With the release of the 2005 Standing Wood Harvest Tenders, the Department of Environment, Energy and Forestry is announcing several important changes to further strengthen wildlife guidelines for harvests on Provincial Forest lands.
“The 2005 changes include strengthened biodiversity standards to ensure that the overall health and productivity of the harvest site is maintained or enhanced,” said Minister of Environment, Energy and Forestry Jamie Ballem. “By establishing new standards for the retention of coarse woody material and legacy trees on our harvest sites, and tendering a greater range of treatments such as partial cuts and patch cuts, we are taking another step toward ensuring the highest standards for management of Provincial Forest land.”
Coarse woody material is tree trunks and branches left on the ground after a harvest. It is a critical component of healthy forests, providing habitat for amphibians such as salamanders, and many other forest plant and animal species. This material also contributes to soil development and enhances the site’s water retention which is particularly critical for old field white spruce stands. The coarse woody material requirements for 2005 follow the recommendations of research from the Fundy Model Forest.
Legacy trees are larger trees that are important for increasing species diversity, providing seed for the next forest generation, and creating height diversity in areas where harvests occur. Over time these trees will die, creating important habitat for cavity-nesting and insect-eating birds, as well as other wildlife. In 2005, the Provincial Forest program is expecting contractors to leave 12 to 15 legacy trees, of at least 20 centimetres in diameter, per hectare. An evaluation of the harvest sites, coupled with a review of recommendations from other jurisdictions will help determine whether this is an appropriate balance for PEI.
Another change will affect the way harvested wood is removed from the site. Since its inception in 2001, the Public Forest Council has heard concerns about piles of publicly-tendered harvested wood which have been sold to forest companies and individuals but left to rot at roadside on some public properties. The Council urged the Province to recognize the problem and take actions to address this practice.
“While the vast majority of wood harvested from these lands is removed and used, these residual piles have been a public concern,” noted Dan McAskill, Provincial Forest program manager. “Therefore, companies will be required to remove all harvested wood within a specified period or face financial penalties.” Mr. McAskill indicated that once the removal period passes, any leftover wood will return to the Province.
Minister Ballem said the department hopes to implement additional tender requirements in the near future. The Provincial Forest program is exploring options to award tenders based not only on price, but also on the number of jobs created, the value-added use of the wood, and the types of benefits to local communities.
The Minister reaffirmed the department’s ongoing commitment to forest stewardship on Provincial Forest land. He noted the May 15-July 15 harvest closure which was established several years ago to protect nesting birds, the ban on herbicide use, and the existing standards for the quick return of all public harvest sites to forest cover, remain in effect.
The 2005 Provincial Forest Standing Wood Tender information is available by visiting www.gov.pe.ca/go/foresttenders or calling your local Forest District Office.