Monthly Archives: February 2018

PORT BLANDFORD, NL — Government’s plan to clear cut an area near the community as part of its five-year operating plan for forestry Zone 2 (2017-2021) is not acceptable to the citizens of Port Blandford. That appears to be the consensus from a public meeting on Tuesday night, Feb. 20, which drew more than 100 people concerned about the provincial Forestry and Agrifoods Agency’s plan to allow a clear cut in the area. “We’re going to stop at nothing to prevent and protect what we’ve had for hundreds of years,” Port Blandford resident Cliff Matthews said to begin the meeting. “Clearcutting is not acceptable in Port Blandford.” …Two representatives from the Department of Fisheries and Land Resources (forestry and wildlife) — Colin Carroll and Steve Balsom — were in attendance.Balsom, who is an assistant deputy minister in the department, fielded questions for about an hour.

HALIFAX — The independent review of Nova Scotia’s forestry practices has been extended by two months. Announced Aug. 30, the review headed by University of King’s College president Bill Lahey was originally due next Wednesday, but is now expected to be completed by the end of April. Natural Resources Minister Margaret Miller says Lahey requested the extension because more work is required to complete the report. Lahey has said he’s been given a broad mandate, including the ability to examine clear cutting. The controversial practice drew public attention in 2016 when the Liberal government said it was backing away from a previously stated goal of reducing the practice on Crown land by 50 per cent.

GUYSBOROUGH – The Municipality of the District of Guysborough is home to one of, if not the oldest, stand of old-growth forest in the province. In the Loon Lake area just outside the community of Guysborough stands a hardwood tree that is rumoured to be 600 years old, with a 18-foot circumference at its base. In recent months this stand of trees, situated on Crown Land, has been slated for clearcut, resulting in a few tall hardwoods left towering over the bare landscape. Scott Cook, a local businessman and woodlot owner, has been advocating against clearcuts in this area for years. He told The Journal on Tuesday that a harvest that leaves a few large trees standing will result in a barren landscape, as these trees cannot survive the assaults of sleet, wind and ice storms without a supporting forest.

ESSEX COUNTY — The Essex Region Conservation Authority is joining the battle to protect local oak trees from a deadly fungus that has killed dozens in Michigan. Oak wilt has spread throughout the eastern U.S. since 2009, and Michigan State Parks alone have lost more than 500,000 trees, according to ERCA. “If Oak Wilt did become established here, all of our natural areas would be at risk of being negatively impacted,” Rob Davies, ERCA’s Forester, stated in a press release. …ERCA said it plans to partner with the City of Windsor, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and other partners to increase monitoring and awareness of the potentially devastating disease.

Lately, a heated debate has been taking place within the pages of this newspaper over forestry. One side argues that we need to clear-cut for lumber, pulp, and wood chips. It supports jobs, is good for the economy and it adds to the provincial coffers. Others argue that we are cutting at unsustainable rates, wildlife is endangered, we are losing carbon storage, soils are eroding and the kind of forests that are being clear-cut cannot regenerate. This is an age-old debate regarding resource extraction, whether it involves the tar sands, fracking, forestry, fishing, hydropower or indeed agriculture. Two different value systems are at odds – economics vs. ecology. When will they be reconciled? Our current economic system sees humans as separate from nature and values nature as a store of resources for us to use as we see fit.

NEWFOUNDLAND — A newly formed citizens group in Port Blandford is gearing up to fight government plans to allow commercial wood harvesting near the community. The group, which came together last week, has forced a meeting Tuesday with town and provincial government officials to discuss the plans, which opponents say will devastate the countryside. The proposal is that 158,000 cubic metres of wood be harvested from four distinct areas surrounding Port Blandford, including a cabin area and an area near a salmon river. About eight kilometres of road will need to be built, according to the plan documents, and more road reconstruction will be needed.

In a February 12th Toronto Star op-ed, it was stated, “There was a time — decades ago — when putting the demands of large forestry companies above the interests of everyone else may have been a good political strategy. It certainly isn’t now.” We would like to take this opportunity to set the record straight, introduce the authors of this misleading article to “everyone else,” and recognize the efforts of Premier Wynne and the Ontario government. …An Alliance of First Nation and non-First Nation leaders representing rights holders, stakeholders, municipal leaders, unions, and Ontario’s forest sector was formed in January 2018 to defend a way of life, with a mandate to grow the responsible use of natural resources in northern and rural Ontario. …Intentional or not, the authors of the op-ed have dealt a blow to the vulnerable communities and First Nations who will be disproportionally impacted by the proposed policy.