Some reservations about The Report on the Independent Review of Forest Practices in Nova Scotia

Posted on September 7, 2018 by admin

I have expressed my basic support for the report as a whole, however is not a “free pass” on the whole report. Sooner or later we will have to deal with the reality that two Pulp Mills (perhaps not even one) AND a viable higher value wood industry AND a minimally adequate level of landscape conservation for wildlife/mixed multi-aged Acadian forest AND providing the land time to recover from severe nutrient loss/acidification over about 60% of the landscape cannot be sustained, nor can forest bioenergy function as a sustainable alternative to pulp mills as a consumer of low value wood.

I have come under a bit of fire for my basic support for the conclusions & recommendations coming out of The Report on the Independent Review of Forest Practices in Nova Scotia as expressed in two posts:
– Report from the Independent Review of Forest Practices in Nova Scotia released
Post Aug 21.
– All quiet on The Independent Review of Forest Practices in Nova Scotia for now
Post Aug 30, 2018.
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Questions and comments on WWNS about sustainability of current wood harvesting in Nova Scotia following Report from the Independent Review

Posted on September 6, 2018 by admin

For the Record, some recent discussions on Woods and Waters Nova Scotia (Facebook page) are replicated below. These are verbatim copies except that I have replaced full names with initials, which has been my practice when replicating discussions from WWNS. The most recent items by date are posted at the top. I will update this page if more discussion ensues.

About discussions on WWNS, moderator Mike Parker comments (bolding is mine):

W&WNS is committed to being an equal opportunity forum for both sides of the forestry debate. Mistakes happen. Unlike social media where an error can be edited for correction, radio / television doesn’t allow for a do over. Calling someone, anyone, on this page a liar is teetering on the brink of being shown the door. Participation on W&WNS is not an inherent right. For those who missed the memo, there is to be no profanity or character assassination. Decorum will prevail. Otherwise go elsewhere.

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Sep 6, 2018 (more discussion added – Sep 6, 3:40 pm)

More from DW re. yesterday’s forestry contributions [see entries under Sep 5, 2018 below] from DW and TM :

“ I am in agreement with TM – the forests surrounding the Pulp Mills have been heavily cut off over the years . Upon walking through some of these lots one doesn’t see any planted conifers . Where does replanting take place ? Does Northern Pulp only replant on land that Hamm et al have long term title to ? Is that where the plantations have been planted ? That would make sense from a corporate view .
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New documentary on Hemlock Wooly Adelgid in Nova Scotia

Posted on September 1, 2018 by admin

An informative, up-to-date documentary on Hemlock Wooly Adelgid in Nova Scotia has just been released by the Blomidon Field Naturalists.

The significance of eastern hemlock in NS and the possible impacts of HWA (aka “hemlock vampires“) are discussed in the YouTube video, followed by  “what you can do to help prevent or slow down this pest in Nova Scotia.”

Nine and half minutes in length, the video documentary was written and directed by Hilary Roberts and Soren Bondrup-Nielson, with special thanks to Ron Neville and the CFIA.

Thx to SBN for forwarding the announcement and to Soren, Hilary and others for producing a high quality, timely and informative documentary.

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All quiet on The Independent Review of Forest Practices in Nova Scotia for now

Posted on August 30, 2018 by admin

Overall, I think the people who have been concerned about the State of Nova Scotia’s forests should be happy, very happy, with the Report, and urge MLAs to support the recommendations. The big questions right now: Will there be a behind-the-scenes effort by Industrial Forestry interests to discredit the Report as there was following the 2010 process? Will the government accept the conclusions and recommendations of the Report overall?

The long awaited Report from the Independent Review of Forest Practices in Nova Scotia was released 9 days ago, and was followed by a brief flurry of comments over the next few days (view Independent Review). Since then it’s been pretty quiet, except for NDP MLA Lisa Roberts’ largely favourable comments in the Cape Breton post on Aug 28th.

In the meantime, “Nova Scotia long-term Crown timber harvest leases [are] still on hold” while the “Forest industry awaits premier’s reaction to forest practices review” (CBC News Aug 24, 2018); and “the Nova Scotia government isn’t ready to say whether they’ll accept the recommendations and are hesitant to give a timeline on when that decision will be made” (Global News Aug 23, 2018).

I can understand the delay. There’s lots to digest from the Report. Continue reading →

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Report from the Independent Review of Forest Practices in Nova Scotia released

Posted on August 21, 2018 by admin

Prof Lahey has set a high standard for further discourse about our forests and forestry

A reader of NS Forest Notes waits outside the Legislature for release of the Report
Press Release

Independent Review News Updates: View Independent Review for News Items following release of the Report.
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Aug 21, 2018 Post

The Report from the Independent Review of Forest Practices in Nova Scotia was released officially at 11 a.m. this morning with posting of the report on the webpage for the Independent Review (the earlier content now replaced with links to The Report) and a media event held 11 am to 12 noon in the Media Room at One Government Place.
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Report from Independent Review of Forest Practices in Nova Scotia to be released Tues Aug 21, 2018

Posted on August 17, 2018 by admin

Received by e-mail:

“University of King’s College president Bill Lahey will release his independent review of Nova Scotia forest practices on Tuesday, Aug. 21 at 11 a.m.

“The event will take place in the Media Room, One Government Place, 1700 Granville St., Halifax.”

————–
It’s not on the website for the Independent Review yet (6 p.m. Aug 17, 2018), but the message came to me as one of the groups and individuals who had met with the The Independent Review and one message to media was forwarded to me, so the media has it. So it’s for real.

In the meantime, the results of a review of the New Brunswick Liberal government’s “review of the previous provincial government’s forest management strategy…were announced Tuesday[Aug 14].” View Liberals’ 11th-hour forest strategy a product of talks — here and there by Connell Smith for CBC News Aug 17, 2018. “It was three years and 11 months coming, but big questions remain.”



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Public Accounts provide some numbers on Nova Scotia DNR Grants and Contributions to private industry

Posted on August 15, 2018 by admin

In checking up on some claims on a Facebook page about how many $ the NS Government sinks into one of our Industrial Forestry operations, I was directed to NS Public Accounts as one of the sources for the figures.

I wasn’t aware of how much info is provided by Public Accounts – and how much is not provided.

Volume 3 — Supplementary Information For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018 lists for each Department of government:
– Salaries of all employees
– Travel Expense totals for each employee
– Grants and Contributions listed by recipients
– “Other” which I am guessing are fees p[aid for services.

For NSDNR (now NSLF) for the last fiscal year:
– The Salary total is $45,040,546.75
– The Travel Expense total is $1,562,604.69
– The Grants and Contributions total is $10,638,959.78
– The “Other” total is $20,427,423.21
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While we wait for the Independent Review of Forest Practices in Nova Scotia, Port Hawkesbury Paper hires ex-DNR forest bioenergy advocate

Posted on August 15, 2018 by admin

Government (post yesterday) and industrial forestry interests are hardly waiting for the Report from the Independent Review before going ahead with strategic decisions, it seems.

The latest: Former top bureaucrat at DNR lands job at Port Hawkesbury Paper (Aaron Beswick in the Chronicle Herald, Aug 14, 2018),

I wasn’t surprised, even if disappointed, when I read who PHP hired: Allan Eddy. In some form of musical chairs, top executives, amongst them Linda Pannozzo’s Company Men, move around between the forest industry, related Crown agencies or heavily government-dependent private entities, and the NS government, no matter the optics. (A variable: the number of chairs changes with the government of the day.) Continue reading →

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While we wait for the Independent Review of Forest Practices in Nova Scotia, Lands & Forestry on the Hire

Posted on August 14, 2018 by admin

I hesitate to add the latest rumour about when the Report from the Independent Review will materialize, now it looks as though the last rumoured date (sometime this week) is likely to be untrue.

In the meantime, NS Lands and Forestry is on the hire for a “Policy Analyst” who “will support the planning and implementation of the Department’s major strategic policy initiatives, projects and associated action plans.”
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Lack of Info about locations, times of forest management herbicide spraying on Nova Scotia Environment website

Posted on August 3, 2018 by admin

Copy of Notification as posted on Woods and Waters NS this am.

UPDATE Aug 12, 2018: Residents seek clearer information from province on herbicide spraying
Mairin Prentiss for CBC News

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Woods and Waters NS has posted a copy of a notice about herbicide spraying by Northern Pulp, but as of yet, there is no information under Pesticide Applications Approvals on the NSE website.
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Free helicopter Clipart - Free Clipart Graphics, Images and Photos ...Funnily enough, coincidence or not, I had just made a comment on WWNS about the lack of info on the NSE site about 2018 spraying and begun this post and within minutes, six 2018 Pesticide Approvals appeared on the NSE website.

So the info is now there for MacMullin, JD Irving and Century Forestry Cos in Antigonish, Guysborough, Pictou, Colchester and Cumberland Cos, but at as I write, nothing for Northern Pulp spraying in Halifax, Colchester and Hants Co. The Approvals give the PIDs but do not state whether they are on Crown or Private Lands; presumably those posted are all on private lands.
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