Opportunity For Woodlot Owners

Jeff Green | May 02, 2013

Woodlot owners in Frontenac County are eligible to participate in a program that will give them the opportunity to learn valuable lessons about the forests they manage.

For those with any kind of commercial interest in their woodlot, this free course, which is sponsored by the Eastern Ontario Model Forest and the Frontenac Community Development Corporation (CFDC), also brings the possibility of leading to a “Certified Forest” label on their products, which increases their value in the market place.

“There are certainly a number of woodlot owners in Frontenac County who are familiar with the Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program (MFTIP), which gives them a tax break when they have a forest management plan in place for their property. Forest Certification is similar to that but it involves a different process and is oriented to the market for sustainable forest products rather than tax savings,” said Melanie Williams, the communications co-ordinator for the Eastern Ontario Model Forest.

“With the help of the Frontenac CFDC [Community Futures Development Corporation], we are offering all day seminars on forest certification on Thursday May 9 in Sharbot Lake (Oso Hall) from 9am to 2pm, and on Thursday June 13 at the Lions Hall in Verona from 5 pm to 9 pm.

The sessions are free but there is a $10 charge to help defray costs for the meal that will be provided. To register call 613-258-8241 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In addition to the seminar, thanks to CFDC funding, the Model Forest is offering a free one-day visit from a certified forester for those woodlot owners who are interested in pursuing certification. This offer is available to the first 20 eligible candidates. A visit is one of the pre-requisites for forest certification and by covering its cost the certification process will be more accessible to private woodlot owners in Frontenac County.

The Mazinaw-Lanark Forestry Association, a company made up of private foresters who operate on Crown Land in Frontenac and neighboring counties, has recently achieved third party certification to the principles of the Forest Stewardship Council.

According to the Eastern Ontario Model Forest website “This makes sure the products, in effect all forest products originating from these forests, contain FSC certification. All Crown wood harvested from the 75,000 hectares in Frontenac County carries this designation. This designation is an international symbol of responsible management. Certified logs, lumber, residue and secondary products are sought after both in domestic and export markets. Forest Certification allows forestry and forest products in the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Region to remain competitive in a challenging marketplace.

Private forest owners in Frontenac County and other parts of central and eastern Ontario need access to this same certification for their woodlots. Individually it is not cost affordable and not logistically possible for single woodlots to become certified. Privately owned forest products are a critical part of the wood basket to local and regional forest product producers and provide other essential services such as clean water and habitat. Forest certification as an option for forest owners in Frontenac County would provide: well managed forest products available to facilities that want to market and sell certified resources; access to information through a network of other forest owners and managers with similar objectives; long term health and integrity of landowners’ forest and forest resources; and pride in ownership and responsible management decisions related to forests.”

Attending one of the seminars is an ideal way to learn about the program. There is also extensive information available, and an online application process as well, at eomfcert.ca.