Association for Sustainable Forestry
Truro, N.S.

With a relatively open winter and frozen ground conditions, silviculture activity on private land has been high during the last few months. While pre-commercial thinning funds remain the most sought-after, we are pleased to see a gradual increase in commercial thinning as older plantations become eligible for this treatment. We have recently seen some remarkably good examples of commercial thinning in both softwood and hardwood by mechanical harvesters. During 2018 and early 2019, about 160 hectares of commercial thinning was completed through the ASF incentive.

Although all current ASF funding for silviculture has been allocated, we would encourage landowners and contractors to submit requests for future work. This can be done directly from the ASF website, or request forms can be printed and scanned, faxed or mailed.

We’d like to congratulate Canadian Woodlands Forum on a century of informing the forestry community of technological progress and innovation in the industry. May CWF flourish for another 100 years!

David Sutherland
Coordinator, Association for Sustainable Forestry
P.O. Box 696
Truro, N.S. B2N 5E5
Phone 902-895-1179
www.asforestry.com

Breton Forest Innovation Cooperative
Middle River, N.S.

As the winds blow heavy and snow accumulates, most of the land is dormant, sleepily awaiting spring. Here in Middle River, Victoria County, Unima’ki, Breton Forest Innovation Cooperative (BFIC) has remained lively and vibrant in its development to change the way we do private-land forestry here on Cape Breton Island. We are still a month away from our first anniversary of purchasing the Finewood Flooring facility, and though we will be forever evolving, we have come very far in our networking and collaboration process to connect these branches to our trunk. Nurturing these integral relationships and germinating a forest, design, and woodworking community will be the foundation for our social enterprise.

In 1976, the Government of India’s National Commission on Agriculture coined the term “social forestry,” referring to the management and protection of forest and the afforestation of barren and deforested lands with the purpose of stimulating environmental and social wellness and contributing to rural development. BFIC aims to model these motivations within our working forests to create opportunity for forest owners, forest product users, designers, and consumers to be a part of this unique prototype system we call “short-armed” forestry, or the “100-km Forest.”

We have now dried our first kiln-load of live-edge slab wood that will be posted for sale on our website in the next couple of weeks. These unique pieces all come with their own story that is as important as the stories around utilization of local, renewable resources and the environmental, social, and economic benefits to having healthy forests and healthy communities. We have given each tree a forever home that will allow eternal life after a job well done. These slabs, or the creations they become, will capture the tree’s carbon, preventing it from entering our ecosystem for as long as the creation continues to be enjoyed by its end user. When the tree nobly left the forest, it left a small gap within its canopy to free up light, water, and nutrients so that regeneration can begin. The cycle continues.

Currently we are finalizing our business plan, seeking investors, formulating our codes of practice, detailing the woodlot services we wish to offer, and looking at a few markets to generate enough revenue to attract and incubate forest-based businesses to help them sprout. We will be hosting a Spring Fling fundraising event on May 4, which will feature live entertainment, food trucks, and many learning opportunities. It is best to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or check out our website (www.bretonforest.org) for all of our upcoming events, our featured members, opportunities to invest in healthy forests, and products for sale.

Stacie Carroll
Business Development Coordinator, BFIC
Email: stacie@bretonforest.org
Phone: (902) 957-2947
www.bretonforest.org

New Brunswick Forest Technicians Association
Fredericton, N.B.

From the point of view of many forest technicians in New Brunswick, the weather in the later part of 2018 was challenging, and the start of 2019 has continued this trend. Last fall started with significant amounts of rain in much of the province, which made getting wood to pavement a challenge, and then in a short amount of time we had an early snow and abnormally cold conditions. In western N.B., we’ve gotten a nice bunch of snow and some rain in 2019, but the cold seems to be preventing a good crust and ideal snowshoeing conditions from setting in.

On the bright side, wood markets seem to be staying strong, and there is a demand (though not a big price) for pulp wood again. Though the world may seem chaotic and on the verge of something bad, the forest industry in N.B. seems to be in a better place than four or even 10 years ago. After leaving MCFT in 2009, I did not run into many young faces who were technicians or foresters around N.B. or even N.S. – it seemed for many years the only path forward was to head west. Now looking back over the last 10 years, it seems this has changed. There are many new technicians and young foresters working across industry and in government, and this is great to see. For a while it seemed like the forestry community was going to continue shrinking. For now, maybe the decline has slowed.

The New Brunswick Forest Technicians Association (NBFTA) has existed since 1996. The group works to represent the views of forest technicians and technologists in the province, and to promote the industry. The association is a volunteer organization, driven by the hard work of many dedicated members. For more than a decade, we have held our AGM in conjunction with the Canadian Woodlands Forum spring meeting in Moncton. We will be doing so again this year; the AGM will be at the Delta Beausejour Hotel in Moncton on April 11 at 1 p.m.

This year the Canadian Woodlands Forum marks its 100th anniversary. I think this would be a great year for technicians to attend the CWF meeting and then hit the NBFTA AGM for a good time discussing the past year’s events and those of the coming year. The NBFTA has worked with the CWF on many events, including the fall meeting and the teachers’ tour. It’s always a great pleasure to work with the CWF. They have good values and generally straight-forward objectives. They are trying to pass knowledge on to their membership and forest professionals about improving their operations and their bottom line – but more importantly, the CWF is working very hard to maintain and improve the image of the forest industry to the public. In doing this, the CWF works hard at bringing various groups and organizations together under one roof (even if those groups don’t always see eye to eye), and that brings the forest industry in Atlantic Canada a little closer together. If we can learn anything from the CWF, it would be that the best way to move forward is in bringing people together to work towards a common good, as opposed to pushing them apart. It has always been a great reward to deal with Peter and Tara, and I would like to congratulate them and others who have dedicated time to keeping the CWF moving and growing. Also, I would like to thank them for all the hard work they have contributed, and let them know we are all better off for it. Here’s hoping for another 100 years!

I would like to wish everyone a happy and safe spring. For technicians and technologists in N.B., don’t miss the AGM at the Delta Beausejour Hotel in Moncton on April 11 at 1 p.m. See you there!

Riley Côté-DeMerchant
Forest Technologist and President, NBFTA
CFT 139
Phone 506-471-5342
Email riley.demerchant@gmail.com
www.nbfta.org

Federation of Nova Scotia Woodland Owners
Truro, N.S.

Winter remains a time of reflection. Where have we been? How did that suit us? What needs to be adjusted? What new things are worthy of ambition? How do we move forward?

We are floating in tumultuous waters in Nova Scotia’s forest sector. We face the loss of another large mill in the province. Not many folks understand the significance this mill has to the current forestry structure. It is probable that the ripple effect will expand across many sectors in the province and disrupt rural communities that already sit on unstable ground.

In 2014, the Ivany Report identified forestry as one of the backbones of Nova Scotia’s rural communities. What will happen to our low-grade round wood that is extracted to stimulate renewal and regeneration of our working forests? Who will grow and plant the five to six million trees that Northern Pulp (NP) does each season? Who will help fund the renewal of private forests without the $2 million per annum that NP invests in reforestation through the Registry of Buyers agreement for planting and thinning? What will happen to the provincially funded social programs that rely on the revenue generated by our forest economy ($200 million from NP alone)?

Directly on the shores of the Boat Harbour issue, the province has witnessed a cultural atrocity some have termed “environmental racism.” The Pictou Landing First Nation has been living in this environment turned toxic by many mill operations and Canso Chemicals during the past 50 years. Now they are being asked to consider living in toxicity for another year past the legislated closure, essentially two years from now? It will take an additional four years (estimated) to clean the waters of Boat Harbour to a quality standard that can be safely discharged into the Strait of Canso once the 1972 dam is removed and the harbour can become a tidal estuary once again. Imagine if this site bordered the water you drank, the air you inhaled, the visual landscape you witnessed? What if these were your grandparents, children, and family members? Would an extension be sought?

Some fishers and environmental groups also have an issue with a pipe as the effluent’s dispersion vessel. NP has been discharging effluent into the strait since it purchased the mill in 2009, just as its predecessor owners (Neenah Paper 2004-2009; Kimberly-Clarke 1995-2004; Scott Maritimes 1967-1995) did for the last 50 years. No harm to the fishery has been observed to date, and the new treatment levels of the final effluent will adhere to 2020 Canadian environmental standards. But how does one create trust between groups that have historically never seen eye to eye? How does one facilitate discussions between groups that remain too emotionally charged to listen to one another?

With ideas of blending values for tomorrow and reconciling past atrocities, Albert Marshall, an Elder of Eskasoni, Unima’ki (Cape Breton) – a “facilitator of reflection” – comes to mind. The focal ideology Albert guides through is called “two-eyed seeing.” This is an idea in which people interact with their environment and themselves – a blend of traditional values with Western science and technology. We are enticed to inwardly reflect on who we are and where we are going. This specifically applies to science and the spirit. It can balance us through many opposing aspects of life. How do we create an ecological equilibrium through multiple perspectives? Combining fundamental ideals is essential in planning generational self-sustenance for all people living in one community. We must find middle ground between economy, environment, society, and culture.

So what solutions can one employ? What are the conversations that need to take place? Can these conversations take place in a manner and with an outcome that everyone can live with? The future remains to be seen.

When forest landowners prepare future forests, they foster resiliency by maintaining biodiversity. Nurturing our forest ecosystems through a biodiversity of objectives, values, landscapes, species, and markets will prepare for a future that can withstand fluxes and flows in the cycles of our climate, economy, cultures, environment, and society. A further step to resilience is supporting local. Where does one start? With a conversation.

Stacie Carroll
Executive Director, FNSWO
Phone: 902-957-2947 or 1-80966-3568
Email: stacie@fnswo.ca
www.fnswo.ca

New Brunswick Federation of Woodlot Owners
Fredericton, N.B.

What does your marketing board do for you? What else would you like your marketing board to do for you?

Marketing board district meetings will be starting shortly. These meetings, in addition to marketing board annual meetings, are opportunities to hear what marketing boards are working on and what is new in the world of forestry. Come out and hear about the work the Federation of Woodlot Owners is doing to build climate change resilience in private woodlots; about the new data management software system that the private woodlot sector is developing; and what we are hoping to do in the coming year.

Have your say on what additional services you would like to receive from your marketing board. In order for a marketing board to service your needs, they need to hear from you. While I know that marketing board staff are super people who work hard in the best interests of woodlot owners, they are not mind readers; they rely on input from you. Marketing boards take the feedback they receive into account when planning for the future. So get out to a meeting and have your say in the future of marketing boards and the services available to woodlot owners. If you have a need, let us know and we will do our best to help you out. Be a part of the democratic process that decides what it is that the marketing board does on your behalf.

I know everyone is busy, but if you want something to thrive, you have to engage with it. If you think that the marketing board structure is beneficial, then you need to support it by attending meetings and letting your MLA know how important they are. There are people in this province who would love to see marketing boards fail. They question the need for such boards. Those who do not like the boards are more vocal than those who do.

Boards provide woodlot owners with sound, unbiased advice that includes alternatives. If you want such services to continue to be available, now is the time to make your voice heard. Attending a district meeting is a great way to show your support for the marketing board system, and keep up-to-date on the sector, and also a chance to share a coffee with fellow woodlot owners. A few hours of your time once a year would go a long way toward proving to government that support for the marketing board system is strong. Check your local marketing board website for district meeting dates. If you do not know which marketing board your woodlot is in, check out the Federation of Woodlot Owners webpage (nbwoodlotowners.ca/map/) and click on the portion of the map that contains your woodlot, and it will take you to the corresponding marketing board page. Meetings are open to everyone. We hope to see you there!

Susannah Banks
Executive Director, NBFWO
Phone 506-459-2990
Email nbfwo@aibn.com
nbwoodlotowners.ca

Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association
Truro, N.S.

The Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year! Founded in 1969, we have spent the last half-century helping family forest owners across Nova Scotia to “achieve prosperity, stewardship, and solidarity through the practice of ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable forestry.”

Our founding resulted from the recognition by the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture (NSFA) in the 1960s that farm woodlot owners were handicapped by lack of organization and bargaining power. This was in response to the opportunities and challenges for Nova Scotia’s forest sector posed by the establishment of pulp mills in Port Hawkesbury (1960) and Abercrombie (1965).

In 1966, NSFA negotiated an agreement to fund the Extension Department of St. Francis Xavier University to lead an organizational and education program for woodlot owners under contract with the Department of Lands and Forests, with support from the Agriculture and Rural Development Agency (ARDA), a federal-provincial cost-sharing program. A main thrust of the extension program was to assist in “the establishment of local and county associations of woodlot owners, leading to the formation of the provincial association.”

Representatives from 12 county woodlot associations met in January 1969 to establish what was then known as the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners Association. Its goals were to enable provincial woodlot owners to speak and act as an organized group on matters affecting the forest industry; formulate and promote woodlot development policies that would increase woodlot productivity and income; and promote the organized marketing of forest products. A principal objective of the new association was to negotiate the establishment of a Pulpwood Marketing Board with the province of Nova Scotia. In 1970, the association was certified as the bargaining agent for its members.

In 1976, membership was opened to small contractors, and we were renamed the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association. Two years later, the by-laws of the association were altered to allow for the creation of divisions as “mill-specific collective agreement negotiating and management agents” funded by check-off funds collected by the Pulpwood Marketing Board on the sale of pulpwood.

Pulpwood-supplier divisions of NSWOOA signed contracts with Stora Kopparburg in 1980 and Scott Paper in 1981. In 1985, the Nova Scotia Forest Industries Suppliers Division evolved into its own organization, the Nova Scotia Landowners and Forest Fibre Producers Association, and the Scott Suppliers Division later became the Central Wood Suppliers Division.

Since the early 2000s, the mission of NSWOOA has been to promote the practice of ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable forestry, supported through education, demonstration, marketing, and cooperation.

As we reflect on our past, we also look forward to launching several new projects and programs this year. Come join us at any of our 50th anniversary activities to learn more about what we have planned! The next event will be our annual general meeting, which will take place on Saturday, May 25 at the Debert Hospitality Centre in Debert, N.S.

For information about other events, or for free answers to your questions about woodlot management, please contact Andy Kekacs by emailing andy.nswooa@gmail.com or phoning toll-free 1-855-NS-WOODS (1-855-679-6637).

Christie Verstraten
Program Coordinator, NSWOOA
earthscapeff@gmail.com
nswooa.ca

Nova Lumberjacks Society
Truro, N.S.

New year, new us! We’ve lost the “North” in our name and are now simply the Nova Lumberjacks Society (NLS). This change better reflects our organization as a representative body for lumberjack sports across Nova Scotia and beyond. We also have a new logo to go with our new name, and our website has recently had some upgrades, so be sure to check it out.

Some interesting stats: since its founding in January 2016, our society has hosted four competitions, attracting nearly 5,000 spectators and 150 competitors, and has paid out more than $45,000 in prize money to lumberjack athletes from four different nations! It takes an immense amount of volunteer time to deliver our high-level competitions. However, the positive impacts we have on the communities we host in, and to the sport itself, are worth all the hours.

2019 is going to be another big year for us. The 4th annual Nova Scotia Lumberjack Championships will be hosted July 6-7 in Barrington, N.S., and the 2nd annual Canadian Axe Throwing Championships will take place August 24-25 in Liverpool, N.S. We are also planning to send representatives to Sweden in August for the World Axe Throwing Championships as part of Team Canada, which is very exciting!

Three 30-minute episodes of the Lumberjacks TV Series produced from the 2018 N.S. Lumberjack Championships are now available on YouTube! Search for the Lumberjacks TV YouTube channel to watch them, as well as episodes from the 2016 and 2017 N.S. Championships.

If you’re interested in learning more about our organization, our events, or how you can get involved in any of our initiatives, please visit our website or send us an email.

Stay sharp, folks!

Ryan McIntyre
Vice President, Nova Lumberjacks Society
novalumberjacks@gmail.com
www.novalumberjacks.com

Woodland Owners Conference
Truro, N.S.

Woodland Owners Invited to Spring Conferences

The annual Woodland Conferences are set to go in the coming weeks at three locations across Nova Scotia for those interested in the forest. The conferences are scheduled for March 2 in Digby, April 13 in the Chezzetcook area, and April 27 in Havre Boucher. The main objective of the conference series is to provide an opportunity for woodland owners and others to learn how to manage forest land sustainably and keep it healthy and productive for future benefits.

The topics and speakers will vary somewhat among the conferences. The topics have been determined based on input from previous conference participants. Some of the topics offered at the central region conference in the Chezzetcook area include good and bad experiences of an active woodland owner; legal aspects of land ownership such as trespass and liability issues; protecting watercourses, wetlands, and wildlife habitat; how woodland is valued and taxed; tips on income tax and estate planning; experiences of a private lands forestry contractor; and progress made thus far with the Lahey Forest Practices Review recommendations, and future initiatives.

Every participant will have a chance at winning the grand prize – a new 490 Echo power saw from Sheltered Cove Marine of Musquodoboit Harbour, along with several door prizes. A hearty lunch will be provided by a local caterer. Pre-registration cost is $20 ($25 at the door) and $15 for students.

Several organizations and individuals will set up as exhibitors providing information and/or services for woodland owners and others interested in forest-related matters.

The conference series is organized as a collaborative project involving the Department of Lands and Forestry, Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association, the Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute, the Association for Sustainable Forestry, Forest Nova Scotia, other woodland owner organizations, and individual woodland owners.

For more information or to register, phone 1-855-679-6637 (weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or visit nswoods.ca.

Don Cameron
902-893-6415
Don.cameron@novascotia.ca
nswoods.ca