Day Twelve
Fredericton
December 17, 2003

Nairn Hay, Fundy Model Forest, General manager - represents 36 partners. 11 members of the Executive represent the com'tee. Mr. Hay explained the history - established in 1992, one of a 11 across the country, using a virtual land base though partners have actual terrain on the ground. They use consensus to come to decisions, the partners reflect a wide spectrum of stakeholder opinion from the general public to woodlot owners to big industry. Partners contribute various tools to do the research and establish educational programs for schools and general public. Mr. Hay described the lessons learned through their partnerships and the two essential elements of trust and knowledge along with an ethic of continuous learning.
Recommendations:
1) Public should participate in reviewing the objectives in the management of Crown Lands to provide a mandate for the direction and magnitude of change in forest management.
2) A fund supported by stakeholders should be developed specifically for research and development of science-based forest management practices applicable in NB.

Robin Anderson, Anderson Ventures Ltd.- formerly operated a small sawmill, now owns a business which builds and sells machinery for the value-added lumber industry. His submission is based on value-added industry and he hopes we will put back the jobs which have been lost in the last few years. We need to do more with less - for every unit that is produced at a sawmill, there are 4 jobs created compared to number of jobs per unit in the pulp mill sector. The high-tech industry is important but we must also look at the resources we have in NB. We must look at putting more value into our lumber products as well as other areas, rather than loading trucks and trains with lumber and sending them across the lines. We must create and enhance business of finding new products to assemble, manufacture, sell and export. Our forest products are underutilized in the value added sector and investment in this area might even stop the exodus of our young people. We would need fewer trees by shifting our focus from cutting, hauling, sawing and shipping to manufacturing processes that create that magic number of 4 to 1 ratio of employment previously mentioned.

E.W. Ted Robak, P. Eng. RPF, Professor of Forest Operations Management, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, UNB - would like to make some suggestions for future policy and management of Crown Lands.
Mr. Robak spoke briefly about what was good and not so good and about the gaps and errors in the Jaakko-Poyry report.
The focus, for example, was on timber supply for quantity, not quality - and did not include objectives for any other timber species of the public lands. The report ignored need for policies for and management of forests beyond the license level (all Crown Lands, all forests in the province).
Certification process does not assure sustainability of the forest. The government must never relinquish management and control of our Crown forests. We should never simply emulate any practices in any other jurisdiction without careful study and planning.
The best thing about the report is that it is fostering good and healthy debate about the future and direction of Crown Lands. Though the J-P report focused primarily on the issue of wood supply, it did not address the wood supply very well since it ignores a good part of our forest land base.
Recommendations:
1) NB Sustainable Forest Management advisory board should be constituted and given the responsibility to advise government on goals, policies, programs and processes that would help the province achieve its goals in the forestry sector
2) this advisory board would help develop a coherent structure and ongoing process of goal-setting and monitoring of outcomes for NB forestry as a whole. [download powerpoint presentation]

Mr. Foran inquired about community based forestry. Yes, he thinks there is potential for this in NB - in Kedgwick, for example - and we missed a real opportunity to use some of the lands around McAdam. We should at least look at it - designing policy development. The decision-making process is critical and would have to be looked at. A multistakeholder group, from industry to environmentalists need to be included as an advisory committee. Dr. Robak suggested that the value-added sector could be even more productive than suggested by Mr. Anderson, the previous prsesenter - and that we must think of future generations, not only in dollars. Tax incentives on private lands are also important. He used the example of Spain, where government invests lot of money in silviculture for private lands too - setting policy and guidelines, not imposing laws on private landowners.

Janet Blackadar, Amec Earth and Environmental Ltd., M. Sc.F., Manager, Environmental Science. Amec has 2000 employees, environmental scientists and engineers, 90 offices in Canada and US. They do environmental impact monitoring and assessment - among many other services. They have capabilities in water management of surface and ground water and design uses for said. They also do work in environment permitting in NB and have worked in all the watersheds potentially affected by the J-P report. They want to address the recommendation of the J-P report re harvesting in riparian zones, the waterways of NB - they are familiar with the regulatory framework of waterways as well as the animal habitat it provides.
Ms. Blacakadar then explained the water cycle and stated it is a finite resource. Water sitting on the surface also eventually percolates into the underground aquifers - riparian zones play a very important role in the water cycle. Riparian zone, basically a vegetated area, from few grasses to densely treed - the size can vary but is categorized by its functions, as follows: contribution to the water cycle by allowing water to filter into rivers and streams, covers and shades streams for fish, temperature control of rivers and streams, important source of leaf litter which begin to decompose and become a food source and providing cover for fish, flood control - which allows water to be taken up in big rain and snow downpours, also is related to temperature of ground water, important for wells. Riparian zones also prevent erosion and sedimentation. Once temperature control is gone, very difficult to replace that function - cost and mitigation strategies are very big. Once sedimentation has begun, very difficult to remove, costly. Sediment in a watercourse, done by practices such as cutting trees to the water's edge, mowing to the river's edge - we see a coffee-coloured waterway when it is raining. Though the river bottom is covered in rocks, there are spaces in between - for fish reproduction - if sediment fills up those holes, they reduce the quality of habitat and reproductive areas for fish and macro-invertebrates, thus affecting fish habitat. Rivers are also used for recreation, taking the family for a swim for example. Also important to remember that some surface waters are used for drinking water - removing sediment, by filtering drinking water, for example, is costly.
Many different ways we can monitor - have to know what is going on upstream to know what is going on downstream, looking at total suspended solids, doing this sampling on a regular basis, over a variety of events and in different places.
This data is used to note trends, develop environmental protection plans, adapt practices to different areas depending on a host of factors.
The regulatory context for these activities: Fisheries Act, Clean Water Act, associated regulations and Canadian Water Quality Guidelines. Should activities be allowed to occur, monitoring activities would have to be put in place - and changes to legislation would also be necessary.
Monitoring has an important role to play and is essential to maintain water quality and ultimately the entire water cycle. Mitigation is costly and complex. Using machinery to go willy-nilly into riparian zones would not be cost-efficient.

Andrew Clark, woodlot owner, ranger school graduate, forestry worker and contractor. He helped in the establishment of the Carleton-Victoria Wood Producers Association and the Carleton-Victoria Forest Products Marketing Board. Today, he is speaking on his own behalf. Like to use a phrase by Bud Bird about the Crown Lands and Forest Act in 1982, "will mean more than managing trees, it will mean managing the system so that the sawmill wood producer and small forestry contractor can perceive their future with optimism and confidence more" - today, it means managing systems so that all will have access to the forest - if we make the right changes to our Crown Lands, we can achieve the goals to have everyone have access to the Crown Lands. The Act did make some positive changes and there are some good results, however there have been bad results, particularly since 1992 when primary source of supply was removed from private woodlot owners. Since then, industry has had exclusive rights to the entire Crown Lands, the current system being an oligarchy (Dictionary: a system in which a small group exercises control, especially for corrupt or selfish purposes) by permitting industry to treat people as serfs. The latest exercise in raw power was the manner in which several hundred lifelong forestry workers were excluded from the forest.

A second significant problem relates to the organization of harvesting activity. This is causing the loss of large volumes of wood from tree mortality - blocks not scheduled for harvest where trees are dying and the opposite, too young blocks scheduled harvested.
The system is too rigid and decision-making is too far removed from the ground.
The concept of capturing of mortality, properly done, would mean more extensive yet less intensive harvesting. Harvesting would be the main silviculture tool, would mean that harvesting would be over a greater area, increase overall costs but reduce silviculture costs. Results and benefits are good esthetics, good habitat, watershed protection and biodiversity.

The first response by industry is that this cannot be done on a large scale. Mr. Clark would argue that it takes insight and courage to make changes.
His recommendation would help with the first problem which to him is a conflict of interest by the pulp industry, which manages the forests for their own mills, promoting softwood growth, using herbicides at the expense of hardwoods. Well-managed hardwoods grow as well and have higher value (in many cases) than softwoods.
Two of our companies are in this situation. The Auditor-General in 2001 showed that though we received $56 million in royalties (stumpage fees), we spent more in silviculture and administration.
Mr. Clark cited the example of Seven Islands Land Company in Maine, a company managed by 22 foresters and technicians, for a family business of 1 million acres for decades which has provided income for all through a mutual self-interest in having a stable income.
People of NB should expect no less from their Crown Lands - a sustained yield, enhancement of forestry activities, no conflict of interest, a minimum of interference, continual monitoring practices - to see if in fact that work has been done satisfactorily - makes people and industry accountable.
The government should also be careful about where it obtains advice - companies are bought and sold - citing the recent change of ownership and name of several big paper companies - the whole story being reminiscent of carpetbaggers after the civil war in US - where they moved in after the war, looked around, set up business, made their money, then left soon after.
Mr. Clark cited the UNB cited of 3 woodlots, one clearcut, one left alone and the other partially harvested- the third was the most productive over time. He also described the discovery of mychorizzal fungi and its role in tree growth should teach us some humility - by partial harvesting, we maintain the presence of mychorizzal fungi, and the volume of wood increases dramatically. The fact that we are making new discoveries about forestry systems is reason enough to not go changing the entire landscape - try to keep some perspective on our own level of intelligence, compared to what God has put here, rather than thinking we can manage such dramatic change.
Today, we are working on the industry's agenda - we should be taking a much larger view of where we want to go, how we want to achieve it and develop an industrial strategy from there.
The process of nature sometimes regenerates quickly, sometimes it takes a long time and areas can be helped along by replanting.
Vision for the future - see where we would like to be in 25 years, then develop a strategy then implement the plan.

Leo Hayes, Envirothon Club, Leo Hayes High School, Fredericton - 5 students each gave a brief presentation:
Alex Bubar is a 5th generation private woodlot owner. He posed a series of questions related to the use of Crown Lands and the competition with private woodlots owners. He was also concerned with the idea of monocultures which would create several problems: ecological diversity will disappear, vulnerability to insect or disease. He stated that nature solves this problem by creating variations in all species.
Jen Atkinson emphasized that the most essential part of the biosphere that promotes a healthier life for the world and its living organisms are the mass varieties of trees found throughout our regional forests. If we choose to cut down large amounts of trees, we are dramatically reducing our main asset in fighting climate change.
Trees provide protection from sunlight for smaller plants and animals, as well as the soil and prevent soil erosion. Forest foliage reduces wind and noise, cools the air, stops glare, produces oxygen, traps dust and pollen and captures rain to prevent harmful run-off of water - potential flooding and destruction of habitat.
Trees are the means of life.
Natalie Comeau began by noting that the monarch butterfly and the woodpecker would be just two of the species threatened by the recommendation in the Jaakko-Poyry report to double the area of tree plantations to 40% of Crown Land. She asked us to think about living in the city where all one needs is at hand, compared to living in the country where necessities are hard to come by - comparing this to the situation which thousands of species are faced with when their habitats are cut down. She stated that Canada as a nation prides itself in its biodiversity, but when we start to ruin that diversity for the sake of a dollar we are slowly tarnishing our nation's pride.
We need to take into consideration all those who could be affected by replacing 40% of our varied forests with clone like plantations.
Jessi Bradley emphasized the benefits of biodiversity in the forest, stating that NB is one of the most environmentally responsible jurisdictions in the world in forestry practices, having reserved 32 % of Crown Land as special management areas. Balsam Fir is used in medicines, butternut is used for oils, red ash is food for moose, deer and beaver. White Ash is important food for birds and small mammals. Bur oak nuts were a staple food for First Nations, black willow contains the basic salicylic acid, of which aspirin is made - all these trees are found in NB's forests. If all focus is on spruce and fir, it would mean putting the production of those trees ahead of any other uses for the forest including animals.
For every action there is a consequence, she reminded the panel, stating that tampering with biodiversity and fooling with Mother Nature has a far higher price to pay and affects far more people than just the forest industry.

Larry Lack, St. Andrews, reminded the select committee that NB's Crown Lands are held in trust for the people of the province to be managed for the benefit of all. However, industrialized management has degraded our forests into little more than pulp yards and 2x4 factories. The system of industrial licensing should be terminated as soon as possible and replaced with an independent commission, charged with the responsibility of managing our forests on behalf of and in the long term interest of NB's people. The first job of the commission is to restore a diverse forest to produce high value timber and offer the environmental, recreational and economic benefits which only natural forests can provide. A greater emphasis should be placed on marketing value-added products produced right in the communities where timber is grown. High quality firewood production should be encouraged, scientifically engineered systems of wood-fired space and water heating should play an increased role in energy planning in NB. Wildlife preserves, buffer zones and other conservation measures should be maintained or extended. Profits which forestry licensees are seeking should instead be invested to restore and enrich natural forest ecosystems for the long term benefit of NBers. This commission should direct the future financial benefits to invest in secure jobs as part of a provincial woods management team, expanded opportunities to establish and work for manufacturers and wilderness outfitters and targeted tax relief.

Steven Hawkes, Nackawic - former Mayor of Nackawic, also a forestry worker with all levels of experience, noted the importance of the forest and history of the forest industry - Nackawic won the Forestry Capital of Canada in 1991. Mr. Hawkes is also past chairman of National Forestry Week, past Director of the Canadian Forestry Association of NB, he loves the forest. He expressed several concerns and made recommendations to rectify them.
1) We need a healthy forest and a constant wood supply with sustainable forestry practices. All stakeholders must have input to achieve this goal.
Rec: Provide a public forum to encourage input from the public.
2) Export of wood (to Maine) - significant loss of wood fibre will eventually hurt us economically.
Rec: Find out why this wood is leaving and implement changes to assure that wood is marketed in NB.
3) We need to explore creative ways of getting the message out to the public about the importance of th e forest to our well-being.
Rec: Education about forestry, a forestry curriculum, the environment, to learn why it is so important to us.

The taxpayer is the owner of Crown Land and it is the right of the taxpayer to be informed. Encourage industry to develop websites, to inform people about the industry.
Promote submission of creative programs - for example, the book Great Trees on NB - we need more creative programs to promote awareness of the environment.
Christmas Mountains - how many of you are aware that there is a handwritten copy of a …book in the Saint John Museum by Clement Moore, godfather of Jonathan Odell, who donated the same-named park to the City of Fredericton. We should be digging these things out of the archives - do creative things with what we've got! Get events going around forestry - the basis of our economy.
Expand education for forestry workers - to instill pride and dignity in our workers.
We need more wood and objectives have to be set to get more wood for the industry.
Build on our success, learn from our mistakes and take action.

Wally Stiles, MLA: We seem to be getting the feeling that the sky is falling…that we have to do something right away.

Allison Connell, Meduxnekeag Energy, Conservation and Development Committee, Woodstock, spoke about the notion of regionalism related to NB forestry policy. Bioregions, which are also social regions, should have some sense of self-determination. The dissolution of county councils has led to a disastrous loss on involvement - which has led to situations such as what we witnessed yesterday - similar to events in the French revolution - with the people banging at the door of the legislature because of more efforts to centralize - this time, of hospitals. Similar centralization has occurred around education, with bigger school districts.
The establishment of the Minister's Round Table on Local Governance which held hearings in 2001 was an acknowledgement by government that greater regional self-determination had become imperative.
The need for regional empowerment is overwhelming and will probably have to re-described by bioregions: boundaries often based on the "letting nature decide" by respecting river boundaries and other geographical features. The land does not belong to us, we belong to the land, citing Chief Seattle. We are "dwellers in the land" referring to Kirkpatrich Sales title of his well-known book. It is always in the interest of the forest-dweller, our home, to maintain our home. Can we really tolerate the tearing down of our home, for the benefit of foreign invaders, he asked.
Mr. Connell supports the recommendations of the publication entitled "Managing for Seven Generations on Crown Land.
Mr. Connell cited the example of Revelstoke BC's community forestry project - employment has increased, dividends are returned to the community and the forest is protected.
He spoke of the various types of tenure, referring to Falls Brook Centre's publication on the various types of tenure - First nations tenure, individual tenure and sharing of tenure - stating these options are open to NB.
It it time to put an end to NB's history as an economic colony - it seems that NB is ripe for the picking because it is full of vulnerable, acquiescent people. He noted that we have an example in PEI, right off our shores, to be an independent, self-sufficient 'personality' and that we should act more in a spirit like theirs.

Emily McMillan, Director of Operations, Sierra Club of Canada Atlantic Canada Chapter - dedicated to exploring and enjoying and protecting the wild places of the Earth. The Club also practices and promotes the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems.
Ms. McMillan stated that her concerns are ever increasing plantations, fiscally binding wood supplies, cutting in buffer zones - the antithesis of everything the Sierra Club stands for, and intuitively wrong.
It is time to move into the 21st century : value-added, innovative, low-impact types of management: community forest, municipal tenure, ecotourism and non-timber forest products. We need to recover the highest possible value form the forest, maintaining the ecological values of the forest.

Recommendations:
1) Manage for complexity, rather than the J-P recommendations which are moving toward simplification.
2) Keep in mind that the law which states that the Crown land and its resources are a public trust to be managed for public benefit today and in perpetuity
3) Change the tenure system to allow more people to be actively involved in the decision-making about the land.
4) Listen to your intuition and to what makes sense - have the political courage to stand up and do what is right for our forests.

Travis Horncastle, Yoho Lake - I bring only a love of this province and an opinion or two, and I will not spend too much time on the J-P report. We can consider the intent of this report to be questionable - as in Negotiation 101, always start with much more that you want, in order to get what your want. They are spraying hardwoods every day, cutting 24-7, it is no wonder that they want more, will want more. Citing the example of BC, primarily softwood, and the fires which broke out - that is what's coming if we go the same way. Songbirds will disappear…If we continue in this (industrial model) way, it is like poking a short stick into a beehive - hunters, loggers…will be outraged.
We know industry is buying up small sawmills, why? - to get access to their wood.
The Crown Lands of this province are not owned by the government, nor any one of us here, they are owned by the people of the province. The atmosphere around politicians is changing, people will no longer tolerate politicians acting without consultation and consideration of the people.
You have the opportunity to say no, it isn't ours to negotiate - it is ours to protect.

Mr. Hormcastle spoke about Hanwell, where he hunted as a boy with his father - now, he can sit and have a beer - and see the police coming for 2 miles- why- because there is nothing left of the forest.
You people have the opportunity - to do the right thing, so that your friends, your families will be proud of you - most of all you'll have the opportunity to be proud of yourselves.
M. Landry, MLA: You have expressed the concerns of many many people of this province.

Dr. John Crompton, Moncton, who came to NB in 1983. He described the raison d'être of the protected areas - to protect a sampling of different ecosystems around the province, due to the rate at which harvesting was already taking place on Crown Lands. These areas are not designed to protect NB fauna - they are too small. Riparian zones exist to provide that habitat.
Let's look at what industry has access to - 70% of Crown Land, as well as limited access to deer wintering yards and riparian zones.
We have to admit we are overcutting, we have little room for manoeuver - it is common knowledge that we are "running out of trees".
The J-P report asks for timber guarantees - we see huge trucks coming out of the forest, loss of wildlife populations, we see clearcuts as we fly over. Dr. Crompton became actively involved in the protected areas movement during which time he flew over all of this province many times, photographing and mapping the proposed protected areas from the air. He offered to take members of the committee for an aerial survey of the province.
What about soil conditions - and nutrients - he knows of no agricultural crop which can be planted over and over again. This is not sustainable - another environmental deficit would definitely be irresponsible.
For too long, we have allowed x number of mills and x amount of wood to feed them.

People are not happy - people who used to work for industry are making presentations and complaining about this report. We have to change the way we think about the economic basis of our province.

Recommendations:
1) Go towards a real form of certification - it is time to renew a partnership to discuss producing truly environmentally certified wood that comes from well managed forests.