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> > counterclockwise in cold weather. One could limit the number of hikers Hi Bev and All, For starters our world views are closer than you may imagine. I think you tend to condemn clear cuts and those who do it whereas I have tried to understand the forces which have led to this deplorable practice and attempted to have these forces changed. And with regard to access to woodland, trails etc. I see only full agreement. It is to be found in (drawing on memory) in clause 33 part 3 of the Crown Lands Act which says that permission to cut a specific parcel of Crown Land is valid for only two years with possible extension for a further 12 months by application. This in effect says Cut and Run. The minister tells me that clear cuts are the rare exception now but other sources say otherwise. Selective cutting can, in many situations, involve a huge investment to tweak forest cover to one amenable to economic selective harvesting so can be undertaken only if cover ownership is perpetual with provision for sale of that ownership back to the crown. Under my proposal the Crown would own the land and consequently maintain control. The merits of selective cutting do not involve more than a basic understanding of growth; slow initially and logarithmic under best conditions. I deduced these merits when I was 8 years old. Because I was an essential half of my father's crosscut saw team (after school and on Saturdays) I was able to persuade him to not clear an area of obviously natural White Pine woods and this area is still woodland. These merits, as I recently learned, were described in some detail in a 1939 Government publication (Farm Woodlots in Eastern Canada, E. S. Richards, 1939. But returning to the topic of the day; access to hiking areas. I think it is desirable to maintain pressure for access using caution and common sense; 5 or fewer in a group 6' or more apart. With regard to clear cuts it would be very helpful to present the minister with photographic evidence that they are the norm not the exception; provided that is the case. If people are indeed being denied entry to Crown Land due to Covid-19 risk then I think one can conclude that the concept of selective cutting has been axed. Photographic documentation by air of clear cutting would be of great help to set the record straight. I did not say this but Cicero observed that "Politicians are not born. They are excreted." YT, DW, Kentville YT, DW, Kentville On 4/26/2020 11:02 AM, Bev Wigney wrote: > All, > > I've been reading all of these back and forth and tried to restrain > myself from commenting, but find myself compelled to speak up. Surely > these must indeed be "end times" when I find myself in almost mutual > agreement with David W. on a certain topic. (ha!) > > I do have serious concerns if this ban on outdoor walking along public > trails or other suitable public spaces continues for very long. Some > of these decisions are being made at the provincial and others at the > municipal level. While I can well understand closing provincial or > certain other parks where people were congregating or using shared > facilities such as picnic tables, park benches or washrooms, or where > they were traveling to, and/or mobbing certain popular locations, I > think things have probably gone too far. Before I continue, I should > mention that I'm one of the "lucky ones" who has a couple of acres of > wooded property with river frontage and have only left my place twice > in all of 6 weeks -- so I'm not actually much effected by all of these > closures. However, I do have serious concerns about how all of these > closures will effect many people. I belong to a "caremongers" group > and know that a number of people are having a really difficult time > handling the stress - some having stressful family situations such as > caring for elderly parents, etc... and wanting to go for a walk along > the French Basin Trail to relax (it's now closed). There has been > some tension over restrictions against walking on public trails in my > area and while I haven't joined in on the protests, I certainly > understand how many people are feeling. > > I believe there are plenty of ways in which certain areas could have > been kept open for use - those that people can walk or bike to access. > The one-way direction is certainly the easiest solution. Limiting > access will not be good for many people -- their bodies or their minds > - if this continues for very long. I have only to think back to 3 > years ago when I spent an entire year in urban Ottawa caring for my > mother through her terminal illness. I was pretty much limited to > walking my dogs on the roadside within sight of her house - largely > due to having no relief caregiver, but also due to lack of any green > space close by. Between the incredible stress of caring for her > through treatments and hospitalizations, combined with the inability > to spend even a half hour in some open place with some greenery in > which to stretch my legs and eyes, I was just about ready to go out of > my mind after even 4 weeks -- but it went on and on for over a year > and certainly took its toll on my physical and emotional health. > Let's hope that the powers that be have some workable plan in place > for "what happens next" if people can't start spending some time > outdoors very soon - and I don't mean just walking a loop on the > streets of towns and cities. Quite frankly, closing the Harvest Moon > Trail to walkers (at least along large stretches if not entirety), > strikes me as unnecessary. It's a very wide trail where physical > distancing is easy. So, now we have no walkers, but the ATVs are still > blasting back and forth along it as though all is well with the world. > I should know -- the trail goes right along the back of my property > and the engine noise hasn't abated whatsoever. > > Further, as we have recently learned, almost all biology field work > has been shut down for this year, even when physical distancing is > possible. This will eliminate all kinds of data collection and also > valuable work experience for university students. Again, there is > little danger in such situations if precautions are being taken. Why > shut down such worthwhile programs while, at the same time, it appears > that forestry work is going ahead the same as usual judging by all of > the heavy road-building equipment