This is the second article in our two-part series on plantation management. Read Plantation Management Part 1: Challenges.
Managing your tree plantation can increase biodiversity, sustainability and help your forest adapt to climate change. When we surveyed plantation owners last year, we found only half of the landowners surveyed have a management plan for their plantation. Although most landowners with a management plan are participants in the Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program, having a plan benefits all plantation owners. Having one helps assess plantation health, develop strategies to maintain value and reach forest management goals.
Management Plans In Action
Most landowners with management plans are actively implementing them: they’re managing invasive species, maintaining trails and cutting trees for their own use. Few are harvesting trees to sell. Periodic thinning can keep plantations healthy, and our results show many plantation owners may not be thinning often enough to support the transition to a healthy forest. Typically, plantations required thinning by 30 years old and subsequent thinning every 10 to 15 years thereafter.
A Greener Future
Tree plantations help cool our communities, capture carbon and are important future forests when we manage them well. CVC offers the following services to help plantation owners manage their forests:
- Property visits and technical advice on plantation health
- Funding for the development of forest management plans, control of invasive species and other management practices
- Educational resources to help guide your forest management planning
Get Started Today
The survey results reveal a firm commitment among landowners to support and protect their plantations and a desire for a healthy forest. By addressing barriers with targeted programs and support, CVC fosters more resilient and well-managed plantations in the Credit River Watershed. Tree-planting investments are protected by ensuring trees thrive from planting to forest maturity. For more information or help in managing your plantation, connect with us today.