Submitted by Kathy Macdonald
Vision:
Forests should be sustainable, diverse, managed to ecological principles - harvesting should be for high value products with very limited and regulated clearcutting.
Strengths:
A biodiverse forest gives wood supply security, long term economic support to rural NS and to all stakeholders in the forest industry. Also will combat effects from disease and global warming - it also enhances NS tourism and recreation activities
Barriers and Issues:
Industrial forestry and commitment to monoculture - greed - capital intensity forestry - limited public input - government favoring corporations - public knowledge of actual state of the forest is limited.
Community's Priorities:
Forest must be restored - this is the highest priority - silviculture programs must be made popular and extensive - Government must provide incentives for stewardship, enforce regulations and it must recognize and promote the importance of the private woodlot owner sector - promote uneven-ages mixed species forest management - tax incentives should be offered for investment in forest restoration and uneven-aged management
Guiding the health and sustainability:
Stewardship - Transparency - Ecological Concern - Government truly acting for the LONG TERM benefit of the public (Government acting as a steward in all their efforts) Honesty