Isn’t the current rate of harvesting overall in the province unsustainable?
Forest management practices are carried out based on science. Harvesting is balanced by a greater emphasis on Silviculture. On average, 10,000 hectares of land is planted each year. In 2003, some $12 .3 million was invested in Silviculture and forest protection annually on both Crown and private lands. Our decision making process relies on sound research as carried out by the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources. This department information which is always the latest in scientific information tells us based on the most recent harvest levels and current levels of silviculture treatments that harvests are indeed sustainable on both crownlands and industrial lands. Harvest levels on private lands, under current conditions are sustainable, but only marginally so. The harvest on private land is sustainable provided the right stands of timber are harvested at the right time and that adequate silviculture treatments are carried out. Educating landowners on when to harvest is just as im
