community forests and landscape connectivity in

Community forests and landscape connectivity in southwestern Nova Scotia

Amanda Lavers Executive Director

Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute

Context: MTRI strategic plan

Monitor: rates of change, road development

Research: focal species, old forests

Manage: across ownership types Private land certification (small and large) HCVF land acquisition for protected areas

Public land allocation to community forests

Buy Back Mersey

Community Forest Development

Outline

MTRI Strategic Plan Goal 1: Research, Monitoring, and Management Develop and implement co-operative multidisciplinary research, monitoring and management programs through collaboration with members, partners, and communities

Objective 1.2: Research, monitor, and encourage appropriate and informed management of forest health and landscape connectivity.

• Rate of forest cover loss is increasing

• Patches are getting smaller while edge density and number of patches is increasing

• Road development is steadily increasing and mitigation options are under consideration

• Preferred focal species & key areas were identified and recommendations made for management to ensure connectivity

• Flying squirrel fecundity & survivorship monitoring program was developed for habitat suitability and connectivity modelling

• Presence and absence of eastern pipistrelle bat was explained at landscape scale by amount of mature spruce forest

• Old forests were identified & assessed on private land and recommendations provided for management across the landscape

Road Development in Upper Mersey Watershed

0

100

200

300

400

500

1986 1991 1995 2000 2005

Year

Leng

th (K

m)

05

1015202530354045

ANNAPOLIS DIGBY YARMOUTH SHELBURNE QUEENS

%86-91%91-95%95-00%00-05

Rate of change (%) and length of road development in 5 year increments from satellite imagery. Data source: Prakash & Colville 2007.

Monitoring structural connectivity

Researching functional connectivity

2C1f map?

Data source: Inglis 2007



Old forests in Bowater`s Medway District recommended for purchase which scored at least 75 out of 100 using NS Department of Natural Resources Old Forest Score. Field work, analysis, and map by MTRI Ecosystems Researcher, Alain Belliveau.


Farrow & Broders 2011

-clumps of Usnea spp. lichen used for roosting, typically in mature spruce trees. -best landscape predictor of the magnitude of tri-colored activity was non-forested land area within commuting distance of survey sites -this is an example of a forest-associated bat that seems to be negatively impacted by landscape practices that reduce the spatial extent of forests

Monitoring functional connectivity

Inside Kejimkujik:

Results also demonstrate that habitat amount in the greater park ecosystem is declining and currently below thresholds needed to sustain long-term breeding populations for all five focal species.

Human recreational connectivity

(habitat amount and connectivity) • Used management tools such as Forest

Stewardship Council certification for private woodland owners,

• Collaborated with large industry to identify high conservation value forests for special management or sale to land trusts,

• Collaborated with public land managers to help restore biodiversity features on crown land and within protected areas

Photo by James Rowter

Managing for forest health and connectivity

Common thread: Managing Bowater lands as wilderness

June 19, 2012 Richard Garneau, President Resolute Forest Products, announces Bowater mill closure and sale of all assets including 220,000 hectare woodlands valued at $100-150 million

St. Margaret’s Bay Stewardship Association Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute Milford House Beechville-Lakeside-Timberlea Rails to Trails Buy Back Nova Scotia Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Canoe-Kayak Nova Scotia Chester Municipality (supports St. Margaret’s District purchase) Clean Annapolis River Project Eastern Shore Forest Watch (ESFW) Ecology Action Centre Five Bridges Wilderness Heritage Trust Friends of Nature Halifax Field Naturalists Halifax Regional Trails Association Medway River Salmon Association Metro District ATV Association (MDATV) Nature Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Off Highway Vehicle Coalition (NSOHV) Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association (NSWOOA) Our HRM Alliance (which includes 40 member organizations!) Safety-minded ATV Club St. Margaret’s Bay Area Rails to Trails Association St. Margaret’s Bay Legion Woodens River Watershed Environmental Organization

Buy Back Mersey!

Gauging community support

Defining community forests

Community control: not simply consulted on management planning, but have a substantial influence over the decisions that result from the management process Local benefit: keep benefits that are generated from the forest in the community rather than accruing distant shareholders Multiple-use management for a variety of values Sustainable forest management to promote long-term ecological health

Teitelbaum et al. 2006. A national portrait of community forestry on public land in Canada. The Forestry Chronicle. 82: 416-428.

Photo by Otis Tomas

Guiding principles for proposed southwestern NS community forests

Bowater lands best opportunity FSC certified and focused on long-term sustainability Foster value-added partnerships and innovation Collaborate with private woodland owners: co-operative marketing of specialty products and trustworthy pool of contractors “right-sized” for uneven-aged management Rural economic development strategy with potential to catalyze a transition from conventional focus on even-aged management for pulp and paper

Photo by Pam Langille

Proposed model

Tom Berry and Royce Ford: Assuming that 3 people could be employed year-round with chainsaws and a small machine on every 1000 acres on a 30 year rotation with low impact forestry with selective harvesting techniques. A 60,000 acre lease on productive land could allow 50% of lands to be used and would employ 90 people in the woods. There would also be employment for truckers and road builders as well as manufacturers and indirect spin-offs. Stumpage rates at current prices would generate a return of about $240,000 back to the province.

Lessons from the literature

Factors for success (Teitelbaum 2010): access to sufficient landbase, secure tenure, appropriate regulatory regime, diversified vision of development, inclusive and accountable community-based organizations, community capacity, market opportunities, establish vibrant forestry culture

Common challenges (Bullock, Hanna, and Slocombe 2009): poor forest health and timber profiles, low local support and awareness & lack of human and physical resources, difficulty reaching consensus & diverse motivations for pursuing community forest resistance from conventional forest management paradigm, competition, unsupportive stumpage appraisal system, weak senior government support

Photo by Dana Orr

Recommendations for NSDNR (Duinker and MacLellan 2012): proceed now, promote diversity and rigorous experimentation, engage broadly, establish support mechanisms, evaluate continuously

Photo by Dan Hutt

Lessons from the literature

Opinion survey: -What are the prevailing values for which a local community forest should manage? -How best to engage local community?

Governance models -Co-operative

-Non-profit Society -Municipal government

Marketing strategies Business modeling using volume data

Next steps

Photo by Alain Belliveau

Acknowledgments

Jane Barker and Alain Belliveau, MTRI Will Martin, Windhorse Woods Matt Miller, Ecology Action Centre Tom Berry, Independent Forest Technician Royce Ford, CR Trees North Queens Board of Trade Duncan Smith and Stephen Flemming, Parks Canada Allan Eddy, NS Department of Natural Resources Harold and Diane Clapp Peter Duinker, Dalhousie University Sara Teitelbaum, Université du Québec a Montréal British Columbia Community Forest Association

community forests and landscape connectivity in

Documents