brooks can be important habitat for young trout - even where the water partially dries up in summer.

Younger stands of trees along a watercourse can be cleaned or spaced to strengthen their roots. Where over-mature wood borders a stream or lake, the SMZ may have to be widened to minimize blowdown. A few trees falling on a brook can create good fish habitat by creating pools. But if they all uproot and fall over at once, the channel may widen, the water may become shallow and cover from predators can be lost. If a SMZ of overmature trees is left, the softwood could be harvested gradually. In that process young trees would gradually establish in the spaces left.

Research is under way to determine effective SMZ widths for varying soil and site conditions. The St. Mary's River Forestry—Wildlife Project is a joint venture among many interested parties, including the Canadian Institute of Forestry (N.S. Section), Forestry Canada, Scott Maritimes Limited, Stora Forest Industries and the N.S. Department of Lands and Forests.

You should also consider leaving dead and dying trees or very old trees along waterways. Up to one-quarter of our wildlife species use these trees. This use continues when the old trees finally topple to the ground. Eventually their nutrients are recycled and become a new forest. Leaving old trees in you SMZ will attract species like woodpeckers, which chip out nests that later become important shelter and nest holes for other wildlife species such as owls and flying squirrels. Bald eagles and other birds favour tall old hardwoods and white pines for nest building.

Carefull management of edges of waterways will benefit more than wildlife. It will make your woodlot a more fascinating place.

(Many members of the Natural History Society had the pleasure last fall to hear Bob Bancroft speak at one of our meetings. Mr. Bancroft is the Ex- tension Specialist - Wildlife with the Extension Services Division of the Nova Scotia Department of Lands and Forests, and is a regular on CBC‘s Maritime Noon program. This article first appeared in the Fall 1988

issue of Conservation magazine.)

Boughton decision nears

At the time of writing (March 9), the Land Use Commission hearing on the proposed Boughton Island subdivision is taking a break while the LUC hears another case. We resume on March 13 and expect to be done within two weeks. The Natural History Society and the other three appell- ants have presented their cases and the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs and the developer will present their cases. We have brought in some of the best bird experts in the country, and their test- imony have backed up our original concerns. The interim government policy just released that eliminates future subdivision of offshore islands until a policy is developed from the Royal Commission on the Land further strengthens our case. We should have a decision by the next issue of the Island Naturalist.

The Island Nature Trust and all Islanders interested in conservation can breathe a little easier after the LUC denied the application by St. Peter's Estates Ltd. to cancel or alter the land identification agreement for non-development use that applies to their 740-acre property at Green- wich. The hearings lasted 35 days and the Trust spent a huge sume of money on lawyer's fees and expert witnesses.

Greenwich has been identified as a candidate natural area for scien- tific research and educational use by the International Biological Pro- gram. The LUC feels that the important natural features would be jeopard— ized by development, as well as the significant natural resources on the site.

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