Silviculture

Scarification prepares the land for planting and is usually done during the fall, previous to the spring planting. This is done at no cost to the landowner and properly spaces the rows for planting the seedlings at an optimum density.

Following a harvest operation, not all stands will regenerate naturally in a reasonable amount of time or with the desired species.  Planting, therefore, becomes a viable alternative for the woodlot owner.  Planting gives the land owner control over the species and the spacing of the final crop – two critical pieces governing the quality and quantity of the products harvested.

Pre-commerical thinning reduces the number of trees in a stand using a thinning saw, allowing those remaining to maximize their growth potential, also at no cost to the landowner. Timing is critical when pre-commercially thinning your woodlot. A general rule of thumb of timing of PCT operations in HWD stands is an average height of 4-9m or greater and 2-7m for SWD.

Plantation tending consists of releasing planted stock, at no cost to the landowner, and may be done either by mechanical or chemical means.

Some alternative treatments outlined below include various harvesting methods, depending on certain criteria, such as: single crop tree selection, select cuts, shelterwood cuts and commerical thinning. Financial assistance of $560.00/ha is available to the contractor or landowner if work is done by themselves. 

Commerical Thinning: This is a subsidy program and supplements the cost of performing a more time consuming felling technique. This program supplements the cutter and is inversely proportional to the amount of volume removed.​

Shelterwood Harvest: This program supplements the cost of the type of harvest required to promote new regeneration in a mature stand. The shelterwood harvest requires, in some instances, ground disturbance to allow the desired species to regenerate.