Good Forestry Practices

Good Forestry Practices Application
Printable Application
Resources
Niagara Region Tree and Forest Conservation Bylaw Booklet
Regional Municipality of Niagara Tree and Forest Conservation By-law No. 30-2008
Tree & Forest By-Law FAQ
Agricultural Exemption
Forest By Law Presentation
Careful Logging
Tree Marking Description
Emerald Ash Borer Information
Contact NPCA Forestry Staff 905-788-3135
Dan Drennan RPF	ddrennan@npca.ca	x247
Amy Brant	abrant@npca.ca	x259

Regional Tree and Forest Conservation By-law

The NPCA is responsible for the administering and enforcement of the Regional Municipality of Niagara Tree and Forest Conservation By-law No. 30-2008 to ensure that tree cutting is carried out in accordance with Good Forestry Practices. The by-law was introduced to conserve and improve woodlands in Niagara. It regulates the harvesting of trees in woodlands by cutting, burning or other means, and prohibits the clearing of woodlands except under specific circumstances (see Agricultural Exemption). The selective removal of individuals trees is provided for and there are some exemptions, but generally a permit will be required. If you are planning any tree cutting, fill out the Good Forestry Practices Application. NPCA Forestry staff are available to conduct site visits for woodland owners to provide direction and advice regarding forest management and Bylaw requirements.

Good Forestry Practices

Good Forestry Practices refers to forest activities that enable the forest to grow healthy plants, maintain ecological processes and wildlife habitats as well as products.  Good forestry practices represent what the forestry professional, forest workers including loggers, and society have come to expect from forest management operations.  More specifically good forestry practices:

• Minimize environmental damage to the site (such as soil, water and young vegetation),
• Protect forest components including species diversity,
• Minimize damage to or enhance wildlife habitats
• Encourage sustainable forest management (improving forest health and continuous and improved forest products over time),
• Provide for worker safety
• Provide continual and increased economic benefits to landowners
• Should be consistent with long-term forest management planning.

Good Forestry Practices Permits issued under this by-law are supported by Forest Management Plans or Silvicultural Prescriptions developed by professionals (OPFA members) licensed to practice forestry in Ontario.  NPCA’s own forestry professionals review each application and harvest operation to verify the use of good forestry practices.

Good forestry practice requires adherence to some fundamental rules that are necessary to help meet landowner objectives while minimizing environmental damage, maintaining species diversity, and retaining significant wildlife habitats and other important features.  Under no circumstances is Diameter-Limit Cutting permitted.  Listed below are some of the more widely accepted rules to encourage good forestry practices.

Timing

• To reduce the impact on forest soils and vegetation, try to harvest only during winter months when the ground is still frozen and preferably snow-covered. If this is not possible, harvest in the fall when the ground is dry. Do not harvest in early spring when the ground is thawing or soft and the bark is easily torn from trees. Where possible, avoid harvesting from March 20^th to June 30^th while sensitive wildlife species are nesting and/or breeding.

Wildlife habitat protection

• Time harvesting to avoid critical nesting and breeding periods.
• Retain recommended levels of canopy closure and buffer protection for pertinent wildlife habitats (e.g., deeryards, raptor nesting areas, riparian habitats).
• Retain nest, cavity, and den trees as well as future snags and mast trees.

Protection of other forest values

• Do not implement silvicultural prescriptions and activities unless they can be conducted without destroying other important forest values such as the provision of significant wildlife habitat or vegetation cover.

Tree marking

• A Certified Tree Marker must do all tree marking in a woodland. For more information, view the Tree Marking Description document.

Buffers/Reserves

• Where possible, retain a 30 meter buffer of uncut densely growing trees beside open fields or other hard edges to reduce windthrow and other damage to the forest interior and minimize invasion by non-native species.
• Maintain buffers of natural vegetation between cut areas and waterbodies, rare vegetation communities, and significant wildlife habitats.  Consult the NPCA for information about appropriate buffer sizes for specific natural features.

Where to harvest?

• Do not cut in areas with locally or regionally significant habitat features (e.g., fish spawning habitat; seepage areas; clusters of supercanopy trees; abundant downed woody debris; habitats of species of conservation concern such as warblers, raptors, grouse; areas of dense conifer cover) unless advised to do so or where such cutting is necessary for maintenance of that habitat.
• Avoid cutting along lake and stream shorelines, in wet areas, and around springs and seeps.
• To prevent erosion, cut only on dry slopes less than 35 %.

Cutting and felling

• Use careful directional felling to minimize damage to the residual stand, regeneration, and to the tree that is being felled and to reduce skidding damage (i.e., fell trees so that they can be pulled out of the area as cleanly as possible).

Roads, skid trails, and landings

• Wherever possible, skid trails and roads should avoid steep slopes (e.g., greater than 12% for roads; greater than 20% for skid trails), wet spots, seepage and poorly-drained areas, and intermittent streams.
• Minimize the number and width of skid trails and roads and follow the land contours whenever possible unless seedbed scarification is part of the regeneration prescription.
• Never skid directly up or down a slope.
• Where possible, without lowering product value, skid shorter log lengths.
• Locate landings on well-drained sites away from waterbodies and watercourses.

Crossing streams

• Skid trails and roads should approach and cross streams at right angles to minimize impacts on stream banks and to prevent water from flowing down skid trails.
• Minimize the number of stream crossings, cross at only one location and where the stream is narrow and preferably has a rocky bottom.  Remember that it is illegal to destroy any fish habitat.
• Approval from the NPCA is required for the construction of structures for crossing streams and other watercourses.

Invasive non-native species

• Hose down forestry equipment between work sites to prevent the introduction of non-native species.
• Remove non-native species to help ensure long-term health of the forest stand.

More details are provided here: Careful Logging