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Hi Dave P. & All, Oct 25, 2012
I read both of these, and by way of disclaimer don't know either Gary or
Nick, but thought that Gary's article was soundly based and Nick's seemed
out of touch with reality.
According to Nick e.g., if we just manage our Acadian forests properly
then even climate change will be a good thing; Magnolias, Shagbark Hickory,
Tulip Poplar, an amazement of understory wildflowers--- wow, who would have
known ?
Sadly there is more to climate change than warmer temperatures and the
dangerous element to forest trees in this area will likely be extreme
variation of weather.
Even one seriously adverse year in 100 can make a mess of good
management and 2012 was not great in my North Alton woodlot, to take one
example that I happen to know well. A large number of the few spruce that
did not die following extreme drought near the turn of the century, or blow
over in the wind of Dec 2010 looked very stressed during the unusually
prolonged drought this summer and a fair proportion dropped all or nearly
all of their needles. Based of observation of similar circumstances
elsewhere I expect thickets of even aged trash trees (Fir & Poplar) will
fill the clearings.
When there is serious windfall even salvage is an option only if you are
an industrial scale operator. Following the windthrow of Dec 2010 I took a
rough survey of damage and decided to try horse logging, the trees being
scattered, and sawing with a portable mill at 4-5 brows by hiring the work
and offering a split of the proceeds. The owner of a portable mill kindly
advised me to proceed only if I had a use for the lumber and went on to
explain that he had many trees over in 500 acres and had decided to let it
rot in the woods; the lumber can be sold only if certified and certification
is not practical for small lots.
And the industrial scale outlook for pulp is bleak. A study of pulp
production costs worldwide some 15-20 years ago (sorry no reference) found
that Atlantic Canada had by far the highest costs worldwide for pulp
delivered to the mill site. And diversion of sawmill waste to pulp mills
helped to keep sawmills afloat but, given the shrinking demand for paper,
this could unravel within a decade.
So there are serious problems ahead for forests, forestry industries and
the rural economy and clear-headed, fact-based thinking is called for as
opposed to wishful dreaming.
Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Patriquin" <patriqui@dal.ca>
To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2012 9:49 AM
Subject: [NatureNS] Forest Perspectives
>I hope everyone reads Nick Hill's perspective of our forests, so
>wonderfully expressed and refreshing after the dismal, rural vs urban,
>Saunders Op-Ed
>
> Nick: Take a walk into the future in the Acadian forest
> http://thech.ca/RXLoLA
>
> Saunders
> http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/151384-taking-a-walk-in-the-woods-and-through-nova-scotia-s-past
>
>
> -----
> No virus found in this message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 2013.0.2741 / Virus Database: 2614/5333 - Release Date: 10/15/12
> Internal Virus Database is out of date.
>
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