Forest management
Forest planning
Forest planning involves assessing the current status of a wooded area and projecting how it will evolve. This includes
various activities that can be conducted in a private or a public woodlot. Any activity related to forest planning must
be prepared under the supervision of a forest engineer, who signs off on it.
If you own a private woodlot, it is part of what is commonly called "private forest". In preparing a forest management
plan for you, I can give you a better idea of your property’s potential. For example, the plan would include:
- where the various tree species are located and their proportions in relation to other species on your woodlot;
- which stands of trees (in density, height, and age) fill your woodlot and if they have been previously logged or disturbed;
- how much wood could be harvested (in cubic metres).
A forest management plan includes an aerial map locating your woodland in relation to roads and adjacent lots.
All tree species communities, roads, streams and other pertinent elements are located on this map.
Once the current status of your woodland is analyzed, I may recommend a specific silvicultural approach based
on your objectives. These recommendations are set according to priorities.
A forest management plan may be compared to a detailed picture of a given territory at a particular moment.
Since the forest is a dynamic environment, with tree stands evolving, recommendations may change, and the
plan naturally has a certain lifespan. Plans of this type normally cover 10 years, after which it is
recommended to start the process anew.
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The cost of a forest management plan will vary according to the surface area. You may contact me to check the cost of a management plan for your property.
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Forest management planning is done differently in public forests, which belong to the government (and thus to Quebec society as a whole).
This type of planning is managed by the ministry of natural resources and wildlife (MRNF) under various programs:
- 25-year general forest management Plan(Plan général d’aménagement forestier – PGAF), revised every five years;
- Annual forest intervention plan (Plan annuel d’interventions forestières – RAIF), combined with an annual report
submitted the following year and covering all actions undertaken during the year and following up treatments
conducted in the previous years.
After analyzing the status of a woodland, a forest engineer sets out prescriptions for the treatment to be undertaken,
describing their effects on the tree stands (improvement in quality, the number of stems treated, targeted sampling,
the volume sampled, etc.). Once the treatment is completed, a performance report sets out results from the variables
in the prescriptions and specifies if the treatment has been achieved or meets certain standards.
Technical specifications
I can produce various technical specifications, such as:
- Permit applications for various projects requiring:
- approval in accordance with clause 128.7 of the Act respecting the conservation and development of wildlife (R.S.Q., c.C-61.1)
- a certificate of authorization in accordance with clause 22 of the Environment Quality Act (R.S.Q., c.Q-2)
- Municipal rezoning applications
- Specifications for building logging roads
- Specifications for installing culverts
- Calculation of the number of taps in a maple stand
- Analysis of the ecological potential of sites regarding real estate projects, based on the developer’s goals
- Professional inspections following any forestry action
In addition to technical specifications, I can handle their follow-up and implementation to ensure that the work is consistent with what was planned.
Silvicultural diagnosis
Private woodlot owners can call upon my services to determine the status of the forest, whether they suspect damage
(phytosanitary problems, wind damage or other signs) or would like to assess previous treatment in the woodlot.
In such instances, I would prepare what is called a silvicultural diagnosis.
This diagnosis covers the condition of the wooded area in terms of ecological status and potential forestry production.
It then sets out special measures for sound management based on the level of urgency and the owner’s objectives.
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You may contact me to learn the cost of a silvicultural diagnosis.
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Forest regulations
In dealing with current issues, a municipality may ask me to update its regulations on tree cutting.
We first analyze together the current coverage levels and the municipality’s requirements. I will then
suggest various forms of regulation and explain the specific impact of the forestry standards on your territory.
As a professional forest engineer, my duty is to help you set out forestry standards fully adapted to your
municipality. The final regulations and mapping of the areas concerned will be the result of your choices.
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You may contact me to check the cost of updating your forest regulations.
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Forest evaluation
There comes a time when you may want to know the cash value of certain forest activities. I can evaluate:
- The commercial value of a timber stand or forest property, taking account of the forest regulations where the property is located, as well as the age of the various timber stands;
- Amortization of a woodlot depending on processes conducted over time (clear-cutting, site preparation, reforestation, release cutting 1 and 2, commercial thinning, final harvesting);
- Your woodlot’s yield in cubic metres and dollars per cubic metre;
- The possibility of investing in planting as opposed to putting your money in a financial institution (based on realistic current interest rates);
- The monetary advantage of acquiring a woodlot, based on specific criteria;
- The ornamental value of trees in an urban area before and after they are damaged;
- Damages and monetary value of trees in the case of forest-related litigation or disputes, such as:
- expropriation;
- damage to your land caused by a third party;
- compensation for damage to a forest.
Unfortunately, disputes sometimes lead to legal proceedings. You may then need the services of an
expert witness to testify to the monetary value of the damage incurred and to explain how (by
which recognized method) the expert arrived at this value. I can be your expert witness.
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In cases like this, or in matter of forest evaluation, you may contact me to see how I can help you.
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Mapping
I can produce thematic maps in the size and projection of your choosing, with the content you would like. Here are some examples:
- woodlot(s) based on aerial photos showing the various cuts of forest stands;
- woodlot(s) based on topographic maps showing the various cuts of forest stands;
- basic maps showing trails and detailed legends;
- location map showing the lots, range and township based on digital mapping by the Quebec government (this has no legal value; only a surveyor’s map is legally recognized);
- thematic map of a GPS on-site survey.
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You are invited to contact me for map production.
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On-site technical operations
I can:
- set contours on-site;
- mark trees to be cut with paint (negative marking);
- mark trees to be protected or released in silvicultural actions (positive marking);
- mark trails of all kinds based on your layouts or specific criteria;
- mark protective strips;
- survey and mark wetlands;
- survey, mark and characterize streams;
- do GPS surveys of treatment lines;
- prepare inventories for an action before and after treatment based on different methods;
- measure felled wood (I am a licensed wood scaler).
Characterization of streams and wetlands
I can characterize streams or wetlands on your property to collaborate in any real estate project. This involves an
on-site GPS survey of the stream. My readings can be used by surveyors in their plans.
In more controversial cases, I may call upon biologist colleagues for in-depth expertise on unusual sites.
My readings are recognized by municipal and provincial authorities (ministry of the environment, ministry of natural resources).
GPS surveying
I can conduct GPS surveys of:
- contour lines before and after treatment;
- lot line(s) (this has no legal value; only a surveyor’s plan is legally recognized);
- trails of all kinds (followed by mapping);
- streams;
- wetlands;
- places of interest.
Urban forestry
Trees in an urban environment play a social, environmental and economic role, but many stress factors
may affect them. These factors have to be known and, depending on their severity, prevented or cured.
In some instances, trees may even have to be eradicated. My expertise in this field enables me to:
- identify the species to replant or transplant;
- identify the sturdiness of a tree;
- recommend pruning and guying;
- identify the different plant species;
- conduct tree inventories and tree reference mapping;
- analyze the presence of insects or diagnose an illness in a tree or a woodland;
- prepare woodland development plans;
- prepare integrated preventive tree management plans for urban or outer suburban areas.
Post-treatment landscape analysis and real estate project evaluation using World Construction Set 6.86 (WCS 6.86)
This area of expertise addresses the needs of municipalities, beneficiaries of Timber Supply and Forest Management Agreements (TSFMA),
regional county municipalities, lake associations, real estate developers, and individuals.
This computer-aided visual analysis using WCS software is a useful decision-making tool. Based on various viewpoints and predetermined
parameters, it shows the potential effects of a treatment or development project.
This software produces an image over time that takes account of various parameters: real plant cover, contours (elevation), streets
and roads, urban perimeters, seasons, disturbances (clear-cutting, partial cutting, wind fall, etc.), the presence of telecommunications
towers, camera locations, weather conditions, etc.
The greater the level of detail, the more closely the software generates an image of reality. The results or images generated
help clients see whether the effects are significant on the immediate landscape or on its foreground or background. This is
currently the most recognized method for interpreting the effects on the landscape.
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