The Canadian Federation of Woodlot Owners (CFWO) is stepping up its advocacy for woodlot owners with regular meetings with senior forestry officials in Natural Resources Canada, and it invited input on priorities facing woodlot owners.
WAM noted the following priorities in its recommendations to CFWO:
- Access to research, e.g., new insect and disease problems. This could, in fact, be an exchange, with research results going to woodlot owners, woodlot owner observations to CFS. It is very important that woodlot owners have up-to-date information on such things as the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer and other forest pests. As it stands now, by the time the information is made available, it is often too late to do anything about it. At least landowners can monitor their woodlots if they know a certain pest is expanding its range.
- Consultation on new forest management approaches and on related research directions for FP Innovations, with predicted fibre shortages in mind. The Canadian Forestry Service (CFS) and the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) already have informal meetings on this, and CFWO could join them. This should be a high priority item.
- Contribute to plans for celebration of next year’s 150th anniversary of forestry in Canada. The role of private woodlots and their importance to sustainable forest management should be highlighted next year. Also, their contribution to the Canadian economy should be noted, i.e., supplying wood fibre to local mills to create employment.
- Carbon trading arrangements: CFS has the best knowledge in Canada on this, if and when it becomes an interest. The lack of a formal, regulated market for carbon has resulted in a loss of traction in this program. However, we would like to see some discussion on setting up informal agreements with industries (i.e., heavy trucking companies, airlines, railroads) who produce carbon, and who would like to have trees planted on private land as a way to sequester carbon.
- Urban forestry issues, and the urban-rural interface on the edges of many cities is not a huge priority in Manitoba as most of our larger urban centres are surrounded by farmland.
- US Forest Service is using web-based social media as an outreach tool to engage woodlot owners, and to drive policy. While it is a good idea to review what they are doing, we’re not sure if this is a huge priority in Manitoba. Our woodlot owners sometimes have “sketchy” Internet service, and landowners don’t seem to have the time or the interest to delve into social media.
Source: The Manitoba Woodlot, Issue 100, Summer 2013, page 3
