Ottawa Valley Forest
The Crown Forest Sustainability Act provides for long-term, renewable licenses between the Ministry of Natural Resources and the forest industry. Known as Sustainable Forest Licenses (SFLs), they are issued to companies that, in exchange for harvesting rights, agree to assume responsibility for the ongoing care and maintenance of Ontario Crown forests.
The Ottawa Valley Forest (OVF) SFL is a cooperative venture between six local sawmills, two logging contractors, two large wood product mills, and one group of independent loggers. These include:
Bonnechere and Madawaska Sustainable Forestry Alliance Inc.
Hec Clouthier and Sons Inc.
Commonwealth Plywood Co. Ltd.
Domtar Inc.
Gulick Forest Products Limited
Ben Hokum and Son Limited
Murray Bros. Logging Company Limited
Thomas J. Neuman Limited
Temple Pembroke Inc.
724583 Ontario Ltd., Shaw Lumber
John Stewart Forest Products Limited
Many of these companies are family-owned, and have histories that date as far back as 150 years. Collectively, they are responsible for the sustainability of all Crown forests in the Ottawa Valley, including harvest, access, renewal and maintenance activities. Although the SFL covers an area of 806,766 hectares, only 240,000 hectares are managed Crown land. The rest is comprised of private land, parks and conservation reserves, federal land, and a first nations reserve.
OVF has an annual allowable cut of just over 4,000 hectares, for a corresponding volume of 292,000 cubic metres. The actual levels for 1999/2000 were 3,731 hectares and 261,320 cubic metres respectively. Of this, 150,000 cubic metres were poplar and white birch, while the rest was comprised of white and red pine (50,000), red oak (20,000), maple (20,000), spruce, jack pine and fir (10,000), and other hardwoods such as basswood, cherry, ash and yellow birch (10,000).
The shelterwood system of harvesting— where large trees are left as a seed source and to provide shelter for the regenerating forest—accounts for 45% of planned operations. Clearcutting—because it is particularly effective for replacing even-aged stands of species that thrive in direct sunlight—is planned for 42%. (The actual level of clearcutting is often reduced because the company encounters young stands of pine, oak or maple growing in the shade of poplar and white birch forests.) The remaining 13% is tolerant hardwood (such as maple and beech), which will be managed using the selection system.
In terms of regeneration strategies, the main goal of OVF is to restore the majestic white and red pine forests that once were abundant in the area, while also increasing the representation of hemlock, yellow birch and red oak toward pre-settlement conditions.
OVF is committed to sustainable forest management, and to ensuring the heritage and tradition of the Ottawa Valley’s natural resources. Independent audits of the SFL are conducted every five years, to ensure that forest management practices meet or exceed all Ministry standards as they relate the Crown Forest Sustainability Act.
For more information, please contact:
Ottawa Valley Forest Inc.
195 Brazeau Road, R. R. #3
Pembroke, ON
K8A 6W4
Tel: (613) 735-1888
E-mail: ovf@webhart.net
