The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Eric Hammill, announced today that Forestry Division has begun an extensive on-site monitoring program of Prince Edward Island's forest harvest contractors. Division staff will visit selected harvest sites across the Island to assess if the province's forest industry is complying with the standards of the recently implemented Code of Practice for Harvest Contractors, and to gather background information for a report on the industry's compliance due out later this year.
"The Code was developed by the forest industry to provide a basic set of ground rules for all harvest contractors," said Ian Dennison, Chair of the Forest Partnership Council (FPC), an umbrella group representing woodlot owners, sawmillers, contractors and other forest stakeholders. "It sets standards for the protection of young softwood stands, the establishment of buffer strips along streams and water courses, the maintenance of wildlife habitat, and several worker safety and business related issues."
Mr. Dennison noted that the industry identified these areas as critical to the future of the Island's forest community. He stressed that in order for the Code to work, the industry as a whole must comply.
Forestry Division staff will visit randomly selected sites that were harvested after April 1, 1997 to gather information on the activities of the contractors. Sites harvested prior to the implementation of the Code will not be subject to this assessment process. At each site, staff will check to see if stands were an appropriate age for harvest, if buffer strips along streams and roads meet the new standards, and if proper wildlife corridors and cover patches were left. They will also report on soil damage caused by machinery and if the contractor has removed all on-site litter.
As an active participant in the development of the Code, the Department of Agriculture and Forestry agreed to monitor the forest industry's activities and report their findings to the FPC, who will in turn issue the public reports. "The monitoring process is crucial to the success of the Code," said Mr. Hammill. "Assessment findings will provide the forest sector and the Island public with benchmarks to rate the success or failure of the Code of Practice. It is also a chance for the industry to demonstrate if its actions are living up to its words."
The minister said that as of April 1, 1997, the FPC and the Forestry Division are only recommending certified contractors, who have signed onto and comply with the Code, to woodlot owners and other clients. As well, Crown land forest tenders and work within the Forest Renewal Program will only be offered to certified contractors. The Minister wished to assure woodlot owners that the information gathered will only focus on the activities of the contractor and that it will be reported in an anonymous fashion to protect the interests of land owners.
Mr. Hammill expressed concern that, to date, only 19 of the Island's 45 harvest contractors have signed onto the Code. "This is the industry's chance to show that they can abide by a voluntary Code," stated the Minister. "I hope they will act in a manner that is good for the industry and for the Island's forest resources. However, if there is no wide spread industry acceptance of the Code, and the pressure on the Island's forest resources continues, government will be forced to explore other options including regulated standards."
For more information on the Code of Practice for Harvest Contractors, or for a list of certified contractors, contact the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Private Land Manager at (902) 368 - 4700.