"I think that I shall never see, a billboard lovely as a tree. Perhaps, unless the billboards fall, I'll never see a tree at all."
-- Ogden Nash
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Reminder:
OPDF Annual Meeting
set for March 28
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Members and friends of the Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest will gather 6-8 p.m. Friday, March 28, at the Mooseland Community Centre in Mooseland, for the project's annual general meeting.
The agenda includes a review of activities and accomplishments during 2013, and a discussion of plans for the coming year.
All are welcome; the event is free. For more information, click here.
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Members of NSWOOA:
In accordance with the by-laws of the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association, you are hereby notified that the 2014 Annual General Meeting will be held from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at the Old Barns United Church, Old Barns, NS.
The meeting will be built around the topic of "Managing Change -- Ushering in a New Era for Sustainable Forestry in Nova Scotia."
Speakers will discuss the recent special allocations of Crown timber to mills in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia; the association's efforts to improve the delivery of silviculture programs and other services to landowners; the recommendation of the NSWOOA board to establish a charitable foundation to support sustainable forestry; and the long-term strategies and role for NSWOOA during a time of sweeping change.
The cost of the event is $15 for NSWOOA members and $20 for non-members. A hearty, home-cooked lunch is included. Reservations are not required, but would be appreciated. Please contact Andy Kekacs at 1-855-NS-WOODS or andy.nswooa@gmail.com.
Membership applications and renewals, as well as subscriptions to Atlantic Forestry Review, will be accepted at the AGM or can be submitted online here.
The Old Barns United Church is at 2603 Highway 236 in Old Barns, NS. Take Exit 14 off Highway 102 and travel west on Highway 236 for about 8 km. The church is on the right. To view a map, click here.
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Landowner needs, industry changes
to be focus of NSWOOA meeting
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Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners
and Operators Association
Annual General Meeting
Saturday, 12 April 2014 -- Old Barns, NS
8:15-8:45 Registration, coffee
8:45-9:00 Call to Order, Welcome and President's
Report, Marc Chisholm
9:00-9:30 "The Impact of Crown Timber Allocations
on Small Woodlot Owners and the
Forest," Wade Prest
9:30-10:00 "The NFA Process Recommends Changes to
Silviculture Funding," Matt Miller
10:00-10:30 Break -- Refreshments provided
10:30-11:45 "NSWOOA and the Development of
New Models for Delivering Services to
Landowners," Lorne Burrows
11:45-12:45 Lunch
12:45-2:00 "The Role and Long-term Strategies for
NSWOOA in a Time of Sweeping Change,"
Will Martin
2:00-2:30 A Discussion of the Costs and Benefits of
Establishing a Charitable Foundation
2:30-3:30 Business Meeting: Minutes of 2013 AGM;
Financial Report; Nomination and Election
of Directors; Resolutions from the Floor
3:30 Adjournment
The meeting will be at the Old Barns United Church, 2603 Highway 236, Old Barns, NS. To view a map, click here.
The cost (which includes lunch) is $15 for members and $20 for guests. Reservations are not required, but they would be appreciated. Contact Andy Kekacs toll-free at 1-855-NS-WOODS or andy.nswooa@gmail.com.
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Directors to seek members' support
for creation of charitable foundation
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By Andrew Kekacs
Program Director
The directors of NSWOOA voted in October to explore the possibility of setting up a charitable foundation. Working with Richard Bridge, a Middleton attorney who specializes in nonprofit law, they have identified the costs and benefits of such a charity, and will ask NSWOOA members to consider a motion of support at the 2014 Annual General Meeting.
The charity would work to: Improve the economic, ecological and social health of rural areas through educating landowners and the public about sustainable forest management; promote high standards of practice in forest management by developing educational material and programs for individuals engaged in the ownership, management and harvesting of forest land; and protect the environment by developing strategies to conserve or restore ecosystems and biodiversity.
Those charitable purposes -- which emphasize the public benefits of NSWOOA's approach to forest management -- are lofty and long-range. In the short term, the creation of a new charity could give NSWOOA and its divisions, including the Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest, access to new sources of funding and reduce our financial dependence on the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources.
Bridge has met several times with NSWOOA directors and staff to discuss the law regarding charities. Early on, he noted that the association itself is not a good candidate for winning CRA approval for charitable status because its mission and by-laws emphasize the private benefits -- rather than the public good -- that stems from sustainable forest management.
Bridge said creating a new entity -- for now, call it the Foundation -- would be easier, less costly, and more likely to succeed. To ensure that it retains control over the charity, NSWOOA could set up the board of the new entity so that its members are chosen from among current directors of the association or its divisions.
A primary concern would be to ensure that good record keeping clearly establishes a "firewall" between the organizations. The Foundation could not be created solely to keep NSWOOA/OPDF afloat financially, but it could contract with both organizations to provide services that met its charitable purposes. Contracts would not have to be tendered, but the Foundation must be able to demonstrate that it received "fair market value" or better for its expenditures, according to Bridge.
The benefits of this arrangement include:
- The ability to attract tax-deductible contributions from businesses and individuals.
- The ability to attract grant funds that are solely available to charities.
- The ability to attract federal and other non-NSDNR government funding, particularly in the realm of research grants developed in partnership with Maritime academics.
Bridge has recommended that the board present a resolution for consideration at the AGM which expresses support for creating the new Foundation. Because the Foundation would be a new organization, not a division of association, its creation would not require any changes to the NSWOOA or OPDF by-laws.
The Foundation would be established as a non-profit society in Nova Scotia. Bridge estimates the cost of the provincial incorporation would be about $450 plus some small filing fees, while the CRA filing could cost between $200 and $1,500, depending on how much work the NSWOOA board and staff are willing and able to do.
Members can learn more and ask questions about the possible charitable filing at the 2014 AGM.
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