We’re growing!
Increasingly, small woodlot owners are interested in alternatives to clear-cut timber harvesting. To help you learn more about your options for forest management, the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association (NSWOOA) has begun a three-year program of growth and expansion.
This web page is the first and most visible sign of that effort. Please pardon our appearance as we work to make www.nswooa.ca the best place in Nova Scotia for information about sustainable forest management.
We ask for your patience as the work goes forward. Past newsletters and other important information can still be found at www.nswooa.blogspot.ca.
Our vision for sustainable forestry
Founded in 1969, the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association is the oldest independent organization of small forest landowners in the province. Our mission is to support woodlot owners and operators (small contractors) in sustainable forestry through education, demonstration, marketing, and cooperation.
Truly sustainable forestry requires that all the values of our woodlands – ecological, social, cultural, and economic – be preserved for future generations. We believe that forest practices should emulate the natural disturbance regime under which our native Acadian Forest evolved. Uneven-aged management over long rotations, with emphasis on growing high-quality trees of our longest-lived, most valuable species, offers the best opportunity to realize timber value while restoring forest conditions to a more natural (and desirable) state.
Sustainable forest use can be realised only through the restoration and maintenance of ecological health and integrity. Compromising ecological integrity for short-term considerations will inevitably have a negative impact on forest use by future generations.
Within the concept of maintaining ecological integrity, a wide range of activities are possible. NSWOOA supports the right of landowners to make decisions regarding the management and use of their lands. However, we also emphasize the social responsibilities that accompany private ownership of natural resources. We support public policies that encourage responsible forest management and recognize the many contributions of small woodlots to our communities' social and cultural fabric and to the local and provincial economies.
To learn more about the association, call us at 902-817-4763 or write to NSWOOA@gmail.com.
NSWOOA offers program for landowners
who want to learn more about forests
Are you interested in sustainably managing your forestland, but unsure about how to begin? This year, a professional forester from the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association will visit 100 small landowners to offer suggestions on getting started.
Site visits will be offered to landowners who:
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Are interested in active woodlot management for the first time;
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Want to explore alternatives to clear-cut timber harvesting; and
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Want to learn how to access to silviculture funding.
The NSWOOA forester will spend a half-day in the woods with each owner. Participants will receive:
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A summary report about opportunities on the woodlot that are consistent with the owner’s personal values, objectives, and goals;
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The most current aerial photograph of the woodlot, and a property sketch map;
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An introductory membership in NSWOOA; and
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A list of resources and service providers for woodlot owners.
The cost is just $25. If you are interested in receiving more information about the project, please contact Stephen Cole at 902-309-1062 or bradcole500@gmail.com.
