MTRI hosting biodiversity workshop Fri July 14, 2017, Keji BioBlitz follows on 15th and 16th

Posted on July 3, 2017 by admin

Events over 3 days hosted by MTRI and Kejimkujik National Park in SW Nova Scotia provide a great opportunity for people to learn more about and share their knowledge about the plants and animals around us.

MTRI, the Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute, is based in Kempt, Queen’s County and is focused on biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in the Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve. The Biodiversity Workshop is their 6th annual science conference. It is being held July 14th at the North Queens Fire Hall in Caledonia, NS from 9:30am to 4pm. The workshop will cover 20 topics such as Ethnobotany with Tuma Young, Shrews, Voles, & Mice with Tom Herman, Forest Birds with Holly Lightfoot, Lichens and Mosses with Rob Cameron. View MTRI website for details, also on the poster at right (click on it to view a larger image).

Kejimkujik National Park is nearby and is hosting a BioBlitz on Juely 15 and 16. From the website:
Continue reading →

Posted in Biophilia, Natural History, Parks & Protected Areas, Wildlife | Leave a comment

Canada Day

Posted on July 1, 2017 by admin


Composition by Don P.


Continue reading →

Posted in Biophilia, Indigenous Peoples, Mi'kmaq, Natural History, Social Values | Leave a comment

Retired Environment Canada employee appointed Ministerial Assistant to Nova Scotia DNR Minister

Posted on June 30, 2017 by admin

Bill HorneStephen McNeil has just appointed Liberals MLAs who aren’t already ministers to new positions as ministerial assistants. Bill Horne is the new DNR ministerial assistant with a special focus on forestry. See http://nslegislature.ca/index.php/people/members/bill_horne ”

From CH 2013, when the Liberals nominated Horne to run:

Horne served as a Halifax councillor in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is a retired Environment Canada senior adviser and longtime volunteer with various community, sports and business organizations.

‘Hope to hear from him soon.

shopify analytics ecommerce

Posted in clearcuts, NSDNR | Leave a comment

CBC InfoA.M. attempts to sort out issues between smaller private owners and operators and the WestFor consortium – #3 The Government view

Posted on June 30, 2017 by admin

Stockpiles at the Biomass plant in Lower Sackville, N.S. Courtesy of Mike Parker.

Deputy Minister Julie Towers defends NSDNR

CBC Halifax Information Morning has carried several lengthy interviews recently to do with the state of forestry in Nova Scotia, and in particular controversies surrounding cutting on the Western Crown lands by the WestFor consortium.

On June 27, Colin Hughes, owner of G&C Hughes Enterprises Ltd. and Colin Hughes Forestry, was interviewed. Hughes contends that cutting on Western Crown lands by the WestFor consortium is creating a fibre glut which is severely impacting smaller private owners and operators.

On June 28, the WestFor General manager was asked to respond.

Yesterday, Nova Scotia Natural Resources Deputy Minister Julie Towers was asked about the NS government’s stand on these issues. An “abbreviated transcript” of the interview which is posted online is given below. There is also a post by Emma Smith. I have appended a few comments at the end.
Continue reading →

Posted in clearcuts, Economics, Ecosystem Services, Letters&Editorials, Lumber, NSDNR, Private Woodlots, Pulp & Paper, Show Us the Science, Social Values, WestFor, Wildlife | Leave a comment

CBC InfoA.M. attempts to sort out issues between smaller private owners and operators and the WestFor consortium – #2 WestFor responds

Posted on June 29, 2017 by admin

Stockpiles of GHG-generating primary forest biomass at the forest bioenergy plant in Lower Sackville, N.S. Photo courtesy of Mike Parker.

CBC Halifax Information Morning has carried several interviews recently to do with the state of forestry in Nova Scotia, and in particular controversies surrounding cutting on the Western Crown lands by the WestFor consortium.

Below is an abbreviated transcript of an 9-minute interview on June 28 with Markus Zwicker, General Manager of WestFor Management Inc. which was a follow-up on the interview of June 27 with Colin Hughes, owner of G&C Hughes Enterprises Ltd. and Colin Hughes Forestry. Hughes contends that cutting on Western Crown lands by the WestFor consortium is creating a fibre glut which is severely impacting smaller private owners and operators.
Continue reading →

Posted in clearcuts, Economics, NSDNR, Private Woodlots, Pulp & Paper, WestFor | Leave a comment

CBC InfoA.M. attempts to sort out issues between smaller private owners and operators and the WestFor consortium – #1 Private Operator

Posted on June 28, 2017 by admin

Stockpiles of GHG-generating primary forest biomass at the forest bioenergy plant in Lower Sackville, N.S. Photo courtesy of Mike Parker.

CBC Halifax Information Morning has carried several interviews recently to do with the state of forestry in Nova Scotia, and in particular controversies surrounding cutting on the Western Crown lands by the WestFor consortium.

Below is an abbreviated transcript of an 8-minute interview on June 27, 2017 with Colin Hughes, owner of G&C Hughes Enterprises Ltd. and Colin Hughes Forestry. Hughes contends that cutting on Western Crown lands by the WestFor consortium is creating a fibre glut which is severely impacting smaller private owners and operators.

The next post (#2) will provide an abbreviated transcript of a follow-up interview on June 28 with Markus Zwicker, General Manager of WestFor Management Inc.

Continue reading →

Posted in clearcuts, Private Woodlots, WestFor | Leave a comment

Nova Scotia, PEI and Nfld & Labrador likely to be excluded from U.S. tariffs on softwood lumber

Posted on June 27, 2017 by admin

“The U.S. Commerce Department said on Monday it had made a preliminary decision to exclude three of Canada‘s Atlantic provinces from a U.S. investigation into whether Canada is dumping or subsidizing exports of softwood lumber…Much of the wood in the excluded provinces is harvested from private land, and the Canadian provinces had argued that they operate under more of a free-market model.”
– Global News June 26, 2017

New Brunswick is still hoping to be likewise excluded. Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, softwood lumber | Leave a comment

New Nova Scotia Natural Resources minister queried about clearcutting

Posted on June 26, 2017 by admin

CBC reporters managed to get in a few moments with new Natural Resources Minister, Margaret Miller, to talk about the Wentworth clearcut and related issues.
Following is an abbreviated transcript of the 5 minute audio file. It was carried on CBC’s Information Morning earlier today (June 26, 2017).

Wentworth clearcut in progress.
Photo courtesy of Raymond Plourde

Q: What are you thoughts on the Wentworth Valley clearcut?
MM: The public has been very clear about that in their concern about the area, you can’t blame them it’s a beautiful area but the reality is that the harvesting is being done on private land and except for normal harvesting practices such as setting back from waterways and leaving areas for biodiversity there is not a lot that can be done at this point.

Q. Do you not feel the province has any authority to regulate forestry practices on private land?
MM: Other than normal practices such as setbacks from waterways…at this point there is nothing.
Continue reading →

Posted in clearcuts, NSDNR, Social Values | Leave a comment

Latest Nova Scotia Crown land allocation includes residual Deer Winter Area

Posted on June 25, 2017 by admin

Markus Kehoe makes this plea:

Our wildlife need some help. Today [June 22], the province updated their forestry harvest plan map with a cutting plan in Upper Vaughan. The area they are planning to cut has been designated by the province as a Deer Winter Area. Everything around this block of mature softwood has already been cut. Its all they have left.
Continue reading →

Posted in clearcuts, NSDNR, Uncategorized, Wildlife | Leave a comment

Annapolis Co. warden says municipalities should have a say in forestry practices in Nova Scotia

Posted on June 23, 2017 by admin

Why not? Ontario passed legislation enabling municipalities to pass Tree Bylaws in 1946!

A lot of Annapolis Co. looked like this in late May, 2017 and there’s more on the way.

In early March, Annapolis County council sent a letter to Premier McNeil (also the MLA for the area) requesting that the county be excluded from the impending WestFor agreement for one year so that council and staff could review the agreement and make recommendations.

That was very likely a factor in the Liberal Government’s pre-election announcement that they would “appoint an independent expert to review our forestry practices to ensure we strike the right balance for our forests. This review will get underway as soon as possible, starting first in the western region.” (In the Budget Address, Apr 27, 2017)

I have seen no word in the public media about any response to this letter, but a CBC post By Emma Smith today (Apr 23, 2017) provided some details:
Continue reading →

Posted in Acadian Forest, clearcuts, Conservation, Economics, Private Woodlots, Recreation, Selection Harvest, Show Us the Science, Social Values, WestFor | Leave a comment