Nova Scotia L&F maintaining or upping their GIS mapping skills

Posted on January 23, 2019 by admin

Red-Tailed Hawk

GIS Administrator (GIS Officer 1(A)-(B)-2(A)-(C))
Date: Jan 22, 2019
Apply By: 2/5/2019
Lands and Forestry

‘As the GIS Administrator, you will be responsible for developing, translating and maintaining historical and current data systems to coordinate and link spatial and non spatial information from a variety of data sets. You will work with large volumes of forest research data collected over decades and use your specialized technical knowledge to develop and maintain data collection units and related systems. You will process provincial silviculture data submitted to the Department to ensure consistent structure of the data and the efficient and accurate storage and provision of Forestry Division’s research, harvest and silviculture data.”
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An inconvenient truth is one very good reason NOT to treat SW Nova Scotia as our province’s “fiber basket”

Posted on January 21, 2019 by admin

Hemlock stand in The Tusket ravaged by wooly adelgid

This a.m. I picked up a soggy letter from L&F containing the Winter 2018 ed. of Woodland Owner, a 4-page newsletter celebrating the Woodland Owner of the Year Awards (of which I am a big fan).

Page 4 contained a shock: a map of Positive Sites for Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, aka the Hemlock Vampires, in SW Nova Scotia. I couldn’t find it online (the last issue posted is for 2015), so here is the image that shocked me, click on it to bring up an image of Page 4:


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New pages on Nova Scotia Forest Notes and more on the Old Forest Policy “Polygon Problem” 19Jan2019

Posted on January 19, 2019 by admin

I have added two new pages (or sets of pages) under the main menu: Social Media Posts and What is Old Growth?

Social Media Posts is a listing of newsy or especially informative posts and discussion threads on Social Media as I encounter them.

What is Old Growth? seemed timely, given the several cases in the last few months  in which it has been have discovered that harvests proposed via the HPMV include patches of Old Growth (e.g., NSFN Post Dec 18, 2018), or  dating back to Danny George in the spring of 2018 when he contended that Old growth on FSC certified Crown land in eastern Nova Scotia had actually been cut which was confirmed after some time by NSDNR/L&F.
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Nova Scotia L&F Minister Rankin acknowledges the “Polygon Problem” in constructive “meeting” on Social Media 16Jan 2019

Posted on January 18, 2019 by admin

Forest Polygons in the Forest Stand Details layer on the Provincial Landscape Viewer. The box comes up when you click on an individual polygon and gives info stored in that particular layer.

An Old Growth stand in Nova Scotia does not necessarily a polygon make

There have been several instances recently of citizens recognizing that harvest plans posted on the HPMV include some Old Growth (e.g., Post Dec 18, 2019) this in spite of the lessons NSDNR said they learned earlier this year following Danny George’s highlighting of cuts of significant stands of Old Growth on FSC Certified Crown land in eastern Bova Scotia.

A constructive to and fro with L&F Minister Rankin on Social Media on the topic led to some acknowledgment that what’s generally being missed are patches of Old Growth smaller than whole Forest Polygons. The Minister promised some follow-up.

I have copied some of the discussion below.
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Vote to choose a Nova Scotia Provincial lichen Species

Posted on January 16, 2019 by admin

Yellow specklebelly lichen and mosses on old Red Maple

Lichens NS, “where a group of like-minded lichen enthusiasts of varying levels of expertise join together for the facilitation of lichen stewardship in Nova Scotia, where many lichen species are known to be rare or threatened” is holding a poll to vote for a Provincial lichen species.

Go to Lichens NS to vote and learn more about our lichens. (Poll closes end of January 23rd.)
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Healthy Forest Coalition thanks Minister Rankin for first steps towards protection of the Ingram River Wilderness Area 14Jan2019

Posted on January 15, 2019 by admin

It’s good news for sure, but doesn’t reduce the demand to see changes, à la Lahey Report, in management of all Crown land currently subject to harvest

On Healthy Forest Coalition Facebook Page:

ML: I hope that this case serves as an example of the benefits of engaging in the public process. Minister Iain Rankin, you have the utmost thanks of the St. Margaret’s Bay community for acknowledging the significance of this area to our community and ecological systems that are in such need of preservation.
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Soren Bondrup-Neilsen 13Jan2019: 1% Old Growth will not maintain all the species that depend on older forests

Posted on January 14, 2019 by admin

One per cent old-growth forest will not maintain all the species that depend on older forests – well funded Professional Protester

Embracing Old Growth Oak in the Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area, Source

Chronicle Herald on-line Opinions- Premium content Jan.11, 2019
Soren Bondrup-Neilsen Published: 18 hours ago .
Some extracts from Healthy Forest Coalition post, Jan 12, 2019:

…But why does it make sense to drastically reduce clearcutting on Crown land? It has dire consequences for many species.

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Has a conversation about forestry in Nova Scotia that is needed but difficult and awkward begun?

Posted on January 13, 2019 by admin

I am wondering if L&F’s next hire will be an expert in Social Media

I have commented recently on L&F Minister Rankin’s participation in Social Media discussion about forestry and lauded that participation. He left quite abruptly when something irked him; regardless I give him a lot of credit.

Much or most the discussion is arising because participants are now taking a great deal of interest in placement of new proposed cuts on the HPMV and the related PDF document that is mailed out to “subscribers” – anyone can see the map, but to get the PDF you have to subscribe. [As an aside, I can’t see why they don’t post those on the L&F website. It would be a big help to have a page with links to them, adding new ones as they come out.]

Anyway, it seems that now ForestryMaps (forestrymaps@novascotia.ca)  in L&F is beginning to respond directly to Social Media comments/questions, at least to those raised within the group Annapolis Royal & Area – Environment & Ecology (the one in which the L&F Minister participated; the group has been in place only since Oct 29, 2019):
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Jan 11, 2019: A repeat of the Corbett-Dalhousie Lake (Nova Scotia) fiasco?

Posted on January 12, 2019 by admin

On Annapolis Royal & Area – Environment & Ecology late Jan 11, 2019:

“SHARING — Just saw this on another forest thread. Where have we seen this before!!. Sounds like what has happened at Corbett-Dalhousie Lake!!! What an outrage to play these kinds of games with taxpaying citizens of this province”, referring to this:

on Stop Spraying & Clear-Cutting In Nova Scotia

Citizens doing due diligence for Nova Scotia Lands and Forestry.

For some background, look under the Category Social Media



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Forestry Maps responds to recent criticisms

Posted on January 11, 2019 by admin

Some background:

news!!! letter from Iain Rankin about the Corbett-Dalhousie Lake forest!! Jan 11, 2019
Posted on January 11, 2019

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From Forestry Maps Verbatim:

Forestry Maps <ForestryMaps@novascotia.ca> . Jan. 11 at 2:46 p.m.

Update on parcels AP08637B and AP08637D in Annapolis County

We appreciate public feedback, which is the objective of the harvest plan map viewer or direct correspondence. Details on past processes are given below, as well as changes that have occurred, and will occur.

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