Clearcutting

Clearcutting is an appropriate forest management practice for the Boreal forest. It most closely mimics the natural pattern of disturbances (notably fire) and, as such, helps to replace the even-aged stands that are typical of northern Ontario. That said, clearcutting is just one element in an integrated forest management system that accounts for the full life cycle of a stand—from harvesting to successful regeneration.

Clearcutting is perhaps the most emotional of all forestry issues. It captures headlines worldwide and sparks heated debate, as those in favour work to demonstrate the value of this controversial practice, and as their opponents argue against it. Few issues receive as much attention, and yet few are as little understood.

In forestry, to ensure that even-aged stands of trees are replaced by even-aged stands of the same species, the majority of commercially usable trees are removed from a specified piece of land. This practice, known as clearcutting, is just one element in an integrated forest management system that accounts for the full life cycle of a stand—from harvesting to successful regeneration.

In choosing which technique to use, it is important to know that different practices are appropriate on different pieces of land, for different tree species. Factors such as elevation, soil type and local climate must all be considered, and decisions based on the species and characteristics of the site. Under the right circumstances, clearcutting is environmentally sound, cost effective and safe for people working in the forest. It minimizes the number of times that an area must be accessed, and the pressure to utilize other forested lands. More important, it is frequently the best way to recreate the ecosystem established throughout the history of the Boreal forest.


A History of Disturbance

In northern Ontario, the Boreal forest covers 550,000 square kilometers, which is close to 50% of the province. It is the largest of nine forest regions in Canada, and is characterized by coniferous trees (which have needles) such as jack pine and spruce, and deciduous trees (which have leaves) such as aspen and birch.

Historical records show that, on average, a large disturbance such as fire would decimate an area every 65 years. Because of these frequent, large disturbances, northern Ontario is characterized by stands of trees that are generally all the same age and, for the most part, all the same species. Today, it is common to fight forest fires, which influences the natural course of the stand. But even now, fires ravage a large number of forests every year; a single lightning storm can spark several thousand bolts, igniting a forest fire that consumes in excess of 100,000 hectares.

Although clearcutting is undertaken on a scale much smaller than many natural fires, it is the practice that most closely resembles the large-scale disturbances that were common throughout the history of the Boreal forest. By creating an open area, it provides the direct sunlight and exposed mineral soil that most Boreal species need to regenerate successfully. If fire were prevented and clearcutting rejected, the growth of these species would be inhibited by the shade from older trees, and the new forest would be quite different than the one nature would have created.

Protecting Other Values

Members of the Ontario Forest Industries Association recognize the many values that Ontario forests provide, and the need to protect these values by carefully planning and implementing all of their forest management activities. As an example, industry foresters leave pockets of trees in a clearcut to maintain biodiversity, protect the quality of soil and water, minimize the visual impact and more closely mimic the patterns of natural disturbance.

In their Code of Forest Practices , OFIA members have stated their commitment to, among other things, arrange harvest patterns in a manner that recognizes existing landscape and watershed attributes, wildlife habitat requirements and the concerns of all users.


Independent Findings

Some people opposed to clearcutting make it sound as though the forest is left a desert. That is simply not the case. In 1992, the Minister of Natural Resources released an independent audit on the status of forest regeneration. It was conducted by the Ontario Independent Forest Audit Committee, which concluded that the "apparently widely held impression that the Boreal forest is being deforested is erroneous." The Committee examined 1500 sites harvested between 1970 and 1985 and found that none had been converted to unproductive, barren conditions—despite the fact that many of these sites had been clearcut.

More recently, the Timber Environmental Assessment Board released the results of an exhaustive review of Ontario's forest management practices. After more than four years of site visits, hearings and submissions from the public, interest groups, government and the industry, the Board found no evidence of the “biological deserts” feared by the public. On the contrary, it observed that the forest grows back after all disturbances—including


logging, fire and insect infestation. The Board concluded that "scientific evidence demonstrates that clearcutting is an acceptable harvesting practice for the Boreal forest"—a finding supported in another recent report titled, Canada: A Model Forest Nation in the Making. Published by the federal Standing Committee on Natural Resources, this report also concludes that "clearcutting is entirely appropriate from an ecological perspective for most forest types in Canada. Moreover, clearcutting is a safe and economically sound harvesting method that is widely and successfully used throughout the world."


Expertise and Planning

Ontario has three distinct forest regions, each with its own blend of characteristics—from climate and soil type, to plant and wildlife species, to the economic and social values it provides. Expertise and careful planning are required to ensure that forest management practices (such as harvesting and regeneration) take into account the attributes of each region—and each individual site. For example, clearcutting is used on 90% of commercially harvested forests in northern Ontario. In most cases, this is the best way to replace the even-aged stands that characterize the region, which is the source of most commercial timber. In contrast, clearcutting is rarely chosen in southern Ontario, where many species of trees need shade to protect them in their early years, and are therefore able to live in mixed, multi-aged stands.

Before a site can be harvested, a planning team spends an average of 27 months developing a comprehensive Forest Management Plan. The objective is to ensure the future health of the resource, while also maintaining a healthy forest industry and integrating other values. In addition to a detailed explanation of the forestry practices intended (including the steps required for successful regeneration), plans must identify other values such as old growth, fish and wildlife habitat, and native values—and explain how they'll be protected. Public involvement is key. The Local Citizens' Committee (which the Ministry of Natural Resources must, by law, establish) may choose to have a representative on the planning team, or to supply information and review the plan at predetermined stages. Planning teams also include various experts, such as forest ecologists and wildlife biologists, who help ensure that a broad range of perspectives is included.


Regeneration

Harvesting is the first step in an integrated forest management system that accounts for the full life cycle of the stand, and includes regeneration. Natural regeneration occurs when the forest is renewed without planting or seeding, and requires nearby sprouts or seeds. Artificial regeneration involves the sowing of seeds (from the air or from the ground) or the planting of nursery grown seedlings.