COUNTY - For the first time since the 1980s the province is undergoing a comprehensive forestry strategy reform.

 The early results are in the form of a steering panel report and thus far the results have been contentious at best.

 Large industry is campaigning heavily against the report, while the majority of private woodlot owners are concerned about the government getting too involved in management of their property.

 "Many of the recommendations, if implemented by government, would fundamentally affect the rights of private landowners to manage their lands, increase the cost of producing wood, decrease the supply of wood fibre available to industries in the province and add significant cost to government to administer," Robin G. Anthony, manager of human resources, Bowater Mersey Paper Company Limited, said in an e-mail to this paper.

 She said the report is incomplete in the sense it doesn't include any cost analysis.

 "No economic impact analysis has been done to consider how implementing these recommendations would impact woodlot owners and the forest-based economy of rural Nova Scotia," she said.

 "Equally concerning is the fact that there is no consultation on the recommendations. People and businesses that would be seriously affected by the changes have no process by which to express their concerns."

 The forestry industry in Nova Scotia is worth $1-billion annually.

 Natural Resources Minister John MacDonell received the report, submitted by volunteers Donna Crossland and Bob Bancroft, on May 7 which included 113 new strategies for managing the province's parks, minerals, forests and biodiversity.

 The minister has also publicly stated the report in some form will be put into action, most likely by the end of August.

 On the other side you have groups such as the Ecology Action Centre saying the recommendations in the report are valuable and shouldn't simply be dismissed.

advertisement

 Matt Miller, a private woodlot owner and employee of the Ecology Action Centre has accused big industry of creating an aura of fear around the report.

 "The letters [sent out by the commercial industry] contain grossly exaggerated claims about the potential impacts of the report submitted by Ms Donna Crossland and Mr. Bob Bancroft, and encourage protests to the government against recommendations," he said. "The organizations responsible for these letters have clearly stated their preference for the strategic ... [of] maintaining the status quo with minimal changes."

 Mr. Miller said big business has embarked upon fear mongering as its strategy.

 "And they're using that fear to persuade the smaller woodlot owners to go against the report."

 Jon Porter, a senior executive with Bowater Mersey Paper Company, submitted his own report citing 62 recommendations for the industry. His report called for gradual changes as opposed to abrupt change.

 The Bancroft-Crossland report recommended limits on clear-cutting, reduced herbicide spraying and mandatory management plans on private woodlots.

 Ivan Corkum, a private woodlot owner in Lunenburg County, said he's worried the changes could force woodlot owners out of business.

 "I have three sons and grandsons," he said. "I'm not taking this land with me. But what good is it to them if they can't work the land?"

 A third-generation woodlot owner, Mr. Corkum said there is plenty of experience in his family history to tell him how to properly maintain and work his land.

 "I'm in this to make a living," he said. "I'm not going to destroy my land. There are some good ideas in that report, don't get me wrong, but common sense is gone."

 Mr. Miller said he does agree the report includes some strong language. However, he said that wasn't the intent of the Bancroft-Crossland report.

 "Their report was received the same time as the Porter report," he said. "Those reports were polar opposites and went to a steering panel who devised the final report for government. That final report, while keeping the spirit of the Bancroft-Crossland report, has much stronger language which makes it seem to be a lot more harsh than it is."

 Change is coming, Mr. Miller said, it's just a matter of what form is takes.

posted on 07/27/10