis respectfully request the Province of Nova Scotia to dedicate the Corbett-Dalhousie Lakes property to the Municipality of the County of Annapolis to develop and manage a climate forest and demonstrate a new economy based on ecological forestry management that will increase local jobs, community recreation and tourism.”
– Press Release: Action to protect the Corbett – Dalhousie Lake forest
By Nova Scotia Advocate – May 18, 2019

UPDATE May 21, 2019: iNaturalist keeping an eye on Nova Scotia’s forests 21May2019
Post on NSFN. “Annapolis area naturalist/forest activist Bev Wigney established the first – to my knowledge – iNaturalist Place and Project for a Nova Scotia Crown Land forest subject to logging”
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