Voluntary Planning

To whom it may concern:
The Eastern Shore Forest Watch would like to offer its newly released film titled Honour in the Woods as our submission to Voluntary Planning for its work on new natural resources strategies for Nova Scotia.
We are very proud of the film, and feel the voices of the thirteen wood lot owners interviewed in it speak for tens of thousands of other Nova Scotians as to what forest management practices and issues the Nova Scotia government should be addressing.
Forest Watch has been disappointed in the content of the VP report to date. We do not think it articulates clearly the sense of urgency that Nova Scotians hold to change current resource use practices, especially the call at the VP public meetings for:

Less clear cutting
Less use of herbicides
No uranium exploration
Having a hard look at the long and short term, environmental, economic and social impacts of all natural resource extraction practices in the province.

The current VP report is weak largely because it does not reflect the wealth of knowledge held by many of the participants in those public meetings. For example there are remarkable individuals who have recognized the damage being done through massive clear cuts, and who have opted for more sustainable forestry practices. Honour in the Woods introduces us to some of them in conversation about their vision for healthy and sustainable forests. Each describes methods they have used to restore and protect the biodiversity and richness of the Acadian forests in their care. People like Dr. Wilfrid Creighton, Wade Prest and Jim Dresher bring years of experience living and working in the woods and championing sustainable forestry. Dr. Creighton's legacy in the woods is in the order of 100 years! His is a voice, one of many, with a breadth of understanding that the new Natural Resource strategy needs to heed and act on.

Sincerely,
Kim Thompson
Co-chair Eastern Shore Forest Watch