Fall 2010
Volume VI Issue 2
3-2-1 BLAST OFF! EOMF LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE The Eastern Ontario Model Forest proudly announces the launch of its new website at www.eomf.on.ca. We hope you will explore and enjoy all of our new web features and of course our updated content!
Fall colours on the way... WHAT’S INSIDE EOMF Launches New Website
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Message from Mark
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Hot Off the Press: ‘Choosing the Right Tree’ (reprint)
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Feature: Forest Fair of Eastern Ontario
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Program Update: Forest Certification
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Emerald Ash Borer Press Release & Fact Sheet Excerpts
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6 Project Spotlight: Wood Centre & Eco-Industrial Park: Introducing “EOMF E-News”
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Highlights: Recent Event & Meetings
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What’s Coming Up?
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We’ve incorporated many leading-edge programming tools to help us more effectively share news, information and knowledge with our partners and communities—and keep things current. Enhancements include RSS Newsfeeds that enable users to subscribe to the Latest EOMF and Partner News, interactive and layered satellite maps, a blog for two way discussions, a nifty online document reader, a powerful and easy-to-use document search function that can even access select member databases, different types of online forms with secure payment options for event registration, membership renewal and donations, a versatile and searchable events calendar, a gorgeous photo gallery - and much more! A special "Thank You" to the dynamic duo of Vince and Cindy Murphy, owners and operators of ProbaseWeb, a local Kempvtille firm, for going above and beyond in helping us to implement our vision of an enhanced EOMF website! EOMF also wishes to thank and acknowledge the Grenville Community Futures Development Corporation for supporting the development of this new website under the Eastern Ontario Development Program funded by the Government of Canada through FedDev Ontario. If you'd like to provide us with feedback please do so by posting a comment on our new Blog – found by clicking the News & Media button! Happy browsing... EOMF Brown Bag Lunch & Learn #2: “The What’s & Why’s of RSS Newsfeeds & Our New Website” The Eastern Ontario Model Forest invites our partners and members to join us for lunch on Thursday, September 16 for an informative session that will introduce you to our new website and some of its leading-edge features – such as RSS Newsfeeds! Come learn all about the ’what’s and why’s’ of RSS. Bring your lunch, sit back and relax as we take you on a tour... W.B. George Centre, Kemptville Campus , U of Guelph 12:15 - 1:00 pm, details on page 8
Message From Mark
Hot off the Press Choosing the Right Tree (Reprint)
The EOMF recently coordinated a reprint of this popular publication. We were pleased to welcome several new supporters who purchased copies this time around. The original document was created as a result of a collaboration between the EOMF, the Ferguson Forest Centre and the Forest Gene Conservation Association. All together, 23 partners have participated in both printings. Thank you all for your participation! Copies can be obtained from: Most stewardship councils Ferguson Forest Centre Forest Gene Conservation Association Rideau Valley Conservation Authority South Nation Conservation Boisés Est Tree Canada Trees Ontario 2
General Manager, EOMF
Hello everyone, I am hoping you have had a chance to enjoy the summer. Fall is coming and I suspect we will be missing the warm weather in a few short months – I know I will. I want to focus this GM’s report on one of our projects within 2010/11 work plan. As most of you know, a considerable portion of our funding comes from Natural Resource Canada’s Forest Communities Program; their generous support helps us deliver the kind of programming that validates our presence in the settled landscape. Our work plan is developed in part to ensure that we are meeting our requirements under FCP, but also to blend in many of the principles and practices by which the EOMF has built its reputation on for the past 18 years. In short, we work to ensure that we balance our activities across a variety of areas that are important to our members, our partners, and our funders. Back in June, the EOMF helped facilitate a discovery session on forest conversion where many of our partners came together to talk about why some forests within our region were being converted to other land uses. It was well attended and we talked candidly about what was been observed on the landscape. I am looking forward to further discussion in this area. The EOMF in partnership with OMNR, and especially thanks to the dedicated effort of Erin Neave, is working to develop a tool to help municipalities better evaluate possible environmental impacts of proposed developments in significant wood-
lands. While I am betting you know what a ‘woodland’ is, you may not be aware that all municipalities are required to evaluate the woodlands within their jurisdiction and identify those that are ‘more’ ecologically important according to a suite of criteria such as species composition, age, history and size. Of course, one could argue that all woodlands are important but truth be told, what is significant to some may not be significant to others; for proof of this, take a look at the press headlines and sound bites associated with forests that have been cleared for development of agriculture. There are many differing opinions out there and we need to be respectful of them all, but the challenge for municipalities comes when deciding how to objectively determine what (if any!) impacts a development plan may have on woodlands that have been deemed significant. It is a difficult task for some municipalities and we hope that this tool will provide a consistent and easy to use methodology to determine potential impacts and provide recommendations for the mitigation on the significant woodlands. This is just one project from our 2010/2011 work plan. For more information on this project and others please go to our new (and very cool!) website. It is my hope to better provide you with information on what we do and how we do it through this site and our forthcoming E-News. My best wishes for the fall… Mark (613) 258-8424 mrichardson@eomf.on.ca
Join us for the 13th Annual Forest Fair of Eastern Ontario!
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Program Update: Forest Certification FSC Logs Dominate the 2010 Log & Lumber Auction The 2010 Log and Lumber Auction set for Saturday September 25th at the Ferguson Forest Centre in Kemptville will have something new to buyers this year. Forest Stewardship Council certified logs will be available for purchase at this year’s auction.
Scott Davis, EOMF’s Forest Certification Coordinator, notes that “80% of the 90 or so logs provided this year will originate from forests that are a part of the EOMF’s Forest Certification Program. What this means is that the logs have come from forests that have been managed to a set of internationally-recognized standards that respect environmental, social and economic values of the forest. Buyers can be assured they are purchasing responsibly managed timber.” These logs will be provided to our buyers by Terry Murray of Murray Brothers Lumber Company located near Madawaska. Terry entered his forest holdings in the Certification Program in March of 2009. Since that time Terry has harvested and sold over 1 million board feet of FSC certified timber. 4
“With the technical support of the Eastern Ontario Model Forest, Murray Brothers Lumber Company now manages FSC certified properties and has achieved chain of custody for our operation. These two components are important in today’s competitive industry. As a result of our participation in the Forest Certification Program, we are able to maintain existing customers and reach markets that were not accessible to us previously. This has been a valuable partnership for us.”
EOMF Welcomes EOCFO & SD&GCFO as Members! The EOMF is pleased to announce that the Board of Directors has approved a motion that automatic membership in the EOMF be extended to all current Eastern Ontario Certified Forest Owners (EOCFO) and Stormont-Dundas & Glengarry Certified Forest Owners (SD&G CFO). All membership benefits will be extended including the eligibility to sit on Committees and the Board as well as vote at the AGM. For a summary of other member benefits please visit our new website at www.eomf.on.ca and click the Participate > Become a Member button for details.
This year’s Log and Lumber Auction, held during the annual Forest Fair of Eastern Ontario (see page 3), will provide buyers with a wide range of species including sugar maple, red and white oak, black walnut, cherry, birch and basswood.
For more information on the Log and Lumber Auction contact Scott Davis. Article by Scott Davis. For more information on the Forest Certification Program, please contact Scott at (613) 258-8422 or sdavis@eomf.on.ca.
Also, each group has a web page on the new website that they can modify and keep current. To view, please visit our website and click the Forest Certification Program button on the home page, or click thru Activities > Forest Certification. There you will also find the Certification News section. Tune in here for all the latest— or subscribe to this RSS newsfeed and get updates delivered to your inbox! All new and ‘old’ members alike are invited to attend our Brown Bag Lunch & Learn session entitled The What’s and Why’s of RSS & Our New Website. For details see page 8 or visit the home page of our new site at www.eomf.on.ca! Welcome Once Again!
Emerald Ash Borer: Press Release & Fact Sheet Excerpts EAB Confirmed in the United Counties of Leeds & Grenville
Excerpts from the EAB Fact Sheet for Woodlot Owners
Here is an excerpt of a press release issued on August 3rd by the United Counties of Leeds & Grenville (UCLG):
General Considerations:
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of the emerald ash borer (EAB) in the United Counties of Leeds & Grenville. The insect was discovered near Mallorytown in late July.
Do
As this insect can spread rapidly with the help of people, the public can help slow its progress by not transporting firewood or other infested ash materials. Regulatory controls may be put in place by the CFIA to help control its spread after the conclusion of the surveying season this fall. The UCLG will be working with local government and the public to form a Task Force to respond to the EAB outbreak in a coordinated fashion. Additional information about the EAB can be found at:
www.ottawa.ca/eab www.inspection.gc.ca/pests or phone CFIA @ 1-866-463-6017 phone the UCLG EAB Hotline @ 1-800-770-2170, ext. 2847 visit UCLG “Limerick Forest” @ www.limerickforest.ca or phone Geoff McVey, Forest Manager @ 1-800-770-2170, ext. 2847
There
is no single answer to address the threat of EAB.
EAB
only attacks ash (genus Fraxinus).
not feel pressured to remove your ash trees since you may not have emerald ash borer in your woodlot. If you suspect that EAB is in your woodlot, contact the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to confirm.
There
is no urgent need to cut healthy ash trees in your woodlot since the emerald ash borer only damages the wood a few centimetres deep under the bark. Trees will retain their timber value for a period of time after initial attack by emerald ash borer (approx. 3 to5 years).
Ash
trees grow on a wide variety of sites and in association with many other tree species, each with unique management considerations.
If
you are considering a harvest, it should be done as part of a forest management plan and a silvicultural prescription that addresses the long-term goals for your woodlot. A forest practitioner can help you make decisions that will affect the management of your woodlot.
Get
to know your woodlot and look for signs of decline.
A
healthy and diverse forest is the best defence against any pest.
Management Guidelines for Woodlots near a Confirmed Infestation of EAB: Total
removal of ash trees from your woodlot is not recommended.
Encourage
diversity in your woodlot. Reducing the ash component in your woodlot and increasing the growth and regeneration of other tree species may reduce the risk of infestation by EAB.
Regardless
of the number of ash trees in your woodlot, retain healthy, vigorous
stems of all species in a range of sizes. Over-harvesting can severely degrade your woodlot. Thinning efforts should focus on the removal of poor quality stems of all species. However, the retention of some poor quality trees is beneficial to wildlife. Planting
ash trees is not recommended at this time.
Natural
ash regeneration should be managed through the retention of the most vigorous ash stems. At the same time, encourage other tree species by providing room to grow and/or planting suitable tree species.
Consult
the CFIA before moving ash wood from the woodlot. Depending on the location of your woodlot, you may require CFIA authorization to move wood.
Additional Considerations if Your Woodlot Becomes Infested With EAB: Get
confirmation and seek advice from CFIA before you act.
Don’t
rush into action. Remember that ash trees will retain their timber value for a period of time after initial attack by emerald ash borer (approx. 3 to 5 years).
You
may elect to let nature run its course and allow the woodlot to evolve naturally.
You
may wish to salvage ash trees if your woodlot becomes severely infested with EAB. Consider leaving ash that appear to be unaffected by EAB, since it is possible that some ash trees may have a natural resistance to the insect. To view or print a copy of this RFHN fact sheet for woodlot owners visit our website at: www.eomf.on.ca and click the RFHN button on the right.
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Project Spotlight: Ontario East Wood Centre & Eco-Industrial Park
The Eastern Ontario Model Forest, with the Township of Edwardsburgh/ Cardinal, continues to make significant progress on their ambitious joint project: the Ontario East Wood Centre & Eco-Industrial Park (OEWC & EIP). The OEWC & EIP is envisioned as a thriving best practices centre of excellence for processing wood fibre and biomass (including agricultural biomass) that brings bio-technology, science and entrepreneurship together in support of the rural economy of Ontario, sustainable forests and sustainable communities. The Wood Centre, with help from Queen’s University Faculty of Law consulting service, has now received its Canadian letters patent and is officially incorporated. MOUs are in place with La Cité collégiale, Algonquin, Loyalist and St. Lawrence Colleges. These institutions provide education, training, applied research and business expertise that fit well with the Wood Centre. This past spring, two members of the Wood Centre Steering Committee, Mayor Larry Dishaw and Councillor Hugh Cameron travelled to China at their own expense, distributing information about the Wood Centre and developing new relationships. Return visits from China are anticipated this fall. This fall at Queen’s University, 130 fourth-year chemical engineering stu6
dents will undertake a project involving design and other details of a biorefinery. Dr. Geoff Whitfield, former Chief Scientist for DuPont (Canada), is a special advisor. Support from the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation also continues.
marketing of a wide array of innovative value-added wood and biomass products, including but not limited to: (i) solid wood building components, (ii) biochemicals and (iii) bioenergy; 3. assistance to the forest industry in creating uses for underutilized, lower value wood in eastern Ontario and the region; and 4. participation in the restructuring of the forest industry of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest region for the benefit of rural communities and in partnership with a variety of organizations, academic institutions, individuals and agencies with compatible goals.
In this aerial photo, courtesy of the Township of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal, the geographic advantage of the site is clear – five minutes from the Seaway, the railway, two four-lane highways and a bridge to the U.S. As the first major anchor for the site, GreenField Ethanol is an active partner at the local level. Effort is underway to develop an associated demonstration greenhouse utilizing the waste carbon dioxide and heat from GreenField. The corporate objectives of the Wood Centre are:
Current Steering Committee members include: Brian Barkley (RPF), Tony Bull, Councillor Hugh Cameron, Mayor Larry Dishaw, Dr. Peter Hall, Sandra Lawn (Project Leader), Councillor Lawrence Levere, Ian Manson (economist at Northern Development Mines and Forestry), Councillor Frank Noccey, Mark Richardson (GM of the EOMF), and the CAO of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal. ????will be joined shortly by Allison Sprague, P.Eng with his many years of experience in bio-processing, pilot plants and more at CASCO.
1. the encouragement of a forest and biomass based and innovationinspired cluster of industrial, business and demonstration projects in an ecologically sound environment;
The Steering Committee will continue to direct the project until the corporate board is in place. The full board of directors will be announced early this fall.
2. facilitation of a platform for scientific collaboration, business development, demonstration, piloting, commercialization, exporting and
For more information on the Wood Centre project contact Sandra Lawn, Project Leader @ 613-925-5568 or visit: www.woodcentre.ca
EOMF E-News Do we have your email address? If we do, please check your inbox to view our inaugural issue of the EOMF E-News!
It’s been a busy summer for EOMF in the communications department as we embarked on our new website development as well as the design and implementation of this efficient new tool. The “EOMF E-News” is intended to enable us to better keep our members, partners and communities current on all the latest news and events. Capturing all the headlines from our various RSS newsfeeds, the E-News enables us to share information on a more timely and regular basis. For each issue of E-News we select the latest postings from most of our RSS feeds including General News, Certification, Events, Press Releases and New Publications—to keep you posted! Our intent is to email this newsletter on a monthly basis and we’ll see if we can make that happen. Some issues will be long and some short, however, all news items will lead with a brief synopsis and have a ‘More’ button if you’d like to read more detail. If we don’t have your email address and you’d like to keep better informed with our E-News please email: mwilliams@eomf.on.ca and we’ll add you to our list. Hope you enjoy this new addition...
Highlights: Recent Events & Meetings Since our spring issue of Forestry Forum, the EOMF has participated in an array of events and meetings focused on forest and forestcommunity related issues. A few highlights are mentioned here. Ottawa Cottage Show On April 9-11 EOMF gratefully accepted an invitation from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) to share an exhibit space at the ever-popular Ottawa Cottage Show. We were located along with other select partners in a cozy ‘landscaped’ space called the Cottage Wildlife Centre, where chairs and a podium were set up so visitors could listen to informative talks. Mark Richardson gave a slideshow to audiences on how to spot and manage invasive species on cottage properties. Thanks again to MNR for including us at this worthwhile event. Annual General Meeting On May 15 we held our AGM at Drummond’s Sugarbush, where we were treated to a scrumptious meal of pancakes, sausages and FSC-certified syrup. After a traditional (and moving) welcome by Henry Lickers of Akwesasne we settled down to business. Two annual awards were presented: the prestigious Ross Silversides Forestry Award was accepted by Erin Neave on behalf of her much missed father Dave Neave. The Heartwood Award was presented to Achille Drouin in acknowledgement of the countless hours (and miles!) he’s devoted to the EOMF. After the formal meeting was concluded we headed to Limerick Forest to learn about and view the new chalet constructed with FSC-certified logs. Thanks again to Geoff McVey, Limerick’s Forest
Manager, for coordinating this aspect, and for the great chili and cookies too! EG&S Focus Group #1 The EOMF is exploring ways to better recognize the contributions that landowners make in providing and safeguarding ecological goods and services. We have initiated a series of focus groups with landowners on this topic, the first of which was held on June 30th at Union Hall in Tatlock. Over the course of the next twelve months, we will be hosting a number of additional focus groups across the EOMF, with the aim of identifying how best to develop a workable, community-supported EG&S program framework for eastern Ontario. If you’d like to participate in a focus group session, please contact Elizabeth Holmes at: eholmes@eomf.on.ca or (613) 258-8415. Brown Bag Lunch & Learn #1 “Forest Carbon Credits 101” The EOMF would like to thank everyone that joined us for our first Brown Bag Lunch & Learn session entitled “Forest Carbon Offsets 101.” A special thank you once again to our featured speaker, Tony Rotherham, for giving us an engaging and comprehensive look at the issues, challenges and questions around carbon offsets - and how and where the EOMF may find a role. As part of our commitment to promoting dialogue with our partners and stakeholders, we will be hosting this new Brown Bag Lunch Series throughout the year. Forestry and stewardship issues and related topics will be explored. Please see page 8 for details on Session #2!
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Brown Bag Lunch & Learn #2 The “What’s and Why’s of RSS & Our New Website” The EOMF invites you to join us for lunch on Thursday, September 16 for an informative session that will introduce you to our new website and some of its leading-edge features – such as RSS Newsfeeds! Bring your lunch, sit back and relax as we take you on a tour! Our web developers will also be there to answer questions. Learn about the what’s and why’s of this powerful tool that has become the global standard used by organizations to upload and distribute news onto websites and directly to subscribers. This is the international RSS feed logo: Learn how easy it can be to subscribe to a feed, what that means and why you might want to! Also find out what it takes to implement an RSS newsfeed on your own website to keep visitors current on your latest news. Improve two-way communication flows efficiently with partner organizations by simply amalgamating each others feeds—a cost-effective way to reach a much broader audience. We hope you’ll join us and explore our new layout, features and, of course, our updated content! Other leading-edge tools we’ve added include interactive and layered satellite maps, a blog for two way discussions, a nifty online document reader, an easy-to-use search function that can access partner databases, different types of online forms with secure payment options, a gorgeous photo gallery - and much more... W.B. George Centre, Kemptville Campus Thursday, September 16: 12:15-1:00 pm Registration with Mary is requested @ 613-258-8241 or eomf@eomf.on.ca .
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What’s Coming Up? Ontario East Municipal Conference Wed & Thu Sep 15 & 16th 2010 - 8:30 am—6:00 pm Location: Kingston Ontario
Free Fomes Root Rot Workshop for Forestry Professionals - Workshop #1 Tue Sep 21st 2010 - 9:00am start Location: Larose Forestry Office
Forest Fair and Log & Lumber Auction of Eastern Ontario Sat Sep 25th 2010 - 10:00—3:00 pm Location: Ferguson Forest Centre
Free Fomes Root Rot Workshop for Forestry Professionals - Workshop #2 Tue Sep 28th 2010 - 9:00am start Location: Larose Forestry Office
Limerick Forest Celebrates 70 years Sun Oct 3rd 2010 - 11:00am Location: Limerick Forest Interpretive Centre
Short Rotation Woody Crops - Operations Working Group Conference Sun Oct 17th 2010 Location: Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel and Conference Center
Christmas Forest Seminar Wed Dec 15th 2010 Location: Purvis Hall, Kemptville Campus, University of Guelph
To get more detailed info on these events please click on the titles, or visit our new website at: www.eomf.on.ca and click the Events button.
Forestry Forum is a publication of the Eastern Ontario Model Forest, a proud member of the Canadian Model Forest Network. ISSN 1201-3978 The Eastern Ontario Model Forest gratefully acknowledges the support of Natural Resources Canada through the Canadian Forest Service’s Forest Communities Program.
Please send comments and articles to: Melanie Williams, Editor Forestry Forum c/o Eastern Ontario Model Forest 10 Campus Drive, P.O. Bag 2111 Kemptville, Ontario, K0G 1J0 Phone: (613) 258-8365 E-mail: mwilliams@eomf.on.ca Web site: www.eomf.on.ca