Posted inConservation, Fire|Comments Off on Would “thinning areas where harvesting isn’t allowed” as advocated by Forest Nova Scotia reduce wildfire risk? 23Nov2023
Click on image to go to the advertisement on indeed,com
It’s difficult for the public to find much out about ” who does what at NRR” – the positions that exist at NRR, the overall hierarchy, and what individuals/the department accomplish and plan in a particular year. There are no comprehensive directories, no annual reports. To be fair, this statement may apply to most departments under both the current and previous governments.
One small insight as to direction the NRR is taking is given by the public advertisements to fill vacancies or new positions. That’s all we get; there are no, or rarely, any announcements about who actually fills a position, or about what they do down the line.
I did manage to find an organizational chart for Lands and Forestry in a 2018 FOIPOP document which helped for a while when I was writing NS Forest Notes, Under the new PC Government there has been a lot of reorganization, so it’s no longer helpful.
When I do see a job advert for an upper level position in the Forestry Section of NRR that seems to provide some info, I post it. I do so partly as a matter of record, but also to help advertise the position. So here are some excerpts from the latest (from indeed.com)
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. “Their name comes from waxy white filaments they make to protect themselves from drying out. In a heavy infestation, hemlock trees can look gray from all the “wool” on twigs and branches. They can’t fly, but are spread by wind and also hitch rides on the feet of birds, which can carry hemlock wooly adelgids for long distances. These “hemlock vampires” were first discovered in 1951 in Virginia, and by 2005 had spread to fifteen other states. Source: Paul Hetzler, Cornell Cooperative Extension Photo source: Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Bugwood.org
——-
UPDATE Nov 16, 2023: Councillor Morse was asked to include Sandy Lake and Sackville Lake Parks are mentioned in the motion; she agreed, the motion passed unanimously.
——-
Presence of Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, aka the “Hemlock Vampires” in NS was first realized in the summer of 2017 when it was found to be in the southwestern counties Yarmouth, Digby, Shelburne Counties, and shortly thereafter in Queens and Annapolis Cos; it was found in Lunenburg Co. in 2020 (Invasive Species Council Info) HWA was spreading eastward… In August of 2023, HWA was found on a property in Bedford (Halifax Co.) – view post.
In May of this year, NS Environment and Climate Change advertised a position for a “HWA-OGF Coordinator”.
Now HRM Councillor Kathryn Morse is urging HRM (Halifax Regional Municipality) to develop a plan to address the issue locally… Read more onwww.versicolor.ca/nstriad
Posted inConservation, Pests|Comments Off on Halifax Councillor requests staff report on plan to address Hemlock Wooly Adelgid threat to Eastern Hemlock in HRM 13Nov2023
Wabanaki Forest Love Affair Yellow Birch at left, and Eastern Hemlock at right on a mound in old forest by Sandy Lake (Bedford) More about it here.
A new blog/website has been set up at www.versicolor.ca/nstriad which focuses on the unfolding of the Triad in NS
——————–
This blog/website was created on June 21, 2016; I stopped updating it on June 21, 2022. As such it provides a record of sorts of goings-on related to forests and forestry in Nova Scotia over that interval.
It will be maintained at this URL (nsforestnotes.ca) until July 21, 2024.
The site is archived regularly on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine so by July 2024 all of the material currently on the site will still be in that archive. The website on the archive is essentially a perfect replica of this one – it is searchable, and can be viewed in different stages of its development.
Items on this blog/website that are posted chronologically are (i) links to news items, found under In the News and its subpages; and (ii) “posts” (the blog component of the website), found under About this Site/All Posts
I am not leaving the topic of forestry in NS entirely. I have set up a new blog/website at www.versicolor.ca/nstriad which will focus on the unfolding of the Triad in NS over the next few years. That seems appropriate as nsforestnotes.ca was initiated before the Lahey process (The Independent Review of Forest Practices in Nova Scotia) was conceived, and I have followed it for now almost 4 years beyond when the ‘Lahey Report‘ was tabled (Aug 21, 2018).
I post various natural history materials on several websites I currently maintain or contribute to (see www.versicolor.ca).
– david p
(aka JackPine, JackPine22)
Posted inAbout the website|Comments Off on Nova Scotia Forest Notes: a record of goings-on in forests and forestry in Nova Scotia 21Jun2016-21Jun2022
“Hemlock Heroes are trained citizens who volunteer to help save tall, dark hemlock forest ecosystems. Becoming a Hemlock Hero enables you to participate in a great cause to conserve some of the finest old growth forests in the province [Nova Scotia].
“You will help to ensure that eastern hemlocks continue to provide the many essential ecosystem services required to sustain life and the health of many other forest species, as well preserve the extraordinary beauty of hemlocks.”
Currently scheduled training sessions are on Sat June 17, 2023 and Sat June 24, 2023.
Evening sun, Halifax area on May 28, 2023. Forest fires are raging in the province – See NASA
I just read a letter by Annapolis Valley naturalist Bev Wigney sent yesterday to Premier Houston and NRR Minister Tory Rushton in which she appeals to them to to “shut down forestry operations completely, with *no loopholes*”.
I had read yesterday the headline and first few lines in the news about the ban:
I felt encouraged the premier had acted so forcefully in this instance so I wondered if Bev Wigney had made a mistake – the headlines had announced that all activity in forests is banned.
Screen Capture from advert on ca.indeed.com. Click on image to go to source page
Department: Natural Resources & Renewables Location: HALIFAX Type of Employment: Permanent Union Status: Exclusion – Non Union – NSPG Closing Date: 6/9/2023 (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)
The Harvest Plans Map Viewer is receiving an update to its legend that aligns with the Department’s continued work towards the implementation of Ecological Forestry on Crown lands.
The updated legend, shown below, has two (2) new prescriptions categories. The first prescription category is “Research Trial” and the second is “Final Felling”.
The “Research Trail” prescription (seen as red in the legend) applies to proposed harvest areas that will be established to support continuing forest management research objectives on Crown lands. For more information about research conducted by the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, you are encouraged to read more here: Biodiversity Conservation and Forestry Technical Report Series | novascotia.ca.
