Government today unveiled a new forest policy to guide its role in the management and conservation of public and private land forests across Prince Edward Island.
Premier Pat Binns and Minister of Environment, Energy and Forestry Jamie Ballem released the policy entitled Moving to Restore a Balance in Island Forests. It is based on extensive public and forest sector consultations and takes into account the many values of PEI’s forests.
“Hundreds of Islanders from all walks of life came forward to offer their ideas and hopes for the future of our forests. I believe this policy is a reflection of their concerns and expectations,” said Premier Binns. “It recognizes that forests are more than undeveloped lands or a source of timber, and that healthy forest ecosystems are essential to our economy, our society and our environment.”
Premier Binns said the new forest policy emphasizes the role of public forest lands in education, research and demonstrating good forestry and wildlife management practices. Action items in the policy include creating a public land atlas, developing an ecosystem-based forest management manual for public land, and building government/community partnerships.
“These actions will help ensure that public lands set the standard for stewardship and conservation,” said Premier Binns. “And they will encourage Islanders to enjoy their public forests and gain a greater appreciation for this valuable resource.”
About 86 per cent of Island forest land is privately owned. Minister Ballem said the new forest policy clearly recognizes private landowners’ right to make their own land use decisions. The Province will continue to support woodlot owners in managing their forest resources; however, the policy includes actions to ensure public funds lead to public benefits. Forest management plans will be required to access public funding and funding support will shift away from the current ratio of 90:10 in favour of softwood plantations to a 50:50 balance between plantations and alternative, enhancement-style treatments. These actions will be phased in, starting next year, to allow those who use the programs time to adapt.
“Woodlot owners make a tremendous contribution to our environment and economy and they will play an important role in achieving Islanders’ vision for the future of our forests,” said Minister Ballem. “This shift in funding emphasis, combined with a commitment to increase education and training opportunities for woodlot owners, will help Island landowners manage forests for a wider range of products and services.”
The Minister said one area that holds great promise is expansion of value-added forest products – such as flooring, furniture, cabinets and giftware – and non-timber products – such as foods, decoratives and medicinals. Enhancing support for these sectors is a key component of the new forest policy.
“While timber will continue to be an important forest product, concentrating more effort on higher-end wood products and non-timber forest products will provide more opportunities for landowners and create jobs and wealth for our Island economy,” added Minister Ballem.
The new forest policy also takes into consideration the potential impacts of climate change. In response to this issue and other actions in the policy, the J. Frank Gaudet Tree Nursery will increase production of Acadian forest tree species that are suited to the predicted warmer, drier climate.
In releasing the Prince Edward Island Forest Policy today, Premier Binns and Minister Ballem recognized the work of the Public Forest Council which conducted the public consultations on a new forest policy. They also thanked the hundreds of Islanders who took time to share their ideas and concerns.
Moving to Restore a Balance in Island Forests is available at District Forest Offices, Access PEI sites, online at www.gov.pe.ca/go/forestpolicy, or by calling Island Information Service at 368-4000 or toll free 1-800-236-5196.
BACKGROUNDER
A NEW FOREST POLICY FOR PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
Why does PEI need a new Forest Policy?
Prince Edward Island’s last Forest Policy was released in 1987. Since that time, there have been significant changes in the Island’s forests, forest industry and public attitudes toward forests and forest management. These many changes meant the old policy no longer reflected today’s realities.
How was the new Forest Policy prepared?
This policy was prepared with extensive input from the public and stakeholder groups. Government asked the private-sector members of the Public Forest Council to lead public consultations, and prepared a Discussion Paper for Council to use to help generate public thought and comment.
Over the winter of 2005, Council – with the assistance of facilitator Jean-Paul Arsenault – hosted nine public meetings across the province. In addition, Council hosted five stakeholder meetings with sectors including landowners, contractors and sawmillers, woodlot owners, environment and tourism groups and government staff. In all, approximately 500 Islanders attended these meetings and nearly 100 formal presentations were made.
In May, 2005, Council presented a report with 20 recommendations to Government. During the fall and winter, Government analyzed each recommendation and considered how it could be implemented. The new policy is very closely aligned with the Public Forest Council’s report, and the results of the public consultations.
What is in the new Forest Policy?
The new Forest Policy envisions Prince Edward Island as a place with healthy Acadian forests that provide a range of economic, social and environmental values to Islanders. The policy respects the fact that forests are complex systems and that private landowners make the forest management decisions for the majority of PEI’s woodland. It has six goals:
1. Increased forest restoration, particularly on unploughed land.
2. Increased management for a diversity of forest species, ages, products and values.
3. Increased public and community awareness of, involvement in and support for public lands.
4. Increased participation by private landowners in sustainable forest management.
5. Increased capacity within the private sector to deliver a range of forest management options.
6. Increased contributions by and for the value-added sector. Support for the value-added sector will start by encouraging healthy, diverse forests.
To achieve these goals, the Forest Policy outlines strategies and actions organized around several themes. Highlights of these strategies and actions include:
Public Forests ~
• Create a public land atlas and develop consistent signage to promote use of public lands
• Develop a model to estimate the natural capital of public forest lands
• Identify priorities for land acquisition and require public review of land divestiture
• Develop an ecosystem-based forest management manual
• Identify and protect areas of ecological significance
• Require pre-harvest management plans
• Simplify the tendering process and give preference to contractors who are certified
• Demonstrate land certification systems
Private Forests ~
• Combine the funding programs and balance funding support between creation and maintenance of plantations, and alternative, enhancement-style treatments such as partial planting, patch cuts, thinning, etc.
• Increase private-sector contributions and involvement in private land forest management
• Require pre-harvest management plans for access to public funds
• Establish a list of qualified consultants and contractors
Value-added ~
• Develop a more balanced approach in forest management programs and incentives
• Identify and address barriers to using PEI wood
• Maintain a provincial value-added specialist position
• Expand education, training, and outreach
Climate Change ~
• Research potential effects of climate change on forests and wildlife
• Seek ways to increase the resiliency of forests and wildlife to climate change
• Participate with other jurisdictions in identification of additional problems and responses
Seedling Production ~
• Strategies and actions of the policy are expected to result in an increased emphasis on the production of hardwoods, late-successional species and climate change resistant species at the J. Frank Gaudet Tree Nursery
Education and Training ~
• Create education and training opportunities for landowners, private-sector professionals and staff
• Seek feedback from these sectors regarding topics and types of education and training
Incentives and Disincentives ~
• Identify a range of incentives for good forest management
• Ensure programs do not serve as disincentives
Funding~
• Adjust the 70% public / 30% private funding ratio by a modest increase in private-sector contributions (the increase will be determined after discussions with the private sector, however, it will not result in a major shift in the public/private ratio)
• Explore options for third-party contributions to forest management
When will these strategies and actions be implemented?
The new policy includes a timeline for implementation. Some actions, such as work to support the value-added sector, will begin immediately. Others, such as balancing funding programs, will begin next year with full implementation phased in to give those who use the programs time to adapt.
What is the difference between the new Forest Policy and the old one?
One major difference is the balance between traditional softwood production and alternative types of forest management (including management for non-timber and other forest values). The focus of the old policy was on high-volume commodities such as softwood lumber and pulp. As a result, 90% of program funds were allocated to softwood plantation establishment and maintenance, with only 10% being available to alternative treatments. The new policy aims to move this funding emphasis to a more balanced 50/50 ratio between plantations and other types of forest management (e.g. natural regeneration, partial planting, enrichment planting, select harvest, patch cuts, restoration).
The new policy recognizes that PEI is well-suited to producing high-quality forests with a mixture of hardwood and softwood species that can be transformed into high-value products. It acknowledges that timber is an important forest product, but increases the emphasis on a range of timber, non-timber and value-added products, as well as wildlife, habitat and ecological goods and services such as clean air and water. The new policy responds to landowner calls for a wider range of forest management options, increases emphasis on education, research and forest restoration, strengthens public knowledge of where public forests are and how they are managed, and recognizes that the changing climate will have an impact on PEI’s forests and wildlife.
The policy mentions “Acadian forest.” What is that?
Acadian forest refers to the transition zone between the northern (boreal) and southern (temperate) forests. The forests of Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, as well as parts of New Brunswick and northern New England, are in the Acadian forest region. Long-lived trees such as red spruce, sugar maple, yellow birch, American beech, eastern hemlock, and white pine are characteristic of the Acadian forest region. These forests are also home to hundreds of species of shrubs, wildflowers, mosses, and lichens, as well as amphibians, birds and mammals. Acadian forests are diverse, unique and complex, and they are not found anywhere else in the world.
Where can I find more information about PEI’s new Forest Policy?
The new policy can be found at www.gov.pe.ca/go/forestpolicy. This site also includes the old forest policy, and the many presentations and papers Islanders submitted during the public consultations.