Atlantic Forestry Contacts, March 2009

New Brunswick Federation of Woodlot Owners Fredericton, N.B. Here in New Brunswick the key news item for forestry watchers was the recent release of the government's response to two major reports. These reports are the Woodbridge/Roberts report, and the report on forest diversity and wood supply commonly known as the Erdle report. Certainly the one watched very closely is the report on wood supply on Crown land. This came about as a reaction to the Jaakko Pöyry report of 2002. At that time the key objective was to extract as much commercial wood as possible from Crown lands. This further led to the establishment of the Select Committee on Wood Supply that held a series of public hearings with an unprecedented response from the people of New Brunswick. The response was not very positive and the committee produced a comprehensive report that in my opinion was essentially dismissed. Also during the time that passed we saw the release of a government commissioned survey that again showed that the citizens of New Brunswick did not endorse the moves planned for Crown land management. So that brings us to today, with the Erdle task force presenting seven scenarios, the released version is actually an eighth, as one astute commentator called it "Jaakko Pöyry Lite." It has been portrayed as a balanced approach, but reaction so far does not indicate so. This balanced approach at this point seems to only have industry representatives smiling. Woodlot owners whose prime competition in the market has been and continues to be Crown land wood, do not look forward to more Crown wood becoming available. Comments state that this is in the long term, within the planning horizons of the models looked at, and that there will be a more important role for woodlots to play. This is a comment that has been seen in print and heard quite often lately, thus far all these references appear to be lip service; there have been no concrete indications of action. It should be further noted as woodlot owners and citizens of New Brunswick that our interest is not just limited to wood supply. Most of our members are concerned with the impacts to wildlife, effects on old growth, and changes to conservation areas that are part of the report. Silviculture season has all but wrapped up with dismal results, the budget cut and change to the cost share have had dramatic effect on what was a successful program with a 20-year history. Marketing Board representatives and woodlot owners are examining the results closely, specifically the job and expertise loss from the sector in preparation for meetings with government to attempt to recover our program. It should be noted that part of the announcement referenced above was the inclusion of an additional $5 million investment in Crown land silviculture. Markets in the province are varied by region at this time. Markets on the western side of the province though not extensive are relatively stable, while woodlot owners on the eastern side continue to struggle with no great opportunities. Some Board managers report fair results for January, but we are nowhere near the markets of two to three years ago. February has brought about many temporary shut downs. Remember, if you are considering any harvesting, check with your local Board for information on current markets. Check out our website by following the link at www.AtlanticFarmer.com for further news and items of interest. Also it should be noted that the complete versions of the reports referred to here are available at the province of New Brunswick website (see www.AtlanticFarmer.com). Ken Hardie (Contact number 506-459-2990) Canadian Institute of Forestry ­ N.S. Section Truro, N.S. For those of you who don't know Ian Millar it is my pleasure to introduce you to someone who is one of our most well-respected and dedicated forest professionals. Born in Charlottetown, P.E.I., in 1942, he attended Queen Charlotte High School where his first encounter with forestry began. He has always been a lover of the outdoors and especially the beach, but in grade eight he was given a project to do on forestry. After receiving a mark of 60 out of 50, his destiny for forestry was formed. After graduating from Prince of Wales College, Millar went on to UNB where in 1967 he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Forestry specializing in Forest Resource Management. After graduation, he went to work as a forester for the province of Prince Edward Island where he was responsible for the development and delivery of a comprehensive forestry program at the provincial level. During his time there, he was able to continue his education goals and obtained a Masters Degree from UNB that focused on Integrated Resource Management. In 1977, Millar moved to Truro, N.S., and went to work with the Canadian Forestry Service where he held several positions including Client Liaison and Manager of the Canada/N.S. Forestry Agreements. This was, and still is, the backbone of forestry treatments that happen across the province today. Millar was instrumental in developing programs and treatments under a variety of programs, which are the basis of forest practices all around the province. Millar has always been a strong supporter of professional development throughout his career. Since retiring from NRCan, he has provided leadership with the Registered Professional Foresters Association of Nova Scotia as the executive director and is a strong supporter of CIF and the Nova Scotia Section. In fact, he was last year's winner of the Section's Tree of Life award. Millar has an interest in rural development and in his spare time, spends time walking the beaches of Nova Scotia, swimming in the ocean, reading, and the occasional game of golf. Phil Redden and Don Cameron (Contact number 902-893-5629) Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association Truro, N.S. Biomass, silviculture funding, and ecosystem-based forest management will all be on the agenda at the NSWOOA's information-packed Annual General Meeting on April 18. In addition, members will have an opportunity to help set the forest-management policy that will guide the NSWOOA in our work on behalf of woodlot owners' rights and environmentally-centred, socially-responsible, and economically-balanced forestry. There will also be an opportunity to view the new short documentary film "Honor in the Woods." Whether you are a current or past member or have never before belonged to our organization, we hope you will join us for this interesting day. We also hope you will consider joining or renewing your membership at this time. With your membership, you will receive a $10 discount on the cost of attending the AGM. The meeting will be held from 9 am to 3 pm at the United Church Hall in Old Barns (7 km south of Truro on Rte 236). Admission covers the cost of a meal and is $10 for members, $20 for non-members, with registration beginning at 8:15 am. Annual dues ($30 per person) will be accepted at the door. Members are encouraged to bring in table-top displays of products and services they offer, and to circulate business cards and pamphlets. There will also be a bulletin board on which to post "wanted" and "for sale" notices for products, services, and equipment. Last year was a successful one for the NSWOOA, and 2009 should be another exciting year. We are currently working on a project to help bring Forest Stewardship Council certification to woodlot owners who are interested in marketing FSC-certified products. Our monthly email newsletter, the NSWOOA Update, has been expanded to include articles from outside contributors, including a monthly item on Uneven-Aged Management being written by Patricia Amero, RPF, who was the coordinator of the Uneven-Aged Management Outreach Project. In addition, we are already planning one of our ever-popular Fall Field Days for Sept. 19, on a woodlot in the Hopewell-Westville area. We hope you will join us on April 18 and consider joining us as a member in 2009. If you have any questions about membership, please feel free to email us at nswooa@gmail.com or contact our member services coordinator. A copy of our membership application form can be downloaded at our website, available from www.AtlanticFarmer.com. We can also send you a copy via email or Canada Post. Paul Brison, NSWOOA secretary 902-633-2108 Flora Johnson, member services coordinator 902-673-2278 Fundy Model Forest Sussex, N.B. As forest stands are increasingly harvested as a source of energy, it becomes important to examine the impacts on forest growth and ecology. Fundy Model Forest organized a day-long workshop for Feb. 24, which focused on the sustainable supply of biomass from New Brunswick's forests. The aim was to provide information, describe tools to predict the availability of sustainable supplies of biomass feedstock, and identify gaps in knowledge that need to be investigated. If you were unable to attend, check with the Fundy Model Forest or visit its website through www.AtlanticFarmer.com. Videos may be available for continuing education credit. Barbara Scott, communications coordinator (Contact number 506-432-7565) Federation of Nova Scotia Woodland Owners Stewiacke, N.S. The Federation of Nova Scotia Woodland Owners congratulates the Honorable Carolyn Bolivar-Getson on her recent appointment as the new Minister of Nova Scotia Natural Resources. We look forward to working with her to ensure our natural resources are sustainably managed and in the best interest of the Nova Scotia people. On November 18, 2008 the Federation signed a contract with the Department of Natural Resources to deliver a small-private woodlot certification program. On January 5, the Federation hired Mike Hutchinson, a Forest Technologist, to coordinate the three-year program. Hutchinson is a graduate of the NSCC Forestry Resources Program and from the Grad class of 2000 at the Maritime Forest Ranger School (now called the Maritime College of Forest Technology.) Since graduation he has been self-employed in the forest management industry, providing silviculture, logging, and management planning services to government and industry, with his main focus being small-private woodlot owners. Through the years Hutchinson has found the variability of woodland and woodlot owners throughout the province to be of great interest. "Every piece of ground requires a slightly different management approach, and every landowner has a different set of objectives. This offers variety to my occupation. It's rewarding to meet new people and keep learning more about forestry." His interest in the forest reflects throughout his personal life. Spare time is spent on a number of woodlots, carrying out various silviculture treatments or building trails. When not working, Hutchinson can be found in a canoe or on a mountain bike, or just talking to anyone interested in the woods. "I'm very excited about working with the Federation. Our new program has potential to make a great improvement in the social, economic and ecological benefits that the forest has to provide. It all starts with getting landowners involved." The Federation will host its Annual General Meeting in Truro this year on May 30. In addition to standard AGM proceedings, we will provide an overview and progress report on our certification program. Guest speakers will cover topics such as Nova Scotia's ecosystem classification guide, training opportunities for woodlot owners, and the responsibilities of woodlot owners interested in woodlot certification. There are many myths and misconceptions surrounding woodlot certification; this meeting will be a great opportunity for woodland owners and other interested parties to directly learn more about woodlot certification and how it can benefit them. If you would like to know more details about our program and can't wait for our AGM, contact us at info@fnswo.ca or 902-899-6689. FNSWO staff (Contact number 902-639-2041) Canadian Model Forest Network Kemptville, Ont. The Canadian Model Forest Network met in Ottawa for three days in January, bringing together the presidents, general managers, and communicators from the 14 member Model Forests. Separately, and together, the three groups discussed the future direction of the Canadian Model Forest Network, which became an independent non-profit organization in 2006. The presidents participated in a facilitated visioning and formulated a new mission statement: Sustainable forests, Sustainable communities. These four words capture the Network's efforts toward landscape level forest management and toward helping forest dependent communities develop new strategies to sustain their futures. The meetings also provided an opportunity for the Model Forests to learn about each other's work and find areas for collaboration, as well as to learn about the Network's eight national initiatives: Aboriginal Youth Engagement, Baseline Community Indicators, Bioenergy Measurement and Analysis, Canadian Circumboreal Program, Climate Change, Ecological Goods and Services, International Engagement Strategy, and Non-timber Forest Products. Each initiative is championed by a general manager within the Network. From the Atlantic region, Sean Dolter, Model Forest of Newfoundland and Labrador, spearheads the International Engagement Strategy; Dave Sutherland, Nova Forest Alliance, Non-timber Forest Products; and Nairn Hay, Fundy Model Forest, Ecological Goods and Services as well as Indicators for Assessing Forest-based Communities. David Winston, general manager (Contact number 613-258-8400) Registered Professional Foresters Association of Nova Scotia Truro, N.S. Welcome to 2009. Like all my counterparts in the forestry sector, I hope the pendulum will swing back this year, and that 2009 will be a better year than 2008 ended up being. We should do more than "hope" it will be better; we should figure out what we can do to help make it better. In light of this, we can all look to honing our existing forestry skills and learning new skills that will enable us to do our jobs more efficiently; or obtain the new knowledge necessary to more effectively integrate the management of the multiple resources in our forests. These learning experiences will also qualify for CFE credits. The joint annual meeting of the Registered Professional Foresters, the Canadian Institute of Forestry, and the Nova Scotia Forest Technicians Association will be held March 26-27 at the Holiday Inn in Truro. The planning committee is in the initial stages of developing the program. At this time it looks like the technical program, to be held on Thursday and Friday mornings, will focus on issues relating to forest biomass. Plenary sessions are being planned on Ecology; Case Studies; Policy and Research; and the State of Our Forests. Mark the above dates in your schedule and plan to participate in both the technical and business meetings. All individuals interested are encouraged to participate in the technical sessions. Write to contact@rpfans.ca for more information. The Canadian Forest Accreditation Board (CFAB) met in December with representatives of each of the schools that grant a bachelors degree in forestry. The professional associations believe it is important to be on top of what employers are looking for in new graduates, and what the universities feel is necessary for a good education. These reviews led to the development of the "Certification Standards for the Profession of Forestry in Canada." This in turn suggested that it was necessary to revise the accreditation standards for the forestry schools. The purpose of the December meeting was to review, and make improvements to, the questionnaire the schools will have to complete as part of their accreditation process. With this completed, the accreditation of the forestry program at the University of Northern British Columbia will be able to get underway later this winter. The other schools will follow in rotation over the next six years. The Nova Scotia government passed legislation this fall "Respecting Fair Registration Practices" for regulating bodies. The purpose of the act can be found in Section 6, which states: "A regulating body has a duty to provide registration practices that are transparent, objective, impartial and procedurally fair." This is as it should be; however, as many of you know, by the time something gets passed in legislation, it becomes complex and the reporting can be onerous. This legislation affects some 37 legislated bodies, including RPFANS, and six sections of government. It is interesting to look at the list of the 37 bodies identified in the Act and note that the vast majority of them require a license for the practice of their profession. I leave you with the question: Is forestry a less complex profession than those that require a license? Ian Millar, RPF (Contact number 902-897-6863)

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