Integrated resource management: The case of private woodlot management in Nova Scoti

Forestry in Nova Scotia has reached a turning point--the social, economic, and ecological conditions are such that if they persist, there will be long-term detrimental effects on the economy and society of the Province, and more importantly, there will be irreversible effects on the composition, structure, and function of the forest ecosystem.;This thesis uses Mitchell's model of Integrated Resource Management (IRM) to evaluate and make recommendations to improve the present management system on private woodlots in Nova Scotia. Forestry is first placed in its historical context with respect to its social and economic implications that it has had on the Province. These social, economic, as well as ecological themes run throughout the thesis, describing aspects of present-day forest management and making recommendations for the future.;Four areas have been identified as barriers to effecting resource management on private woodlots, they include: attitudinal barriers; the Province's extension services; Nova Scotia's forest products marketing structure; and Government policies and programs. This thesis presents a detailed discussion on each of these barriers, and puts forth recommendations to overcome them.