Winter Newsletter 2020
Greetings from the depths of winter! If you can believe it, the MCFC signed our original pilot project agreement 5 years ago, on January 31, 2015. Whether you're new to the MCFC or a long-time supporter, have a look back on our early days on the website as a great reminder of how far we've come. This milestone is a huge accomplishment, but we still have a long way to go to develop a structure for self-sufficiency and investment strategy for the community of Caledonia. The Department of Lands and Forestry is committed to continuing to help fund the MCFC in the coming years, and we will be signing a new agreement at the end of March. Although this will not be the long-term agreement we’ve been seeking, the Department is committed to helping us bridge the gap in this time of transition.
We’re looking forward to some exciting new projects in 2020, and bringing some of our existing initiatives to light. January was an extremely busy month, with plenty of report writing, funding applications and important meetings following the closure of Northern Pulp. As has often been the case over the past 5 years, the Nova Scotia forestry industry is in a state of flux and change. The MCFC is hopeful that together with the Department of Lands and Forestry, we can help our local rural communities build resiliency – both ecologically and economically.
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
We’re continuing to work with the Canadian Forest Service to test partial harvesting as a means to mitigate impacts from the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA). As mentioned in our last newsletter, if you have a woodlot with over 30% hemlock cover, we’d love to discuss options to help finance and research silviculture trials. The MCFC has also been helping advise Kejimkujik National Park and Historic Site on the development a silviculture strategy to diversify forest structure in Jeremy’s Bay Campground.
Operations
This fall we completed over 50 ha of pre-commercial thinning on young stands in the East Branch area of the Medway region with Novon Forestry. These blocks were originally clearcut by Bowater in the early 2010s and we prescribed treatments that release a diversity of tree species for growth, rather than solely those that are in demand as lumber. This diversity will help maintain habitat for wildlife as the stand develops and increase resiliency in light of climate change and invasive pests.
We’re hoping to secure a contractor to have wood harvesting in the MCFC consistently this year, especially to help build our firewood inventory for sales contracts to local vendors. We will be again offering 8 foot wood firewood for sale to the public as well. If you’re interested in ordering logs for spring delivery please contact us (902) 701-0505 or info@medwaycommunityforest.com
Participants at our winter hike on February 2 learning about invasive fish from MCFC Chair, Katie MacLean.
Nova Scotia Working Woodlands Trust
We received news that NSWWT application for charitable designation was unsuccessful, and the response became a priority in early January. With some legal help and a considerable amount of support from numerous partner organizations, we hope our response will project the potential benefit the NSWWT could have for the stewardship of working woodlands across Nova Scotia. If you’re interested in learning more about the initiative please contact us.
Biodiversity Study
Completed this past summer by Jennika Hunsinger, a Masters student from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Forestry, our biodiversity study is now available for the public to read. The report has many interesting findings, and speaks to the ecological integrity of the post-settlement Acadian forest. To learn more about the findings from the study, please take a look at the full report.