Region Archives: Canada East

In a recent paper, Frances Stewart, assistant professor at Wilfrid Laurier University and Canada Research Chair in Northern Wildlife Biology and her colleagues apply the “ecological forecasts” concept to boreal caribou habitat in the Northwest Territories. To do so, they included different predictions about boreal caribou habitat in a computer program to create a projection, or forecast, of how these things will interact in the coming century. Stewart said by combining predictions about climate change, wildfires, and how tree species composition might shift and change, they were able to create a forecast of the Northwest Territories boreal habitat. Their results paint a mixed picture for the future. …their forecast shows boreal caribou habitat in the Northwest Territories will slightly decline by the end of the century. However, it also shows that remaining habitat is likely to push northward, providing an opportunity to think about the present and future of boreal caribou conservation.

Nina Newington’s work to protect Nova Scotia’s forests started one day when she was watching the barn swallows that nest in the old barn on her property on North Mountain in the Annapolis Valley. …In Canada, the population of barn swallows has declined by about 76% in the last 40 years. …The clear cutting was one of the first things Newington noticed when she moved to Nova Scotia. She first saw the cuts when visiting the South Shore. After that day of watching the barn swallows, Newington decided she would learn more about what’s happening to Nova Scotia’s forests. …Then one day, Newington saw a photo on Facebook that caught her attention. The picture showed a group of people standing on the side of the road holding a banner that said Extinction Rebellion.  

When Storm Robinson entered the forestry industry in Ontario in 2015, she felt welcomed and supported because of a group called Women in Wood. Now she wants to help give that feeling to other women entering the field in New Brunswick. …They strive to encourage women to work in the woods or related sectors and help them excel in their careers through mentorship and skills training. Robinson is part of a team of women opening the organization’s first provincial chapter in New Brunswick.  Women in Wood helped her chase her dreams when she moved to Fredericton in 2018 to complete a bachelor and master of science in forestry at the University of New Brunswick. …Robinson said women remain underrepresented in forestry in Canada and New Brunswick. Nationwide, women make up 18.2 per cent of the workforce in natural resources and 21.6 per cent of the workforce in New Brunswick.

ROUYN-NORANDA, Quebec — The Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) announced the publication of a major book on managing boreal forests in the context of climate change. Boreal Forests in the Face of Climate Change | Sustainable Management was recently released by Springer Publishing as part of a series of works aimed at addressing environmental issues. Edited by two professors from UQAT’s Forest Research Institute, this book contains 31 chapters written by 148 authors from 20 countries. Nearly a dozen scientists from UQAT participated in the writing of this book, which will certainly become a reference in sustainable forest management. Several years ago, Miguel Montoro Girona had the idea of writing a book bringing together forest scientists from around the world. …Almost five years later, the book is finally finished!

Canada touts its logging industry as one of the world’s greenest, but behind the scenes, government and industry have been lobbying furiously to stop foreign attempts to protect the boreal forest.

More support is coming to help private woodlot owners recover from hurricane Fiona and grow healthy forests. “Private woodlot owners still need support to clean up trees downed by the hurricane so we’re investing more money to help,” said Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables. “We’re also making sure owners have certainty about silviculture funding in plenty of time to make plans and start work to manage their woodlots sustainably.” The Department is investing an additional $5.7 million this fiscal year to help private woodlot owners with Fiona cleanup and to manage their lands sustainably. …This marks a permanent shift in the schedule of silviculture funding. Starting with the 2023-24 budget, budgeted silviculture funding will be for work in the subsequent fiscal year.

NOVA SCOTIA – Tree harvesting plans approved for Crown land in the Goldsmith Lake area of Annapolis County have been put on hold, say members of the citizens’ group opposing the cut. “Ten days ago we discovered logging starting up in one of the parcels near Goldsmith and got quite worried,” said Lisa Proulx, one of the group that includes members of Extinction Rebellion. “Learning that the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables has put a hold on all the harvests planned for the area right around the lake is a huge relief,” Proulx said. “Even better is learning that they are not just applying individual buffers, they are reconsidering how to manage this forest.” Proulx and the group said they learned March 1 that, thanks to their efforts and the existence of rare and at-risk lichens in the area, the department has suspended harvest plans.

Donna Crossland

Donna Crossland is worried that not enough is changing in the woods. The forest ecologist and long-time advocate for sustainable forestry said in a recent interview that she is alarmed by the large volume of proposed timber harvesting on Crown land in eastern Nova Scotia. Using the provincial government’s map viewer for potential harvests, Crossland totalled up about 1,500 hectares of proposed cuts in the last five months that she says are “functionally clearcuts.” Another 850 hectares are proposed as salvage cuts in areas with blowdowns created by Hurricane Fiona. “This is not ecological forestry,” Crossland said in an interview. “This is not what was the outcome from the independent forest review by Bill Lahey. This is not OK.” Lahey, the president of the University of King’s College, authored a review of forestry practices in the province in 2018 that called for a drastic reduction in clearcuts and management of the woods that prioritizes ecological practices.

FREDERICTON – Six Wolastoqey communities in New Brunswick have signed a memorandum of understanding with one of the companies named in a major lawsuit filed by the First Nations, who are seeking to reclaim title over large swaths of the province. The agreement in principle with forestry company AV Group New Brunswick outlines a path for a forest co-management model and for other economic development opportunities, representatives for the six nations said Tuesday. …Madawaska Maliseet First Nation Chief Patricia Bernard… “It actually sets the stage for other companies to probably do the same, sit down with the chiefs and come to an understanding, moving forward when it comes to forestry management.” …Other than AV Group NB, the defendants include J.D. Irving Ltd. and 18 of its subsidiaries or related entities, NB Power, Acadian Timber, as well as the governments of New Brunswick and Canada.

Steven Guilbeault

TORONTO – Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault, announced over $11.7 million to support the Ontario Land Trust Alliance to conserve wetlands, grasslands and forests that are currently under threat. Spanning much of the province, the projects will protect from conversion up to 6000 hectares. The projects will also restore another 300 hectares of habitat that supports 60 species at risk, including the Kirtland’s Warbler. In addition to protecting species at risk and important ecosystems in people’s neighbourhoods, these projects will help keep our air clean and fight climate change, by capturing and storing carbon. …Minister Guilbeault also announced over $850,000 to support several projects with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority focused on the Great Lakes restoration. These projects will improve freshwater quality and aquatic habitat throughout surrounding communities.

NOVA SCOTIA — We need to preserve our forests both to sequester carbon and to maintain biodiversity so that life on Earth can continue for our children and grandchildren. Thus, I am deeply concerned with the recent return of “business as usual” in the Houston government’s handling of forestry. Three examples stand out: The mandated increase in biomass burning for power generation; The heavy harvests that have been proposed in Eastern Nova Scotia; and The lack of environmental assessment and forestry management plans for Port Hawkesbury Paper’s Forest Utilisation Agreement. We appear to be regressing after some improvement stemming from two massive reviews: William Lahey’s review of forest practices in 2018 and the Natural Resources Strategy 2010. …DNRR seems to be returning to “business as usual” while paying lip service to Lahey’s recommendations for ecological forestry. This cannot be allowed.

Prince Edward Island’s legislated fire season starts March 15, and forestry officials are concerned that debris from post-tropical storm Fiona has created conditions that could lead to more forest fires.  The storm took down a lot of trees when it swept across the Island in September.  While many of the larger trees have been cleaned up, there are still lots that were damaged, and plenty of branches and smaller pieces of wood piled up. That’s something Mike Montigny calls fuel loading. He’s the manager of field services for the Department of Environment’s forests, fish and wildlife division. …”We’re going to be working with the volunteer fire brigades, the municipalities, the fire marshal’s office to help landowners… reduce that fire load around their houses,” he said.  Montigny said the department is using a fire smart program, and there are resources available online.

The Natural Resources and Forestry is handing $2.1 million  to Forests Ontario, a leading charity prompting sustainable forest and grasslands to support tree planting through its projects and programs. Forests Ontario said it has planted more than 41 million over 20,500 hectares of land across the province. …Forests Ontario said planting trees is the natural and best way to fight climate change. And there are economic benefits to be had. In the Ottawa Valley, 20 forest products mills in the area employ 2,200 people and generates more than $85 million in taxes.

Ontario — A provincial recovery strategy to protect the endangered Black Ash tree, has caused concerns for forestry stakeholders. Ian Armstrong, at Boundary Waters Forest Management Corporation, said that while he agrees that a strategy to protect Black Ash is needed, he compared the current one to placing a “glass dome” over northwestern Ontario, restricting movement of the forest industry and restricting private landowners. The government declared Black Ash as an endangered species in the province of Ontario due to an Emerald Ash Borer infestation… The Black Ash Recovery Strategy prohibits harming, harassing, possessing, transporting, trading, and selling of live or dead Black Ash, under the Endangered Species Act. Several restrictions will be enforced on both private and Crown land where Black Ash is present, such as protection for entire wetland sites in which one or more Black Ash trees are present, and a 28-meter reserve applied on each individual Black Ash tree.

Alison Brunette

AUDIO STORY — An Indigenous community on the Gaspé Coast is holding its ground. They say they’re willing to do whatever it takes to ensure their community has access to enough wood resources to keep their economy afloat. Guest host Allison Van Rassel speaks with the chief of Gesgapegiag.

BARRIE, ON – At Forests Ontario’s Annual Conference in Alliston, Ontario today, the Honourable Graydon Smith, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry and MPP for Parry–Sound Muskoka, announced that the Ontario government is investing $2.1 million in tree planting through Forests Ontario. “We are proud to support Forests Ontario’s mission to make our forests greener,” Minister Smith says. “With this investment, our government is taking action to ensure the long-term sustainability of Ontario’s forests and forest sector businesses, while creating stability for workers, families and communities that depend on this sector.” The one-year investment will support tree planting through Forests Ontario’s tree planting programs. Through our comprehensive network of partners and programs, Forests Ontario has planted more than 41 million trees to date, resulting in 20,500 hectares of new forest created across more than 8,300 project sites.

POINT TUPPER: The region’s largest employer has made changes to agreements it reached with the provincial government more than a decade ago. According to a press release issued by the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNRR) on Feb. 8, agreements reached with Port Hawkesbury Paper (PHP) have been updated to support sustainable ecological forestry and the management of public lands. Geoffrey Clarke, Director of Business Development for PHP, said these are not new agreements. “Back in 1957, Stora signed a 50-year forestry licence for the area,” he said. “When Port Hawkesbury Paper came in 2012, we signed a 20-year renewable licence for Crown land for a volume of wood to supply the mill. What comes with that is a 10 year check-in so it accounts for all new developments.”  …the deal is now extended to 2043, the province said, noting that changes include a lower volume of timber so the province can accommodate multiple priorities on Crown land.

TIMMINS, Ontario — The Kenogami Watershed Ecological Alliance will host a town hall meeting at Kirkland Lake’s Royal Canadian Legion hall on March 29. The purpose of the meeting is raise awareness to the proposed developments of land in unincorporated townships across many parts of Northeastern Ontario by a group known as the Boreal Forest Medieval Villages. Anna McPherson said, “The purpose of this meeting is for community awareness about off-grid developments in unincorporated townships. “It is not just affecting Kenogami, it is affecting all of Northern Ontario and all areas of unincorporated communities.” She feels without the rules, regulations being followed many areas are going to be affected and it will become “the wild west.” …The town hall meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.