On-line Publications

The following on-line publications, reports and articles are available in Adobe Acrobat (PDF files) format and can be easily downloaded from this Web site or from the link provided. To view these documents you will need Acrobat Reader, Version 5.0. You may already have this program installed on your computer. If not, it may be downloaded free of charge from the Adobe Web site. If you have an older version of the Reader, you may need to upgrade to version 5.0. Download Acrobat Reader

Landowner’s Guide for Woodlots Threatened by Emerald Ash Borer
The emerald ash borer is a recently introduced invasive insect that is causing serious devastation to the ash forests of southern Ontario. This 4-page fact sheet discusses the signs and symptoms of the emerald ash borer (EAB) and further explores management options landowners may want to consider to when their woodlot is threatened by EAB. (466 KB)

Landowner’s Guide: When Invasive Species Threaten Your Woodlot
Just released, this new fact sheet offers landowners supplements the information contained in the fact sheet “Landowner’s Guide for Woodlots Threatened by Emerald Ash Borer”. It provides practical advice on what to do if you suspect that you have an invasive species in your woodlot. (400 KB)

Building a Case for Sustainable Management of Private Woodlands – 
These case studies provide an excellent overview that the economic returns from a woodlot (mostly timber sales) compare very favourably to those from agriculture crops on comparable land over the same time period.  For more information, here are four case studies:

Barrie Woodlot
Scott Woodlot
Foote Woodlot
Horning Woodlot

Linking the Forest and the Factory –
This recently released report provides an excellent look at the wood purchasing behaviour of Ontario’s value-added wood industries. The research project was initiated in 2004 by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to find answers to several key questions: What share of Ontario grown wood do Ontario’s value-added wood producers use?  What are the barriers to buying Ontario wood? How is Ontario wood perceived among industrial users?  (412 KB)

A Guide to Stewardship Planning for Natural Areas (Downloaded Management Plan Template) –
The management plan outlined in A Guide to Stewardship Planning for Natural Areas can now be downloaded; completed and can be saved as an electronic document using Adobe Acrobat Reader.  This is a great tool for those landowners looking to develop their own management plan on their home computer. It can be downloaded from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resource's website.

Best Management Practices: A Practical Guide for New Brunswick’s Private Woodlots –
This BMP (best management practices) guide provides woodlot owners with some forestry practical best management practices that can be implemented by the landowner, a requisite to work towards sustainable management strategies on private lands. It can be downloaded from the Canadian Model Forest's Website.

Private Woodland Owners - Meeting the Stewardship Challenge – !
This report highlights woodlot owner contributions to stewardship across Canada and provides background information for further discussion within the woodlot community on current and future challenges.  The report includes the first national endeavour to assemble available information on stewardship activities by private woodlot owners in Canada. It can be downloaded from the Canadian Model Forest’s website.

Choosing the Right Tree –
This guide is a great tool for landowners that want to plant trees.  It provides information on how to select the right tree for the right site.  The guide will help you get to know your site, choose the right species, choose a species that meets your objectives and choose the right stock for your site.  It can be downloaded from the Eastern Ontario Model Forest’s website.

Revenue Canada Agency – IT-373R2 (Consolidated) Woodlots –
This bulletin from Canada Revenue Agency deals with some of the issues in the determination of taxable income, for income tax purposes, of owners and operators of woodlots, including woodlots operated as farms.  This bulletin is intended to assist taxpayers in determining the main income tax rules that apply to their woodlot operations. It is not intended to be a comprehensive tax guide.  It can be downloaded from Canada Revenue Agency website.

Guide to Developing a Forest Conservation Bylaw
Municipalities interested in developing a forest conservation bylaw will find this guide useful. The guide provides a number of bylaw options to help meet local needs. It is a companion guide to Information for Successful Forest Conservation Bylaws and A Forest Conservation Bylaw Template. (122 Kb)

Ontario Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program (MFTIP)
(Updated January 2006)
The Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program is a voluntary program that provides a reduction in property taxes to landowners who have an approved managed forest plan and agrees to be good stewards of their property. This guide provides the eligibility criteria for the program and provides landowners with a sample template of a management plan for their woodlot. This guide can be downloaded from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources’ Web site. (11-pages)

A Guide to Stewardship Planning for Natural Areas
This is an excellent resource for landowners who are preparing their first stewardship plan. The guide contains a user-friendly template that provides a step-by-step explanation of the process of developing a management plan. It can be downloaded from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resource's Web site.

A Forestlandowner's Guide to Internet Resources: States of the Northeast
This guide (updated biannually) is a compendium of Web site and on-line publications, fact sheets and brochures covering just about every topic on forest stewardship a woodlot owner may require. Although this is an American publication, it also provides links to on-line resources in Canada and Ontario. Some of the topics covered include recreation, wildlife, forest health, management planning, silviculture, timber sales, etc. This guide can be downloaded from the USDA's Web site.

A Landowner's Guide to Selling Standing Timber
Selling standing timber from your woodlot is not a simple task. Landowners who are not familiar with the intricacies of selecting and harvesting trees, market values or dealing with contractors may find themselves earning less than they should. This guide is a comprehensive handbook that will help you make the right decisions about harvesting in your woodlot. (5.3 Kb)

A Landowner's Guide to Selling Standing Timber (Brochure)
This brochure provides landowners with tips and advice on selling standing timber. A companion to the comprehensive information provided in A Landowner's Guide to Selling Standing Timber. (165 Kb)

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A Landowner's Guide to Putting Down Roots - Choosing the Right Tree
This guide is for landowners who have already made the decision to plant trees or shrubs on their property, but are seeking more information about what species is best suited to their particular site and needs. Topics include determining soil type, matching the species to the site, species selection and information on native conifer and deciduous trees species. (1.3 Mb)

A Photographic Treatise on How Best to Grow Veneer Quality Lumber
Written by landowner Andy Dixon, this is his account of growing, and pruning hardwood trees (30 to 60 trees per acre), for the production of high quality veneer lumber. Read and learn about one landowner's new approach to growing trees on the farm. (1.6 Mb)

A Plantation Establishment Program to Sequester Atmospheric Carbon
This report discusses recommendations based on discussions with woodlot landowners on the type of structure and the conditions needed to implement a national reforestation and afforestation program, with the main impetus to sequester atmospheric carbon. (260 Kb)

A Silvicultural Guide to Managing Southern Ontario Forests
This guide is for woodlot owners and managers working in woodlots in southern Ontario. It provides the latest scientific information on forest ecology, silvics information on tree species found in southern Ontario and extensive information on making silvicultural decisions with respect to the surrounding natural landscape, wildlife habitat needs and the protection of biodiversity. This guide can be downloaded from the Ontario Woodlot Association's Web site.

A Silvicultural Guide for the White Pine and Red Pine Working Group in Ontario

A Silvicultural Guide for the Tolerant Hardwood Working Group in Ontario

A Silvicultural Guide to Managing for Black Spruce, Jack Pine and Aspen on Boreal Forest Ecosites in Ontario

This series of silvicultural guides, produced by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, provides the latest scientific and silvicultural information. The guides provide recommended strategies, silvicultural treatments and best management practices to achieve ecological sustainability for the different forest types found in Ontario. These guides can be downloaded from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resource's Web site.

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Ontario Tree-Marking Guide
This guide is a companion document to A Silvicultural Guide for the Tolerant Hardwood Working Group in Ontario. It provides background and guidance on proper-tree marking techniques and procedures for the tolerant hardwood forest. These guides can be downloaded from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resource's Web site.

A True Picture - Taking Inventory of Your Woodlot
This is a user-friendly guide that provides two case studies that will lead the landowner through the process of planning and carrying out a forest inventory. The guide has information about the tools required and the techniques to use in preparing a forest inventory. It will provide you with the information that you need to make sound management decisions. The guide can be downloaded from the Eastern Ontario Model Forest Web site.

The Size of Canada's Privately Owned Forestlands: Their Management and Economic Importance
This report provides an overview of the importance of private forestlands in Canada. It also contains a summary of discussions and recommendations about the possible benefits of establishing plantations on marginal cleared land to sequester atmospheric carbon. The appendices provide a summary on the private forestland resource and management programs in each of the ten provinces. (160 Kb)

Critical Review of Historical and Current Tree Planting Programs on Private Lands in Ontario
Since the late 1800s, more than one billion trees have been planted on private land in Ontario. This report provides an excellent historical overview of Ontario's afforestation programs that were responsible for this achievement. It contains insight into the accomplishments and weaknesses of the various programs (Agreement Forests, Woodlands Improvement Act, Project Tree Cover, programs operated by Ontario's conservation authorities, etc.) and provides recommendations for future planting programs. This report can be downloaded from Trees Ontario Foundation Web site.

Common Pests of Trees in Ontario
This guide provides excellent illustrations of common pests and explains the injuries that they can cause to trees. It will help landowners to identify pests in their woodlot. The guide also provides information about habits and life cycles, helping the reader understand the reasons behind specific pest control procedures. This revised edition of Common Pests of Ornamental Trees and Shrubs now features more information on pests that attack trees in our forests and plantations. This guide can be downloaded from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resource's Web site.

Forest Conservation Bylaw Template
This reference document provides municipalities with a generic template of a model forest conservation bylaw. It is a companion guide to Information for Successful Forest Conservation Bylaws and A Guide to Developing a Forest Conservation Bylaw. (311Kb)

Frontline Technical Notes
The Great Lakes Forestry Centre (Canadian Forestry Service) has developed a series of on-line bulletins covering a range of topics of interest to woodlot owners. Topics include gypsy moth, beech bark disease, forest tent caterpillar, etc. All the notes are in PDF and HTML format and will allow the reader to directly view or print them from the Web. These notes are available at the Great Lakes Forestry Centre's Web site.

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Information for Successful Forest Conservation Bylaws
This document is a compendium of information to assist those involved in the preparation of forest conservation bylaws. It provides insight into the legislation behind bylaws, the elements of a successful bylaw and provides recommendations for training bylaw enforcement officers. (866 Kb)

Landowner Extension Notes
The LandOwner Resource Centre, in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, has published more than 50 extension notes for landowners on various topics such as: forests, agroforestry, pest, water and wetlands, property management and wildlife. These notes are available at the LRC's Web site.

Non-Timber Forest Products in Ontario: An Overview
More woodlot owners are looking for new avenues to generate additional revenues from their property. Producing non-timber forest products (NTFPs) may be something that you want to undertake. This report reviews commercial and non-commercial NTFPs in Ontario, including current and potential NTFPs, issues associated with NTFP use and development, and recommendations for sustainable development of the sector. This report can be downloaded from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources' Web site. (70-pages)

Private Land Code of Forestry Practices (Ontario Woodlot Association)
Developed by woodlot owners, the code promotes sustainable environmental and financial operations within the framework of the woodlot owner's objectives. The code provides general guidance to landowners developing a management plan that allows for forest product extraction, while minimizing impacts on the environment and maintaining forest values. (261Kb)

Report on Tree Conservation Bylaws in Southern Ontario (June 2001)
This document summarizes a study undertaken to assess the institutional arrangements of tree conservation bylaws in southern Ontario and how they are being utilized in managing forest cutting at the municipal level. This report is unavailable at this time.

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Silvics of North America
This two-part reference book describes how trees grow, reproduce and respond to changes in their environment (it covers more than 200 North American tree species). Discussion for each species includes native range, climate, soils, associated forest types, damaging agents, etc. This publication is available at the USDA Web site.

Sustaining Biodiversity - A Strategic Plan for Managing Invasive Plants in Southern Ontario
This document is a call for action to prevent the broad-scale loss of native biodiversity resulting from the spread of invasive plants. For landowners, the plan provides excellent information on the habitat, methods of reproduction and control measures for some of Ontario's most invasive species. This publication is available at the Ontario Society for Ecological Restoration's Web site.

Sustainable Forest Management Survey of Northumberland County
(March 2000)
This report summarizes a survey that was undertaken on the status of upland hardwood woodlots in Northumberland County (eastern Ontario). The survey looked at upland hardwood sites, landowner objectives and the tools required by landowners to carry out sustainable woodlot management. (82Kb)

The Impacts of Climate Change on Ontario's Forests
This report examines some of the literature concerning the effects of global climate change on forest plants and their communities. It also provides some opinions of the potential impacts climate change may have on Ontario's forests.

Topics discussed include – insects and climate change, forest hydrology in relation to global change, impact of climate change on forest fires and forest management responses to climate change, just to name a few. This report can be downloaded from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources’ Web site. (50-pages)

Timber Sale Contract (Sample)
This generic sample contract will provide landowners with a template to use as a basis to prepare their own timber sale agreement. The contract includes clauses that cover payment schedules, insurance, logging standards, etc. (123 Kb)

USDA Forest Service - On-line Publications
Through an extensive series of user-friendly fact sheets, the USDA Forest Service provides landowners with on-line information on forest health, tree care, natural resources management and many other forestry-related topics. These fact sheets are available at the USDA Web site.

User-Friendly Guide to the Draft Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Standards for small forest operators
The Forest Stewardship Council of Canada (FSC) has prepared a user-friendly landowner guide, which outlines the principles of FSC certification for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest region. This guide is intended to be a tool for owners and managers of small woodlots who are interested in forest certification or who want to learn more about the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence standards. This guide can be downloaded from the FSC's Web site.

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