Woodlot Watershed Forestry Project

This project addresses the reality that landscape-level forest management for wildlife habitat and biodiversity require a high degree local woodlot owner participation and is a function of the cumulative actions of individual woodlot owners. Currently, woodlot management in southern New Brunswick reflects the fragmented nature of ownership. There is often little knowledge among woodlot owners of neighboring owners' objectives. This makes planning for deer wintering habitat, wildlife corridors, and other habitat patches practically infeasible. Funded by the Fundy Model Forest, the Watershed-based Woodlot Management Project will develop a landscape-level communication and management strategy for forestry within one or two watersheds.

The project will be comprised of six distinct phases:

  1. Past experiences with co-operative approaches and watershed forestry will be researched
  2. A GIS exercise will be conducted to determine the 'best' and most immediately available watersheds for the project based on predetermined criteria
  3. Links between landscape-level objectives and stand level prescriptions will be developed
  4. Financial and additional incentives to encourage woodlot owner involvement will be implemented
  5. Landowners in target watersheds will be contacted by SNB
  6. A management planning strategy will be developed by interested woodlot owners with the help of SNB foresters/ technicians, the GFE and the Canadian Forest Service (CFS).

This project is intended to be community-based.


Click to See Enlarged Map

Due to its high percentage of small private woodlots, mature forest, and unique forest types, Washademoak Lake Watershed has been selected as the candidate area for 2000-20001. Over 150 woodlot owners are being contacted to determine if they are interested in participating in this project.

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