Photo Karen Graham.
Mature woodlots can benefit from expert thinning that prevents them from becoming too dense to allow regeneration.
In collaboration with the Kawartha Land Trust, and The Ontario Woodlot Association, a new initiative has been launched by our neighbours to the west.
They have started a local Forestry Cooperative. Among the many motives for this move was to prevent their plantations from collapsing, position themselves to take advantage of carbon credits, transition their forest to more biodiverse native hardwood forests, jointly explore alternative revenue sources and social benefits and reduce the expense of expert advice by working together.
According to experts, many Ontario plantations should be managed, or thinned. Plantations in southern Ontario were established originally as a way to rehabilitate previously deforested land. In many cases, these plantations are not being managed (thinned) and this can result in complete collapse of the forest because it becomes too dense to support natural regeneration. This new Community Forestry Co-operative pilot aims to provide an affordable means for landowners to take care of their forests, so they evolve into more biodiverse systems that all can enjoy.
The group will be sending out postcards in the area to share their news. For more information, contact info@ontariowoodlot.com or call 613-713-1525. KG
