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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