PowerPoint Presentation

UNSM Forestry Workshop

Matt Miller

Ecology Action Centre

Forestry Coordniator

Ecology Action Centre

Coastal Issues

Marine Issues

Energy Issues

Food Action

Transportation

Urban Issues

Wilderness Issues

Wilderness Program

Forest Biodiversity Conservation

Vibrant, diverse forest industry with focus on local benefits and value added products

Comprehensive network of protected areas

Ecologically responsible harvesting practices

NS Forest Index

Over 40% of NS operable forest clearcut since 1990

Acadian Forest classified as endangered (2001)

Economic output of forest sector (jobs/GDP) dropped by 50% between 2003-2012 (APEC report)

2015 NS legally protected ~100,000ha of forest

2011-2014 NS clearcut over 110,000ha of forest (lowest 4 years of cutting since 1990)

Theres not enough wood in this province to keep three mills going. They talk about sustainability, but its not there. When youre running around chipping 30-year old wood, somethings wrong. Its too much demand for whats there.

Vaughn Hodgson

Voluntary Planning Report (March 2009)

A resounding call for change has been voiced. Current natural resource practices for all uses and all users are not sustainable.

Steering Panel Report (Spring 2010)

The status quo is not an option

NS Natural Resources Strategy

Collaborative Stewardship

Reduce clearcutting to 50% of all harvesting by 2015

Eliminate harvesting of tree tops and branches

No public funds for herbicide use

Explore ways to establish and operate working community forests on Crown lands

Crown Land Tenure

Eastern Port Hawkesbury Paper, Forest Utilization License Agreement (FULA) Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification Landscape Management Pilot

Central Northern Pulp, Scott Maritimes Act No forest management plan

Western NS WestFor Consortium, FULA pending Medway Community Forest Co-op Proportion of AAC allocated to each mill increases flexibility

Panuke Lake Audit

the rules were followed, but the rules have to change.

Biomass

Exercise great caution in the use of biomass for power generation. There is ample evidence that our forests are already under considerable stress. Despite the need to reduce greenhouse gases, Nova Scotia does not have the wood capacity for biomass use to make much of a difference even provincially.

Natural Resources Strategy Phase Two Steering Panel Report

April, 2010

Biomass

Point Tupper is a worst-case scenario Lowest value-end product

Carbon impacts, primary vs secondary fibre sources

Next steps: Remove primary biomass from renewable energy

Eliminate exports of unprocessed biomass

Address harvesting practices, land conversion

What is the best alternative end use for sawmill residuals and pulpwood?

Clearcutting

Recognize limited applicability as a silvicultural tool Ex. Abandoned farm fields transition to hardwood

BUT, remains widely overused

Function of economic constraints and ineffective regulatory/tax/incentive framework, not indicative of ecological or silvicultural appropriateness

Cumulative effects Landscape-level impacts for wildlife, ecosystem services Shift in tree species abundances, Borealization of Acadian

Forest Soil productivity, site fertility & soil carbon storage

Clearcutting - What needs to happen?

Update forestry legislation and improve regulations for working forest biodiversity conservation measures

Continue to shift regeneration subsidies away from clearcut-spray-plant model to support more partial harvesting

Review silviculture funding delivery programs

Give the public a larger role in land use planning and Crown land forest management

Re-engage the Forest Technical Advisory Committee

Opening the Door for Community Forestry

There is a real opportunity to develop a healthier forest while protecting the livelihood of families and communities.

Community Forestry

A public forest area, managed by the community, as a working forest, for the benefit of the community

Based on a number of common principles:

Multiple-use management Enhanced local control over decision making Direct community benefit Increased environmental stewardship

Municipalities can play a role in expanding this model beyond current pilot

How can municipalities support sustainable forestry?

Land-use and/or forestry practice by-laws and property tax structure Requires amendments to MGA

Expansion of community forestry and collaborative Crown land planning initiatives St Marys District, St Margarets Bay area,

underutilized eastern hardwood resource

Demonstration forests on municipal forest land

Questions?